$1/2 table. Hero is short stack, about $100. Most players cover.

Hero: AQ spades.

Limp called all around.

Flop 8 5 2 two spades.

Bet of $10, 2 callers. Hero calls.

No spade on turn. Bet $20, hero calls.

No spade river. Bet and hero folds.


What's the best way to play the nut flush draw? Should I shove all-in on flop?
With 2 overs and the draw I feel I have good odds even if someone has top pair.

Or play safe and check call all streets hoping for more callers and hit my flush.

Consider I am short stacked which is how I buy-in normally. Advice?

No you should not shove all in, there was 15 cards in the deck you could've hit. Unfortunately you didn't.

This is a super strong hand preflop and even shortstacked you should be raising ore flop, that's the biggest issue I have with the way you played the hand.

Otherwise it's fine, you just missed a huge draw, check/fold the river.

I normally buy in short stacked aswell, I would re raise the flop for sure make it around $60 total you will win the pot there more often imo and if not you still have a ok amount to jam the turn if you miss which could still make a fold but short stack i have no problem gettin my money in on this flop. Others may disagree of course

Not really enough information here, but regardless of position in a 1/2 unopened pot you should be raising with this hand. The flop looks super dry, so you could've took this down with a 3 bet semi bluff right there I believe, and even if not you're drawing to the nut flush with two overs on a unconnected board. I'd double barrel.

Raise flop but what is your position? Why didn't you raise preflop?

I normally don't like raising pre-flop with AQ. Because if I miss the flop short stacked I end up folding.

I feel I could have shoved on flop with good EV. Just that it seems guys will call with top pair no kicker or even middle pair. No respect.

And with $100 buy-in, I have gone on bad streaks where I get my $ all-in 50-50% or better and not hit 8-10 in a row.

I am late position. I feel no need to raise flop because guys call $10-20 with anything.

Then say the same flop comes, I pretty much have to shove anyways with $30-60 in the pot, and guys with any pair or even a worse flush draw will call.

Guess that's the disadvantage of $100 short stack. I am doing this for lower variance and also because I have a small bankroll.

If they are calling $20 with anything then raise more. If you raised big preflop and got callers and this was the flop I would be singing hallelujah and fist pump shoving all day and super happy about it. BTW, I think u are overestimating how often they can call this super strong line of bet big pre and shove flop, but even if they call you have equity.

BTW, buying in for 50bbs doesn't reduce your variance that much really. It reduces the chance that you lose a big pot in one particular hand but overall the variance is very similar to playing full stack.

Basically you are playing scared money, still hitting variance which does not decrease with a smaller stack, actually increases.

Either take a break or start buying in full. Buying in full and playing properly will net you more than trying to play scared shortstack. Also stop thinking about your BR and bad streak at the table, you will lose.

Fwiw AQs in late position is a shortstack shove PF.

Raise pre flop please.
Then raise the flop for value.
To $35 or so.
Then ship the turn. For value.

Profit.

As played, you got a great price to draw to your hand, you were getting better than the direct odds that you need to hit assuming all 15 outs were good (which is likely) so the hand is acceptable. But I think that you make more money in the long run by playing it aggressively.

Good luck.

Another reason for the $100 buy-in is a small bankroll.

Not really scared money. Just from past experience, players seem to call a short stack much looser than guys with a full BI or more.

Mathematically I usually get it all in with 65% or better. Either top pair w/flush or straight draw, or over pair, set or a made flush/straight. Basically I rarely bluff because guys will donk call with pairs or draws all the time.

Just had KK cracked with 99 AI pre-flop last session.

Then again I"ve cracked AA several times.

For a $100 buy-in at $1/2, what would a proper BR be? 20-40 buy-ins?

It sounds like you are playing a face up game. I can appreciate bankroll issues, but there are things you can do to instill fear and not go broke.

You called $10 on the flop and then $20 on the turn and fold the river when you didn't hit your draw. Loss of $30 post flop. You are clearly drawing to a monster hand and hoping to get it all in on the river.

When the villian bets $10 on the flop, you make it $30. At this point you have invested the same amount in the hand and gained fold equity. When V folds you win $20 and give up implied odds (which is overrated IMO). I feel winning $20, 20% stack increase is a good win. If you have a tight image you will get a fold here more than you would think.

If villian calls your $30 you got a decent read. You are a small favorite against a single pair %54. 71% against open ended straight draws. 81% against other flush draws. 25% against a set. 35% against two pair. If you put a bluff in the villian's range you are in pretty decent shape here.

Villians often 3 bet shove here with a set, Make him play his hand face up.

umm no if you are limping. You have to raise pre with AQs. What is your range to raise pre? I'd probably raise flop but if there are a lot of bigger stack overcalling stations at the table I may just call post to hopefully more than double up if your draw comes in. But I would say 75%+ of the time I would raise the flop though because all the action stops once the third spade lands.