Small Stack, preflop decision
 

No reads. New to the table, it's a late night hand.

Ultimate Bet No-Limit Hold'em, $1 BB (10 handed) converter

UTG+1 ($20.90)
UTG+2 ($25.85)
MP1 ($136.35)
MP2 ($67.20)
MP3 ($47)
CO ($135.40)
Hero ($18.50)
SB ($111.65)
BB ($115)
UTG ($41.15)

Preflop: Hero is Button with 8[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], 8[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">3 folds</font>, MP1 calls $1, MP2 calls $1, <font color="#666666">1 fold</font>, CO calls $1, Hero ??

Limp along? Raise? If so, how much.


EDIT: I play limit mostly.

Re: Small Stack, preflop decision
 

limp, but seriously...rebuy for at least 60BB

Re: Small Stack, preflop decision
 

Limp and play for the flopped set. Check/fold if you don't get it.

Re: Small Stack, preflop decision
 

Limp and hope for a set. Kick yourself when you hit one and your opponents go all-in.

Re: Small Stack, preflop decision
 

hummmm what were you doing buying in at that limit with only 18$? thats not enough to do anything but all-in. when I see a player coming in with only that much I usually don't play against them unless I have something really good cause I know they will put me all in. try buying in for more, you'll have more flexibility with your stack
later

Re: Small Stack, preflop decision
 

I usually try to limp with any pair, hoping to flop a set. I'll call a preflop raise if it's less than 5% of my stack and the stacks are deep. Sets are so valuable.

With 88 on the button, I think limping and trying to flop a set is fine. But raising is another option here. If you miss the set, you may be able to represent top pair or overpair (depending on the board) and steal. Just one way to mix it up.

Re: Small Stack, preflop decision
 

Ok, i limped and missed. Flop came K77, someone bet, and I folded. Postflop wasn't important.

I get these hands with medium preflop strength with a few limpers and wonder what I should do. If I'm going to be overtaken too frequently on the flop, there is not much value in raising preflop, I think 8's are close to that inflection point.

I was just wondering if anyone thought I had enough preflop equity to make a raise preflop, and possibly move all-in or pot it on the flop.

I would probably make a raise preflop with tens and up, and play it from there. Sound fine?


Also, I am playing short stacked on purpose. Being a limit player, I tend to make lots more crying calls than is appropriate at NL and therefore it kills my winrate.

Being shortstacked:

-Prevents me from being outplayed postflop. (I have the tendency to make bad calls if I've been the aggressor preflop)

-It is really easy to multitable NL with a shortstack.

-This is good for clearing bonuses.

-People may not notice my shortstack and play me like a deep stack opponent. They will make bad calls preflop, and this is where my money is made.

Re: Small Stack, preflop decision
 

In Ed Miller's "getting started..." book, he recommends playing a short stack and he says to raise pairs down to 77 in late position. I don't understand the reasoning behind the move, nor how you could continue if you didn't hit your set. Can anyone explain it?

Re: Small Stack, preflop decision
 

[ QUOTE ]
In Ed Miller's "getting started..." book, he recommends playing a short stack and he says to raise pairs down to 77 in late position. I don't understand the reasoning behind the move, nor how you could continue if you didn't hit your set. Can anyone explain it?

[/ QUOTE ]
I haven't read the book, but I think the raise allows you to represent a better hand and use position to steal the pot later. Let's say you raise preflop with 77 and two players call. If they both check to you on a drawless flop, you may be able to steal the pot with a 3/4 pot bet. Even if an Ace hits on the flop, you can represent top pair if they both check to you. The preflop raise gives you another way of winning the pot if you don't hit your set. It also builds the pot for when you do hit.

Re: Small Stack, preflop decision
 

[ QUOTE ]
I haven't read the book, but I think the raise allows you to represent a better hand and use position to steal the pot later.

[/ QUOTE ]
I haven't read it either, but that's pretty much the reasoning. Being short-stacked, people may also assume you are raising with a better hand as well. I seem to recall Howard Lederer (could be wrong on who said it) recently recommending intentionally starting with 30xBB to force yourself to play a tighter NL game.

Anyway, I would have raised with no action and 88 on the button.
1) You may force limpers with A9 K9 etc to fold.
2) You show a bigger hand than you have.
3) You increase the pot, in case you actually do make your trips.

Worse comes to worse, the flop is horrid, someone bets at you, and you fold.