Poker Perambulation

Eat my shorts

Boxers or briefs make me no nevermind. Aaron has an article up outline a strategy relating to M being a low value — IE the short stack. M is a Harrington term that divides the cost of a tournament round with your stack. Harrington says that when M=6 one is short stacked. Aaron runs it a bit lower to 5 or thereabouts.

While I’ve been there and done that and have scars and the occasional halo from it, I consider myself short stacked approaching M=10. When it is 4 or 5 – even 6 – the blinds have a lot of odds working their way. On sites without an ante, you might be more willing to look at those numbers. With a decent ante, the blind is seldom a big dog to the pot odds given. When that is the case, I’m looking [slash] praying I can make a move at 10 or so.

IMO, you need a better hand to shove with when the M=5 or 6 than with twice that stack.

At 5, I’ll play about any two from middle position – trying to use a non-steal position to sell the move.

M really means little until abusive blinds make the cheese binding. Without a stack that can still cause fear — you are cannon fodder. M is deteriorating for everyone. From the vast majority to absolutely everyone, you’ve a low M ahead of you.

They say it takes better cards to call an all in than to move all in. That often isn’t the case when the ante gets juicy. That is a theme that Mike Sexton returns to time and again. Yes, the blinds may be huge. That is always relative. If your stack played at the people behind and with even pot odds in the blinds see that you can cripple them, they may think twice. M=5 is often getting pretty toothless.

This makes me think of the cat skinning blog I did a couple of days ago. I used some hand history data and that always brings on an argument of sorts. $mokkee made a good addition in the comments for that one. But, we tend to think about actual hands and go beyond the idea presented. Well, here’s another look from another angle. Differing view and views that will work better at times. Which path to follow? All you can do is work what seems appropriate and pray a bit.

ADDENDUM:

Well, I am annoyed. And, for a change, it isn’t at my .50-1 game. It is Microsoft but that isn’t about Windows. I’ve long used their ergonomic keyboards. I’ve gone through a half dozen. They could last better. But, it is almost impossible to type on a standard keyboard – which I’m doing this blog with. I’m departing a bit from the norm. I ordered a Fellowes keyboard. It is similar and a reviewer who’d used the MS version liked it a bit better. If he right, I’m ok. If not. I’ll have an extra keyboard that’ll at least be better than this crappy Dell keyboard I had as a spare. It came with my last computer and really blows.

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Over in the forum there is a thread on a problem at PokerStars you might find interesting. It is in the Chris forum.