Anyone have some pointers playing in primarily short stack game? I been experiencing a lot of variance lately at the only game I can find.

2/5 full ring nlhe Min buy in $100 max $1500 most the table buys in at $100 to $200 so not a lot of play but plenty of limp calling pre flop with some very wide ranges(very near any two cards stuff like suited jacks+, suited connectors, anypair) there are a lot of multi-way pots even after a raise and as u can imagine not to much post flop play. I couldn't find any training videos or books discussing this very well. If you know of any videos i would appreciate your assistance.

I know this is pretty broad question but i just want to see if my approach to this table is lacking or if you guys had any pointers.

The standard raise pre-flop is $20+5 per limper please feel free to ask any questions that could help you help me

Is there a simple answer to crushing this game? Seems like A nitty pre-flop strategy is the way to go maybe that's a good place to start but the post flop play being so short stacked seems so exploitable?

I am pretty much a beginner so your patience is appreciated.

Honestly, if you can't find information on short stacking a cash game you're not looking hard enough.

I should start with the 'search' function at the top of the page and go from there.

I did a quick search for "short stack cash games" here but only looked through the first page of result and didn't see anything that seemed to relevant and i just checked again to be sure but am still hunting I am probably just searching the wrong wording

Ill keep looking but if you have any pointers thank you for your time.

If most of your table is buying in for less then 40BB it doesn't even quality for short stacking. This is super short, the closest most people would have is late tournament play. You can find a lot of advice about short stacking in various posts, but I don't think you will find much that addresses your situation directly. Tables with that many super short stacks are unusual.

Never open limp, only limp behind in LP when set mining over other limpers. Play a very narrow range for high card value because your stacking off with TPKG+ most of the time. Figure out what raise size you need to thin the field and adjust ranges based on that. Your ranges will need to be very tight though, and no preflop bluffs except in LP. This is a wait till you hit, move all in and hope your best sort of game where your value comes from having a better preflop range then the other players.

If you don't mind me asking, where does this game run?

I'll make sure to avoid it and the headaches associated with players buying in for 20BB stacks.

Commerce

Do not play in this game. Once you factor in rake and variance, I doubt that anyone could beat this game (unless people are shoving pre-flop with 62o, or something).

So just to be clear, YOU aren't buying in short, are you? Because that would be gross.

If you're buying in at least $500, preferably $1000, this game might be playable (see bolded text), but it's not a good game for a beginner. Get your "basic strategy" down, be a consistent winner at the soft tables, get really good at your reads. I would not tackle this project just yet.

Tell you what. If 2/5 looks like this, and 1/2 has a bunch of people whooping it up and gambling, guess where I'm going.

If no one else has $200+ then it doesn't matter that you buy in for $500+..

^I'm thinking I can bet more aggressively in multiway pots without getting pot committed. Maybe I'm looking at it the wrong way? You're right tho, enough is enough. I kind of have a bias against playing 100bb, I just don't like that stack size, but it would likely be plenty here.

^If you have infinite dollars in front of you, and everyone else has 20bb, you're still playing with 20bb.

I basically had to draw myself a picture but I get it now.

I highly doubt any of you will ever end up playing at this game I'm in the middle of nowhere (not usa) i dont want to specifically point out this game out of respect for players most decent people just trying to play what they think is poker and I usually buy in $250 just to have everyone covered

The game is very swingy everytime i play there but I do have a winning record there but i see lots of terrible play that I can't really figure out how to exploit without being to spewy

ill get some hand histories today maybe that will help but thank you all for replying as you can imagine this table is very tilting

The game described sounds aweful.

You pretty much have to nut peddle here, your looking to flop TP and going with it.

You can also work in some pre flop squeezing and things depending on the if these guys are limp/folders or limp/callers.

Play it like a tournament.

Also this, if the 1/2 game has the same stack depth in terms of $ as the 2/5 im looking to to play the 1/2 barring any disgusting rake structure or limit.

More fold equity (LOL!)
Less variance
And our skill advantage should be a larger part of our WR

I wouldn't say the game sounds awful, although I would agree that most of the play is going to take place preflop.

In addition, while I also don't agree that one needs to nut peddle, I acknowledge that playing this game for maximum EV will involve high variance situations, since you will often be needing to gii when you believe that your hand has a "hot and cold" equity edge against the short-stacker's range.

I think I would prefer that most pots either be limped or all-in preflop at this sort of table.

I wouldn't say that you have to nut peddle at this table, but I think a good poker player should have the patience to play that way if it turns out to be the best strategy.

Here's are a couple hand histories :
2/5 9-handed
UTG raises $19 (starting stack is about $350) plays fairly straight forward
Button calls (SS ~$425) tight aggresive player
I'm in the big blind with Jacks (ss $225) I decide to just smooth call
Flop comes AK3 2 hearts
I check utg checks button checks
Turn comes Jack(club) I lead out for $35 the original raiser raises me makes it 65 more Button folds i Shove he calls with AK diamonds 4 outer but hits on the river lol

Im UTG +1 dealt aces raise $25 (ss $260) CO button small and big blind call
CO(ss $120) Button(ss $150) SB(ss ~$95) BB(ss $350)

Flop
4c Qd 10d

SB bets $50 has a huge tendency to do this with draws lol
BB raises $100 pretty tight aggressive player not clueless by any means

My aces does include the diamond

im not sure i played it right from here so i would like to hear what you guys would of done

Hand 1. With those stack sizes you should not normally be calling a raise out the blinds. Either your hand is good enough to move in preflop or fold. Your getting just enough odds here to flat in the BB with a pocket pair and JJ is in a marginal raise against a tight UTG range so it's OK. Out of the SB you would have to raise or fold. After that it's fine. You hate the flop but once you hit your set your too short to give up.

Hand 2. Raise more preflop. Try to avoid raising around 10% of your stack preflop because it gives villains too good of odds on a preflop call while making SPR low enough that it's hard to fold post flop. As played, huge judgement call on flop. Depending on what sorts of ranges you put villains on this could be a call or fold. Against one villain here I'm happy to get it in, but not two. Notice that your having the Ad is actually bad against a good opponent because it means they can't have the nut flush draw so there are few draws in their range.

Thanks quadJ yea the first hand i did think about raising i had him on aq+ i think the worse i've seen him raise utg is AJs, 99 over 30+ hours of playing together he gets a little looser when "he's hitting" .. i did consider moving in Preflop or just folding but for some reason i thought there is more value in flatting here because utg has a tendency to bluff his stack off and id rather him do it post flop where I can decide and button is a little bit of a gambler and very ABC

As for the second hand yea I really misplayed it i moved all in the original bettor calls who had 89 off suit lol.. but the raiser had a set of fours who also called. and the pocket fours held

Sheesh, I really dont like the sound of this game. OP you really might be better off finding another game.Or perhaps convincing them the game they really want to be playing is 1/2 or .50/1 nl.....
but as is,+1 to avoiding this game like the plague

Yea i have tried asking but they all like playing this way its me vs majority apparently
So what they do is if there are enough players waiting they will start a 1/2 NLHE 9 handed or dealers choice 1/2 Hold em/PLO which is hilarious by the way especially the PLO .. poker is very different here the only reason I still play here is because the players are just that bad which means a lot coming from me (I am no great) lol i'd say i'm average in the normal poker world as far as I know I have only played online, and Vegas aside from this game and am winning there but over a small sample
And the only other game here is a 5/5 with a $100 minimum! lol and button games (2 or 5 dollar ante on the button) the 2 dollar button is probably the best one but doesnt run as often but at least majority the players buy in for 200 at least.