Hi,

I keep running into this same problem where I will get a good hand preflop and raise and a shortstack will come along, leaving roughly 1 pot sized bet behind. The site I play on doesn't have much, if any, pro shortstackers. So the short stackers are almost always fish. Here is a recent example, hero in SB:

6 handed:
UTG 70bb
MP 270bb
CO 84bb
BTN 108bb
Hero116bb
BB 32bb

utg through co folds.
BTN raises 2.5xbb, hero 3 bets KA to 11bb. BB flats, BTN folds.

Flop (23bb) 9J4

Hero is first to act. Villain has 24bb left.

I do not know how to proceed in spots like this. What would be the tools for figuring them out?

One near universal tool is basic EV math. If you can assign a reasonably accurate range to villain you can determine the proper action for +EV. In the case of the shortstacker, the likely good bet size is to put him all-in, which in your example would be a pot size bet. So let’s do the math on that basis.

The challenge is to estimate his range given the action and flop. Assume you put him on a top 35% range. Equilab has your showdown equity at just about 50%. Then in pot size units,your EV is

EV = 0.5 * 2 – 0.5*1 = 0.5 or about 11.5bb.

You probably have a bit more than a 50% winning chance because villain may fold, which will increase EV some.

There likely will be other responses that include non-math factors such as villain characterization, position, betting sequence, stack sizes, hud stats, etc. Some of these, of course, can help to determine a good estimate of villain’s range.

With that A of hearts I would bet all in. If you double up these tiny stacks they will either stay and punt it back later or leave. Either way problem solved.

Here is another weird one, 6 handed and it folds to the BTN.

UTG 100bb
MP 89bb
CO 105bb
BTN 46bb
SB 129bb
Hero 110bb

3 folds. BTN raises 3bb, sb folds, hero is in the BB with AK, hero re-raises to 11bb. BTN calls.

Flop (22 bb) 274

Hero? Villian has 35bb left, or about 1.5x pot sized bets on the flop.

Once you put villain on a range, it's a simple semi-bluff math spot.

Give a worst-case scenario for what hands villain will call and fold. What percent of their range is folding outright? How much equity do you have against the calling range?

From there, you take how much you win from villain folding (Fold Equity*Pot before bet), add that to how much you win when villain calls (Equity*(Pot+Bet)(1-Fold Equity)). If that's larger than the amount you lose when villain calls ((1-Equity)*Bet*(1-Fold Equity)), then you're guaranteed profit no matter how they play.

If you'd rather predict what range they'd call with when you shove, that'll give you a more practical answer.

If you have any sort of equity and villain's range is even remotely wide you just get it in OTF and you'll be fine.

You can't get too precise with this stuff because you'll never truly be able to effectively range a fish in these spots. That said even against tighter ranges you can't really go too wrong with just open shoving the flop. A much bigger danger would be to start check folding incorrectly since the potential EV loss there could be massive. So as a general strat just pile it in with marginal hands and 1 PSB.

don't restrict yourself to the all-in bet with more than 1psb left. you can still go very small and jam turn.