Short Stacked Cash Game Strategy

Primewise

Has anyone read Rolf Slothboom’s short-stacked PLO strategy? I am wondering if a similar strategy works will for online Holdem cash games…

If you haven’t read it, basically is the following (for PLO): -

• Minimum Buy in (which is about 20 times the BB online)
• Only plays premium hands like AAxx KKxx , or double suited rundowns like 8910J.
• Limp reraises to create a pot with dead money and cause himself to be isolated
• He makes a continuation bet on the flop and is now all-in (because of short stack) and cannot be bet out of the hand
• You play multiple tables

I have not read anywhere of people using a similar short stacked strategy for NL Holdem Cash. Though I did see one guy yesterday multi-tabling 10 handed €1/€2 tables with a buyin of €40, he had VPIP of like 8-9% and PFraise of 4%. His win rate after about 400 hands was quite good, about 4BB/100 (is this very good, or just good? … I don’t understand the BB/100 stat.. I only know that if its positive then its good lol..). The normal buyin at these tables is $200

His play was very predictable but he was getting enough action to turn a profit… doubling up on his big pairs and then leaving the table to avoid being a medium stack

Is anyone familiar with this strategy? I’m thinking it’s a bit more like Tournament play (i.e. tighter hand selection) but you get more action when you get a premium hand because in the cash games people are playing more hands than you?

Primewise

I was thinking that this would be a great strategy as long as the table wasn’t ultra tight, thus guaranteeing you action

But against observant opponents or people who use Pokertracker , they will see exactly what you are doing based on your stats, and then be able to stay out of your way…

Lafortezza

I've only seen a couple of successful shortstackers at PLO up to $1/$2. This is usually because the shortstacking winners already know how to play good PLO, and would probably be profitable anyway playing full stacked.

I don't mind playing against short stacks personally if you know how they play, although playing at a table with more than two of them (6max) is crap.

Macspower

shortstackers should be hanged at dawn!!!

but on a serious note (actually I was serious... hang em) when I was on everest there was a guy who 8 tabled 1/2 with a 40 buy in and was always on ( I often wondered if he was a bot?) his strategy was to push all in with a pocket pair JJ+ and thats all he ever did... stats were something like 7/6.... I always tried to avoid him as he was a waste of a seat!! As soon as he doubled he left and he topped up to 40 every time he lost a sb or bb.... hateful play......

Ste05

I don't think you'll ever get a good short stack strategy discussion going, (hopefully!!) they are so annoying and can wreck good games, there's no way I'd ever give people advice as to how to successfully play a short stack.

Macspower

Ste05 wrote:

I don't think you'll ever get a good short stack strategy discussion going, (hopefully!!) they are so annoying and can wreck good games, there's no way I'd ever give people advice as to how to successfully play a short stack.

there is no such thing thankfully.... but they are so annoying...

delete/lock/ban should be standard?

Primewise

Lol Ste, I also hate playing against short stacks. I thought I’d try being one and see how I go


I might actually move up a levels just so I am playing for the same amount of money. Like instead of sitting with $200 at a $1/2 table, I could sit at a $4/8 table with the same amount.

p.s. Normally I buy in for the maximum. At live cash I try to be the big stack at the table, its makes for much better poker!


I just though I’d give the short stack strategy a shot because when I’m playing online with a big stack, I hate facing decisions on the river when the scare card (usually the flush card) hits and opponent bets pot. Too many players do this with air, so I’ve turned into a check/calling station on the river, which has its problems. Playing Live I can usually get a good read at the river, but online its harder

I thought the short-buyin strat would eliminate some difficult river decisions!


p.s.
I love the “Top up every time you lose a SB or BB” idea… lol

cooker3

I love playing short stacks at 50nl, they are so easy to stack, now I would naturally like them buy in for full stack but hey I will still take it.

Primewise

cooker3 wrote:

I love playing short stacks at 50nl, they are so easy to stack, now I would naturally like them buy in for full stack but hey I will still take it.

How can they be “easy to stack” if they are all-in on the flop with only hands like AA, KK, QQ, JJ, 1010, AK, AQ? They’ll be ahead most of the time!

You only get their stack when you flop hard or when you also have one of those hands.

When you have a draw you get no odds to draw to it.

The advantage of playing against short stack is only really that its much easier to steal their blinds

cooker3

Primewise wrote:

How can they be “easy to stack” if they are all-in on the flop with only hands like AA, KK, QQ, JJ, 1010, AK, AQ? They’ll be ahead most of the time!

You only get their stack when you flop hard or when you also have one of those hands.

When you have a draw you get no odds to draw to it.

The advantage of playing against short stack is only really that its much easier to steal their blinds

That is why I said at 50nl as they are all donks, I them

Imposter

My problem with shortstacks is the min/max limits on tables. I think there has to be room for different stack sizes in games but I would think that 50/200 BB's would work a lot better than the 20/100 that is at the moment on most sites. I always try to sit at a table with a few shortstacks as their money is generally a lot easier to win than 20ish BB's of a full stack!

In PLO playing with a shortstack is a valid strategy (moreso than Holdem imo).

phantom_lord

lock and ban plz.

Chucky the tree

If your shortstacking 6max do you not open your range up a bit? Seems a bit stupid if your range is AJs JJ+ and playing on a 6max tables.

It has to be better doing it at a fr table where you will lose less money in blinds?

Ste05

Yep, FR is definitely the place to short stack....

opr

Ed Miller gives a good guide on how to sell your soul to the devil. If nothing else its worth reading the articles to understand how short stacking can be profitable so you can play better against them.

http://www.notedpokerauthority.com/articles/short-stack-play-part-1-the-basics.html

http://www.notedpokerauthority.com/category/short-stack-strategy

Opr

Ste05

I'm sooooo tempted to edit out those links....

Macspower

Ste05 wrote:

Yep, FR is definitely the place to short stack....

Agreed ... let them all F*** off there!!

Rb

Ste05 wrote:

I'm sooooo tempted to edit out those links....

Doooooooooooooooo itttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt

phantom_lord

Ste05 wrote:

Yep, FR is definitely the place to short stack....

and it's not even close.