GSIH NL Buy-in replenishing

[Hosayif]

In GSIH, Ed Miller states that <25 BB is a small stack so I should buy in for about that much. Say I go for a very long time paying the blinds or i make a raise and the flop is scarry so i have to fold and I'm looking at like 10-15 BB. Should I buy more chips to get back to the 20-25 BB point or just keep playing the 10-15 BB i still have?

[edfurlong]

Rebuy to 25.

[tylerdurden]

I like to rebuy up to 25 when I get below 20. Of course, this is assuming online play. Also note that some sites (cryptos, eg) won't allow you to rebuy less than the table minimum.

[jedi]

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that you're a beginner. I found the best way to learn NL hold em without breaking your bank was low buy-in NL tournaments. I used to only play limit ring games and NL tournaments, but I've since started playing NL ring games. There ARE strategy differences between tourneys and ring games, especially when the blinds get really high, but it's a safer way to learn NL play.

[pzhon]

A short-stack works fine with only 10 BB or less. On most sites, you can't buy in for that little, but if you get knocked down, there is no need to rebuy.

You need to adjust the hands you use, and the size of your raises. With less than 10 BB, you can push preflop. With more than 10 BB, you might push after a few limpers, but you can also raise a smaller amount and play post-flop.

[Hosayif]

Ed Miller said that I should want a call as long as it is a mistake for them to call. But with such a little stack, wouldn't the post flop play be giving too good of odds for my opponents to make a mistake by calling?

[Ed Miller]

For this strategy there is an optimal buy-in that depends on exactly the mix of hands you plan to play and exactly what range of hands your opponents will call with.

If your stack is too short, you don't make enough on your good hands. If your stack is too large, you risk being outplayed after the flop. So there is some magic "perfect" number.

I'm not sure exactly what that number is (and again, it depends on variables that change from game to game). I'm think probably that it's usually between maybe 8BB and 20BB.

Since I never intended the strategy to be optimal... just simple and profitable... I didn't explore it further. If someone wants to, though, by all means do. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

But to answer the specfic question, I'd recommend rebuying once you get down below 8BB... and maybe even at 10-12BB as well.

[MadMat]

I've posted this in another thread, but buying in for 25bb, rebuying at 20bb and cashing out at 40bb worked well for me.

I'm getting more confidence in my NL game now, so am buying in for 25bb and staying on the table for the rest of the session. I've got up to 80-100bb at times, and a bust out even from a relatively big stack only does 25bb damage to my bankroll. Sooner or later I'm going to graduate to enough confidence to buy in for 100bb [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Mat

[pzhon]

[ QUOTE ]
Ed Miller said that I should want a call as long as it is a mistake for them to call. But with such a little stack, wouldn't the post flop play be giving too good of odds for my opponents to make a mistake by calling?

[/ QUOTE ]
Worry about avoiding your own mistakes. That your opponent has a correct call does not mean you don't have to bet. There is still room for players to make bad calls, bad folds, and big mistakes from not betting.

With less than 10 BB, you can avoid almost all post-flop play. I used to do this if I wanted to clear a bonus rapidly on Party, since under the old 50 BB structure, Party would let you buy in for 10 BB. There is still room to outplay people. After the first few levels, many tournaments have stacks smaller than 10 BB, and many successful SNG players focus almost exclusively on this part of the game. The payouts are different, so it is not exactly the same, but aggressively punishing limpers and attacking blinds still works.

Of course, I would get bored and wouldn't leave after doubling up a couple of times.