Hey guys,

So basically im in a tough spot here, my bankroll isn't the healthiest right now(4k) and im not the greatest player in the world either. I usually play 1/2 live. I've been pondering playing a shortstack strat and buying in for 50BB and playing the top 7 hands very aggressively and then once my stack is +100bb playing the usual ABC style. I think this might be advantageous in multiple ways.

1. We essentially double our bankroll
2.We develop a super nitty table image we can exploit later on ( assuming Vs are observant enoigh)
3. this will contradict point 2, these guys just keep calling. Yesterday after playing 2 hands in 3 hours and showing down the top of my range, I later 3bet a pot with AA and got 3 callers.
4 with my range I will have 60% equity PF against a range of TT+ ATs+ KQs+ AJo+ Via pokerstove. I also think the average live player may call even wider.

I know this is not the optimal or most profitable strategy but my goal is to just generate a small profit and minimize loss.

Anyone have any experince? I can't find a whole lot of A+ material on this and it seems to carry a really negative connotation. If this is a bad idea, please share why?

Thanks!

There is definitely money to be made short stacking 1/2, although it is higher variance, since you don't have enough to make others fold and will often have to dodge the turn and river since you will be all-in.

With that said, 4k is a decent amount to play 1/2 with. You have 20 100bb buy-ins, a great starting BR. Thats what I would be doing if I were you.

FWIW, I started playing 1/2 with ~$1200, 12 50bb buy-ins. Once I had 6K I took a shot at 2/5 with 4 100bb buy-ins (2k of the 6K I had, so that if I lost the 2k I could simply go back to grinding 1/2 with a 4k roll).

I suppose I should have included this in my OP, I lost my job a few weeks ago so I am unable to reload, Im looking for a way to keep some income coming in without having to liquidate my BR for bill purposes, obviously I will do it if it comes down to it.

4k seems like plenty to play 1-2? Assuming you buy in for 100bb you have 20 buy ins... Should be plenty to run it up. GL

Don't buy in short. It looks weak and you lose FE against full stacks. Also if you get it in good and double up you have lost 50% of your potential profit (or more if it was a multi way pot.) Play full buy ins well and prosper. GL

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There's this guy that I play against semi regularly that always buys in for the minimum in the 2/5 game. His strategy is to be a super nit, set mine, and generally play his hands face up. Last time we played at the same table, I played two hands of note against him:

Hand 1:

Villain: $175, SB
Hero: $500 , MP

3 limpers, hero raises to 35 with AA from MP. BTN calls, villain in SB calls.

Flop $115: Q37r

Checked to hero, hero bets $80, BTN folds, villain goes all in for $60 more. Hero calls (should have folded as I'm never good here against this nit, but I make the bad call)

Turn $395: 9
River:7

Villain shows 33 for a set of 3s and wins $395.

You may be thinking this is an example of how your strategy is effective, but the story goes on...

Hand 2:

Villain: $800, he won a couple more hands and was obviously overjoyed that his short stack strategy was finally paying off and has opened his game up a little bit
Hero:$600, topped my stack off and won some small pots up until now

Hero is in MP and limps with 33 looking to set mine. Two limpers behind, villain opens on the BTN to 20. Hero calls, one other caller.

Flop $70: 232s

Hero checks, mp checks, villain bets $35, hero calls, mp folds.

Turn $140: Ks

Hero checks, villain bets $80, hero calls.

River $300: Ac

Hero checks, villain bets $200, hero goes all in for $465, villain snap calls and shows A2ss, hero wins with 3s full of 2s against villains 2s full of As for $1230.

In this case both the villain and the hero cooler each other, which should mean that both the villain and the hero break even after both coolering each other, except for the fact that the villain was short stacking the first hand. The hero showed a profit of $630 on the hand he won and the villain $220, which means hero was +$410 over the two hands, when theoretically the profits for both players over these two hands should have be $0.

