Dazed27
03-24-2005, 06:16 PM
I play in a .25/.50 home game (dorm game) with a standard buy-in of $20 (once the stacks get deeper people buy in for more). Usually there are 7 - 10 players, I would say closer to 7 normally but people come and go as they bust out & a lot of rebuying takes place etc. Because we play all night the deep stacks can get to be in the 60-120 range (or more), depending on the action, and I would say there is generally around 300+ dollars on the table in any given night. That said...
How should I alter my play from playing 100bb stacks online to playing 40bb stacks for the most +EV playing style...? I mean, how should I improve my play with such short stacks at the beginning of the night?
My thoughts are:
1) Tighten up quite a bit more... not as many speculative hands are worth playing (for a limp) and the implied odds for drawing are cut way down (my opponents are mostly 2+2 types who play tight aggressive style, I play with them to have fun, enjoy the game, & improve -- if I wanted to make money I could find softer games in other places-- but that is to say that they are solid, they do not give odds to draw, they do not give free cards -- although there are some exceptions and slip-ups)
2) Pot size (or near pot size) bets with top pair on the flop might not be +EV in the early part of the night because I am building the pot and pot committing myself with a hand that I dont necessarily want to commit my entire stack with... (or do I?)
3) Positional raises and blind stealing become a lot more important early because taking down $0.75 is relavent with such short stacks... (I think this is correct...)
Also, these guys are students of the game. A lot of "big calls" and "big laydowns" take place (last week a friend of mine made a good read and laid down the highest boat to my quads...the likes of which do not seem to be present online).
Should I change my standard tight-aggressive online ABC-poker nature for a more tricky playing style to allow these guys to make the wrong "big calls" and "big laydowns"...? If so, what sorts of "tricky" moves should I be making?
I show a profit online at the 25/50NL level by playing solid ABC style without pulling any non-standard "moves" -- but when I get in a tough live game and start to make tricky plays / nonstandard moves I seem to just confuse myself and my opponents and am not acting in the most +EV way (I scare them off by accident or don't scare them off when I need to) ... someone made a post about this a few weeks ago where I believe he or she referred to it as "integration" of play. Does anyone have an "integrated" strategy of short stack NL play against tough opponents (tight aggressive, making a lot of reads on hands and tells...) or just maybe some advice in this direction that they can share?
I guess my main questions are, after all of this background info, 1) what are some +EV changes in playing style between 100bb stacks and 40bb stacks? and 2) Does anyone have advice in changing gears between standard PP play online and tough live games?
Sorry my questions are rather general, but any advice would be appreciated, thanks. -- I feel like the better I get at solid ABC poker online and just playing patiently and correctly, the worse and more predictable I get against tough opponents.
-Dazed
How should I alter my play from playing 100bb stacks online to playing 40bb stacks for the most +EV playing style...? I mean, how should I improve my play with such short stacks at the beginning of the night?
My thoughts are:
1) Tighten up quite a bit more... not as many speculative hands are worth playing (for a limp) and the implied odds for drawing are cut way down (my opponents are mostly 2+2 types who play tight aggressive style, I play with them to have fun, enjoy the game, & improve -- if I wanted to make money I could find softer games in other places-- but that is to say that they are solid, they do not give odds to draw, they do not give free cards -- although there are some exceptions and slip-ups)
2) Pot size (or near pot size) bets with top pair on the flop might not be +EV in the early part of the night because I am building the pot and pot committing myself with a hand that I dont necessarily want to commit my entire stack with... (or do I?)
3) Positional raises and blind stealing become a lot more important early because taking down $0.75 is relavent with such short stacks... (I think this is correct...)
Also, these guys are students of the game. A lot of "big calls" and "big laydowns" take place (last week a friend of mine made a good read and laid down the highest boat to my quads...the likes of which do not seem to be present online).
Should I change my standard tight-aggressive online ABC-poker nature for a more tricky playing style to allow these guys to make the wrong "big calls" and "big laydowns"...? If so, what sorts of "tricky" moves should I be making?
I show a profit online at the 25/50NL level by playing solid ABC style without pulling any non-standard "moves" -- but when I get in a tough live game and start to make tricky plays / nonstandard moves I seem to just confuse myself and my opponents and am not acting in the most +EV way (I scare them off by accident or don't scare them off when I need to) ... someone made a post about this a few weeks ago where I believe he or she referred to it as "integration" of play. Does anyone have an "integrated" strategy of short stack NL play against tough opponents (tight aggressive, making a lot of reads on hands and tells...) or just maybe some advice in this direction that they can share?
I guess my main questions are, after all of this background info, 1) what are some +EV changes in playing style between 100bb stacks and 40bb stacks? and 2) Does anyone have advice in changing gears between standard PP play online and tough live games?
Sorry my questions are rather general, but any advice would be appreciated, thanks. -- I feel like the better I get at solid ABC poker online and just playing patiently and correctly, the worse and more predictable I get against tough opponents.
-Dazed