Stack size, Implied Odds and the 5-10 rule question(s)

[Skuzzy]

This is a question (or questions) about implied odds and position for anyone who can offer a decent explanation to a novice player.

The overall question is, what factors pre-flop offer the greatest chance of succesfully getting your required implied odds with speculative hands and how do you generalise this in terms of your play?

Unfortuantely this covers a lot of ground, including the application of the 5-10 rule on which I feel a bit uncertain.

so I have some problems....

Ciaffone's definition of the 5-10 rule says roughly: when considering a call when your position is good you have an easy call when it's less than 5% of your (and their) stack and an easy fold when it's more than 10%, between 5 and 10 percent of your stack size use your judgement.

1 - this can't be the same rule for small pairs, suited connectors, Axs, suited 1 gaps, suited 2 gaps, small offsuit connectors can it?

2 - how good is good position? Is MP3 ok to call with A8s but bad to call 56s with? Is relative position worth as much as the button?

3 - you're playing at Party with a 300BB stack vs. another 300BB stack, is a raise of 15BB still an easy call? Is raising this high and higher essential to prevent giving massive implied odds to the other big stacked player?

4 - how do you adjust for very tight players and very loose players? Do tight players offer better implied odds by virtue of being more likely to have decent values to play out the hand on?

5 - How should I adjust my estimation of implied odds when entering a pot when there is a raiser and a caller if either the raiser or caller is short stacked?




Currently I play it safe and stay out of the 'judgement area' between 5 and 10 percent. I'll call a standard raise with a small pair OOP. I like to be in MP3 as a minimum to call a raise with a SCs and Axs, suited gaps I only limp in. Big offsuit connectors are LP stealing hands only.

Despite the importance Ciaffone and Reuben place on relative position I still feel that the tendancy of "checking to the raiser" that it relies upon is less prevalent in the games I play. I may just be a weak tight scaredy cat though.

Thanx for any input