ALG
12-15-2004, 04:41 AM
hello all-
let me first explain the phenomena my post is about, though it should be fairly familiar to good single table players. It is best identified with an example- there are 6 players left at the start of level 3 (25-50 blinds) in a NLH tournament with 8000 total chips in play. The stack sizes at this point are 2400, 800, 1000, 1500, 700, 1600. For reasons that are not really the focus of my post, the play at this point in an SNG typically tightens up. Now let us suppose there have been nothing but blind steals for 20 hands. The stack sizes are approximately the same in terms of chips, but now, with 100-200 blinds, they are relatively shorter. Obviously, this necessitates lowering playing standards, playing more aggressively when you do enter a pot.
Here is the problem I've been having recently: I have a tendency to have a fairly good chip positions coming down to the bubble. However, i've also been suffering a disproportionate number of bubble (4th and 5th for this purpose) and 3rd place finishes, which is obviously no way to make solid money playing the sngs. I'm fairly sure my problem has been that i do not properly adjust my play with good but not great stacks here (short stacks i obviously play very aggressively cause it is mandated, my problem is when i'm say the 1600 chips in a situation where there are stacks of 2200, 2000, 1600 (me), 1400, 800 in 5 way play. I often find myself either playing very tightly and slowly losing my stack to the blinds, or occasionally too loosely (particularly against the shorter stacks) and losing larger chunks of chips at once.
At this point, i ask the question-
How weak can you be and defend your blind (big) against a single raise (doubling the blind) with these chip stacks at a) 25-50, b) 50-100 c) 100-200 and d) 150-300 when this raise comes from a likely steal position (button or small blind). Moreover, assuming you defend by calling (rather than reraising), how much do you need to flop to continue the hand? I am presuming that if you are in position, your opponent will automatically tap almost all flops, and likewise, if you act first and check, your opponent will ALWAYS tap. Like i said, i'm focusing on my play against the shorter stacks who by definition, must play more aggressive poker. I realize that answers are going to be situation specific (what you know about the player, etc) but i don't think making those adjustments will be my problem. My problem is that i don't feel comfortable with my general standards and thus, can't adjust properly since my base position is probably wrong.
hope to see some interesting and helpful thoughts on this.
let me first explain the phenomena my post is about, though it should be fairly familiar to good single table players. It is best identified with an example- there are 6 players left at the start of level 3 (25-50 blinds) in a NLH tournament with 8000 total chips in play. The stack sizes at this point are 2400, 800, 1000, 1500, 700, 1600. For reasons that are not really the focus of my post, the play at this point in an SNG typically tightens up. Now let us suppose there have been nothing but blind steals for 20 hands. The stack sizes are approximately the same in terms of chips, but now, with 100-200 blinds, they are relatively shorter. Obviously, this necessitates lowering playing standards, playing more aggressively when you do enter a pot.
Here is the problem I've been having recently: I have a tendency to have a fairly good chip positions coming down to the bubble. However, i've also been suffering a disproportionate number of bubble (4th and 5th for this purpose) and 3rd place finishes, which is obviously no way to make solid money playing the sngs. I'm fairly sure my problem has been that i do not properly adjust my play with good but not great stacks here (short stacks i obviously play very aggressively cause it is mandated, my problem is when i'm say the 1600 chips in a situation where there are stacks of 2200, 2000, 1600 (me), 1400, 800 in 5 way play. I often find myself either playing very tightly and slowly losing my stack to the blinds, or occasionally too loosely (particularly against the shorter stacks) and losing larger chunks of chips at once.
At this point, i ask the question-
How weak can you be and defend your blind (big) against a single raise (doubling the blind) with these chip stacks at a) 25-50, b) 50-100 c) 100-200 and d) 150-300 when this raise comes from a likely steal position (button or small blind). Moreover, assuming you defend by calling (rather than reraising), how much do you need to flop to continue the hand? I am presuming that if you are in position, your opponent will automatically tap almost all flops, and likewise, if you act first and check, your opponent will ALWAYS tap. Like i said, i'm focusing on my play against the shorter stacks who by definition, must play more aggressive poker. I realize that answers are going to be situation specific (what you know about the player, etc) but i don't think making those adjustments will be my problem. My problem is that i don't feel comfortable with my general standards and thus, can't adjust properly since my base position is probably wrong.
hope to see some interesting and helpful thoughts on this.