Level 3 situation

[CaptSensible]

blinds are 25/50. only 5 people left. Im nearly tied with big stack at 2200 chips. others are at 1100, 1000, and 750 (roughly) my instinct here is to play very tight and let the shorter stacks duke it out. at least until level 4.
What's the consensus on this?

[future]

Your chip lead is deceiving assuming this is Party Poker structure. I play more aggressively if anything.

[igotBlackJak]

tight might let you sneak into 3rd.. AGG almost assures ITM w/ better chances at 1st.

In my experience w/ these party STTs is that they are very, very dynamic. Leaves little room for playing tight past lvl 3, imo...

[Shilly]

You need to be very aggressive once the blinds hit level 4, but the size of your stack should allow you to avoid marginal situations and let you pick your battles (at least for a while).

[CaptSensible]

[ QUOTE ]
You need to be very aggressive once the blinds hit level 4, but the size of your stack should allow you to avoid marginal situations and let you pick your battles (at least for a while).

[/ QUOTE ]

This is my thinking exactly. My feeling is why risk chips to steal the sb/bb which are only 75 chips at this point even though I have a decent stack.
Level 4 becomes the "shift into aggro" level.

[mosdef]

this is sound thinking.

in level three make sure that you use your stack to steal limps (as opposed to just stealing blinds which is not worth the risk yet, as you say). for example, if you're in the BB and button and sb limp into you, fire back with a raise. those limps mean weakness and they will fold most of the time.

[CaptSensible]

[ QUOTE ]
this is sound thinking.

in level three make sure that you use your stack to steal limps (as opposed to just stealing blinds which is not worth the risk yet, as you say). for example, if you're in the BB and button and sb limp into you, fire back with a raise. those limps mean weakness and they will fold most of the time.

[/ QUOTE ]

Awesome advice. Can't wait to try it out /images/graemlins/smile.gif thanks!

[CaptSensible]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
this is sound thinking.

in level three make sure that you use your stack to steal limps (as opposed to just stealing blinds which is not worth the risk yet, as you say). for example, if you're in the BB and button and sb limp into you, fire back with a raise. those limps mean weakness and they will fold most of the time.

[/ QUOTE ]

Awesome advice. Can't wait to try it out /images/graemlins/smile.gif thanks!

[/ QUOTE ]

W O W. works like a charm! Thanks a million /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[hansarnic]

[ QUOTE ]
blinds are 25/50. only 5 people left. Im nearly tied with big stack at 2200 chips. others are at 1100, 1000, and 750 (roughly) my instinct here is to play very tight and let the shorter stacks duke it out. at least until level 4.
What's the consensus on this?

[/ QUOTE ]

I think it depends on how the short stacks are playing and on where you are sitting relative to the other big stack. If they are playing scared and you're on his left then you are basically being offered free chips, so it's crazy to turn them down. But you have a nice chip position for Level 4 so don't screw it up by being too reckless. Small PF raises (125 is fine) won't commit you but will generally only get action if a small stack is prepared to play for his stack.

[wulfheir]

What kind of raises are you throwing back at them at this point? A push, a pot-sized, or something different.

[mosdef]

if you're short stacked (say, 650 down) I would push.

If you're in good shape (say, 1100 up) I would make it 200 to go.

In between is a little grey... I would tend to push most of the time, depending on reads if any.

[Tilt]

I agree you need to stay aggressive.

What I hate about this situation is that the blind and stack sizes dictate that if you start the raising battle others will get the first all-in against you.

Say you are in the CO with a hand like A8-10 or KQ, or much less. Folded to you, you raise to like 250. Guy with a stack of 1100 in the BB pushes. I hate that situation.

[twomarks]

I tend to fold in that situation unless I have a good read. At best, I'm probably in a PP vs. overs situation.

What do you think?

twomarks