If you run hot, you may be able to get away with short stacking, but you'll still be losing value. If you meet any type of variance at all, you'll quickly realize short stacking is never profitable in the long run. Also, the bigger the stack to blind ratio is, the more skill factors in. Would you rather play in a game with a high skill factor or low skill factor?

4k is pretty much the perfect BR to start grinding 1/2 you don't need to short stack.

It kind of sounds like you are not too confident with your regular/deepstack play from the sounds of it tbh

I currently do not have any other income coming in from anything other then poker and have recently suffered a 8 bi downswing. psychologically im stressed and am looking for a way to minimize losses while still generating some income. would you suggest to just buy in 100bb and play like a nit? in general im really looking to tighten up my game and bring it back to extracting value.

To be honest with you first things first would be to put poker on hold until you can secure a job and get a base income.
(Job + poker and then down the line if you want to make your sole income source poker then so be it, rather than bust poker --> get job broke --> slowing build bankroll --> job +poker and back to the start)

You already said you are psychologically stressing and with a sole source of income as poker and playing scared money is a recipe for disaster IMO.

And to back up the above if you plan on shortstacking you are buying a front row seat on the variance rollercoaster.

Not trying to to be harsh but I really don't want to see you blowing your life roll, when it can EASILY be averted.

Not to get too much into my personal finances but I have a good bit of money stashed away in some investments in silver and in the stock market, the 4k is strickly for poker. im in college and want to be able to play my way through as the flexibility is perfect for me. if my bankroll goes busto I have enough saved for prehaps a year or so of living expenses.

Short stacking is easy. Strategy guides are out there. Harrington's tournament book covers a lot of the basics.

I play in a joint where 30BB is the minimum. The fish can't fold for $60. They call
me all day with any two broadway, AX and any pair. Easy money.

But a 60bb stack is more difficult to play than a big stack IMO. You can't really call PF raises to set mine and other problems.

GL. $4k is all you need.

Then 20 100bb buy ins should be perfect to build a roll (and skill)

Im concerned with my recent 8 bi downswing, If i am going to play 100bb poker i think my general strategy would be to play an agressive nitty style, play my top 10% and value bet to death. play almost no speculative SC or small PP and very few bluffs.

I think you would be more profitable just playing 100bb deep and playing super nitty. At 50 bbs or less, many times you can't even profitably set mine.

I have seen guys that sit on 100bb and if there is a raise to 10 and 2 callers they just make it 150 with AA or KK. That way they don't get run down unless someone wants to put in their stack preflop against them, but at the same time they can see cheap flops and get in lots of money with the nuts against bad players.

If you have the nut flush against the king high flush or top set against an over pair you want to get in as much money as possible as these types of hands just don't occur all the time. Why win $100 when you can win $200+?

This is good advice IMO. Get a job before you start playing. That way you can play optimally and not be scared about losing your life roll.

Good luck to you. I know it's tough and you don't want to have to draw money from your BR but it is also important to continue to look at your poker chips as that, poker chips and not 'staying afloat' money. While I agree with most and that playing short stacked probably isn't ideal, I also think that you need to psychologically be in the right state of mind.

I would rather feel comfortable and play to the best of my ability than to question every move because it is an extra $35 to call or raise, etc.

Not sure if I missed this but some casinos have some good short stack games to begin with. Commerce in LA has 1/2 NL with 40 max buy in and 60 buy in if you lose first 40. With this game its a few short stacks and some guys with several hundred and is a fun and active game.

1) It DOES NOT essentially double our bankroll, it doubles the number of buy ins, there is a big difference. It also increases variance greatly, so tour chances of hitting a big downswing are greater.

4) This is why its high variance, river bets when the drooler is toast are pure profit, 40% chances to lose buys will run bad at times. This is not the way to minimize loss.

3) Exactly, if you want to nit it up, get your chance with as much money in front of you as you can, rather than a minimum buy in, they will call anyway.