The game is 2/3, but is very often, sometimes every hand straddled for 10. Max buy in is only 500 and at least half the players normally are under 300 so it often plays like a late tournament situation with all ins constantly and limited maneuverability.

So what you have is a situation where the standard open is 10% or more of the average stack depth. Because of this weird dynamic i think its actually more advantageous to buy in for 300 than 500 and play short stack style, but ideally it would be 1500 or 2k.

I played a hand last night with an awkard stack depth i wasnt sure what the ideal play was. I originally did buy in for 300 and won a large hand to have my stack at this awkard amount when this hand comes up.

The hand: $10 straddle is on button and SB has to act first preflop. We are 7 handed. Hero is UTG +1 and has like $540, villain has about the same. Ive only been playing for about 30 mins. Villain is MAWG and a semi reg but not good by any means, ive seen him before but not played with him, but hes loose, seen him win a hand earlier w a 97o or maybe 86o hand that he limped in MP, but I have not seen him RFI anything yet. Hes not totally passive it seems, he will bet when he has a hand.

SB calls the $10 straddle.
BB calls
Villain UTG raises to $50
Hero UTG +1 with AJs does what?

In game I was like well obviously I 3bet, but standard 3bet would be $150 which is like 30% of my stack and then I have to call off a jam with AJs and could easily be dominated. Even if I min click its 20% of my stack and I still have the same problems. If I just call I still have 3 players behind me, 2 with short stacks and 1 with about 1100 that might just jam.

I started thinking maybe this is just a fold in this weird game at the weird depth.

So I looked to my left and saw 3 players that didnt look too interested in the hand so i flicked in the flat call hoping for the best and luckily 2 folds and straddle flatted.

I actually think i shouldve just folded though.

Flop was 2 3 5 rainbow and villain threw 200 into the 200 pot so it was an easy fold. Funny thing is he proudly showed 55 for top set. I was quite surprised that he would make the large raise preflop with that hand.

You can still 3bet and fold to a jam of you go $150 if you are $540 effective. You can also raise it to $125. You would need over 35% equity to call a jam if you raise to $150 and you probably would not have that. I also don't hate just folding AJs vs an unknown range because people are more apt to bet the absolute strength of their hand in these short stacked straddled games. A lot of people will just call with what they consider a $10 hand and it might include things like AQs, JJ, because they don't appreciate the difference between calling the straddle and raising an unstraddled pot. But the more competent and less passive your opponent is, the more I like 3betting to 125 or 150.

I do see average villains limp a lot of premiums like AQs and JJ and sometimes even better so yea without knowing this particular villains raising range and just assigning him what most of his player type does i just assume it may only be AK and QQ+ that opens to $50 here. Obviously now i know this particular guy is way wider.

I think based on not knowing I should fold. I think fold is a lot better than call in this situation with short stacks behind me still to act.

I agree w all this. Calling $50 seems like worst of three options.

I think he showed it down to set up a bluff later. He can’t check that through right?

I dont know. I wouldnt expect him to check it through but betting pot seems bad to me. I guess he figured pocket pairs would just jam. If im villain there im just gonna go 50-80 w top set and milk the fish to call w overcards. Other than me theres no money behind and when i call UTG +1 I shouldnt have any 4s in my hand for the open ender and theres no flush draw.

Villain did beat me in a hand a little later, its possible he bluffed but i dont think so. But its true that the previous hand i wrote up influenced my decision.

It was a non straddled hand.

He opened utg +1 to 10 and i 3bet to 35 w JJ sitting next to him.

Flop K 3 K w 2 diamonds and I dont have a diamond. He checks, I bet 30, he calls.

Turn brought in 8d completing flush. Check, check.

River 10. He bets 100, basically pot on river. Im losing to a K, 88, TT, and flushes. And he has all the flushes because i have good reason to believe his range is any suited connector even stuff like 74, 85, and 96. I dont know what bluffs he has unless he is just floating super wide on the flop with overcards or turning some pocket pair into a bluff which seems unlikely because I saw him check down showdown value and lose in other hands rather than bluff. So i folded and asked him what he had later and he told me he had a baby flush. Seems reasonable.