Go Shortie, Is It Your Birthday
Random sampling I just took at $1/2 NLHE 6-max on PokerStars: 61 active tables, 60 shorties (<$75 at table). I’m not really sure if this has gotten more or less prevalent over the last year, but it is noticeable.
It definitely affects me, everything from table selection to my betting (including raising, calling, and betting). Three questions:
- Is this a problem in online poker, or is it simply part of the game?
- What actions do you take when confronted with shorties?
- Is shortie a viable strategy in online poker?
Eager to hear from the best and brightest out there.
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October 2nd, 2007 at 12:53 pm
I hate shorties.
October 2nd, 2007 at 12:59 pm
Is this a problem in online poker, or is it simply part of the game?
It’s not really a problem. People can buy in for what you want, I suppose. I look at it as their mistake.
What actions do you take when confronted with shorties?
• I will make looser calls - People will tend to jam with less when they’re short stacked. Plus it won’t hurt you as much to call. Generally you can put these people on a much wider range of hands. I’ve had success doing this.
• I won’t call, however, if I need implied odds to make my call profitable. Say I have a flush draw. If the guy has a short stack behind him, and he bets less than the pot, I may not call anyway if I don’t have a lot invested because there’s not much to win. I won’t always set farm to a raise, too, against a short stack because there may not be much of a point.
• I tend to bully them more. This is not a tournament, so I tend to bluff and push smaller stacks off hands more. The short stack, to me, screams
October 2nd, 2007 at 1:01 pm
this money means a lot to me, and I take advantage of that.
I don’t think there’s any advantage to buying in short. It limits your pots, the money you can win and the amount of bluffing you can do. I fyou’re afraid of losing the money, don’t play at that level.
October 2nd, 2007 at 1:40 pm
http://pokerworks.com/article-700.html
October 2nd, 2007 at 2:13 pm
Sometimes I buy in short for exactly the reasons mentioned by peaker. If I know that people see my shortstack as a sign of weakness, scared money, and loose-passive player (ie. your typical shortstack), I will play on that perception. I do this a lot when I want to practice my uber-tight game or tricky/trappy plays; I will buy in short with the intent of getting a quick double-up, or at least getting my chips in good. But I agree that as a long-term strategy it lacks merit.
October 3rd, 2007 at 12:07 pm
I love playing suited 1 gappers deep stacked, I have to eliminate these against Shorties.
It also limits ability to set mining but I am more likely to play AK hard as a coinflip is not as costly.