I am on my way to Bosier La and Biloxi Mississippi and need to brush up a bit before playing poker. I am so rusty I basically have to start over.

What books/resource should I consult for a small stack and mid stack strategy in a live game. Min buy is usually $100 and that's 50 BB in a 1/2 and 33 BB in a 1/3 game.

As I recall the smaller the stack the less implied odds, the faster one should commit and the smaller the range of hands. But that's very general. I thought there may be some good material to start me off.

Best,
Folgers

If you're planning to play a short stack strategy, you have it basically right. IO are out, so play only premiums, come in for a raise (or L/RR if table is active and you're likely to see a raise behind you). Get it all in either pre or OTF.

Ditch the speculative hands, small PP, SCs, S1Gs, etc.

I haven't seen a lot of material on short stack strategies. There's a section on it in No Limit Hold 'Em: Theory and Practice by Sklansky and Miller.

For further discussion of books, you should visit the General Poker Strategy/Books and Publications forum.

Everything Case2 said.

If your name is Folgers, it seems you should play like an OMC.

(Sorry - couldn't resist)

Big pairs, high ranking cards only due to lack of implied odds (IO).

Miller's "Getting Started in Hold'em" contains a short-stacked strategy.

GL!

Thanks everyone.

50 BB is more of a mid stack. Any further advice appreciated.

With only 50bb, I'd actually recommend a tournament book like
Harrington on Modern Tournament Poker.

Typical raise size will likely be to 10% of effective stacks. With only 50bb your preflop game needs to be very tight. This can be incredibly boring and require tremendous discipline. Do not underestimate how boring this may be.

Before raising pre-flop, consider if you're willing to stack-off preflop to any of the other players - especially if there are microstacks.

You may not get a playable hand for an hour or more. If you hit TPTK in a raised pot you'll usually want to be allin on the flop or turn.

Understand that you could find yourself down 2 or 3 buy-ins through sheer bad luck. Similarly, if you make a quick 2 or 3 hundred dollars, this is probably variance. It is not because poker is an easy game and you can suddenly beat it long term. You need to stay on your A-game and not let the highs and lows affect you.

Set mining is unadvisable.

You should take several buy-ins.

No-one is making money long-term at these games. Professionals will seek out deeper stacks and higher buy-ins.

Pre-flop you'll be nitting it up but willing to stack off with hands near the top of your range. Post-flop its okay to go berserko with overpairs, TPTK and strong draws.

If you manage to play really disciplined and put yourself in a great spot to make money or learn more, then give yourself a big pat on the back regardless of the results.

Standard raises will likely be to around 10% of effective stacks so if you have 50bb, it really does play like a shortstack game.

Don't play >All the above.....however, if you must, adhere to the above & avoid buying into a 1/3NL game for $100

Avoiding set mining is also sound advice. When I used to buy in cheap i think it was all the whiffing on flops that hurt me most when i had pocket pairs.

Thing is, you'll be playing against a mix of stack sizes, and even if you start at 50BBs you will hopefully go up to a decent stack pretty quickly. Be like water and adjust to game conditions.

Hello all,

I will be in Vegas in October. Not being a good poker player and also getting to play only seldom, I wanted to concentrate on how to play half stack. I obtained Poker Genius and have been doing fair against the bots playing full ring.

I have a strategy that I got from another site but part of the strategy is behind a paywall. I have looked for one across the net and while I can find plenty for playing short, I don't see much mid stack other than don't set mine.

Anyone here have a good mid stack strategy or know where I can get one? I seem to have most trouble post flop when villain opens. I have a 3 bet chart for pre flop but not post flop. I know the basics about pot odds and a bit about SPR ratios.

Any advice much appreciated. I plan to get in a lot of practice between now and October.

One more thing - for vegas play, can one really beat the rake at limit. I don't want to play limit if there is no EV in it. Is is something I should look at?

Good cards to all of you.

The advice hasn't changed in the last 18 months.

If you are playing midstacks because you want to reduce your variance, you're actually doing the reverse. The shorter the stack, the more "flip" situations you are putting yourself into.

Now if you are playing a mid stack because you're concerned that you'll make big mistakes playing deeper, that is more understandable. However, I'd question how much you're getting out of the program you bought.

If you're looking to make sure that your money lasts for your trip, then just play limit. In the long run, the limit games you're going to play in (3/6, 4/8) are not beatable because of the rake. However, you don't have a long run. You're just playing for the trip.

Go read gobbledygeek post history if you want lessons on shortstacking. Hes the forum captain and plays short. I start with a 40bb stack and work my way up, I don't leave the table after a certain amount won. Best advice I can give is buy in for an amount where your turn bet is going to be a psb after a standard raise+cbet. Your going to have to find the balls to double barrel with AK/AQ overs against the right V types. I print money and get out of shortstack territory very quickly doing this. If you do limp play your hands fast, don't put yourself in a position to have to put 25%+ of your stack in just to fold on the next card.

People will call just to "bust" you which is a moronic tournament move so its important to be able to tell who is going to call your cbet and fold the turn and who is going to call all your bets with 2nd pair 5th kicker.

Hi Venice10:

What's changed is 18 months ago I was looking more to a short strategy - 33BB in 1/3. Ed Miller says he doubts that this is plus EV anymore. I am moving to more of a mid stack strategy and it is because I am not a good poker player. And I think the average player at a live table is getting better. I have been in the past an advantage player, just not in poker. I am looking for plus EV. Good to know there isn't any plus EV in the limit game.

"The shorter the stack, the more "flip" situations you are putting yourself into." That is a key observation. I didn't mind push/fold in short stack. I could live with the variance. Midstack there isn't as much of that. But I don't mind it in midstack either, I just want to have the best of it in the long run. I do note that in my last trip "No Fold 'em" Holdem had become "Foldem often" Holdem.


Hi AAJTo,

So nice of you to try to help. I will check out gobledygeek. My plan in LV is to play with 50BB and leave after an increase of 25BB or more. I am also thinking that the shorter sessions my be an advantage similar to BJ where shorter sessions are used to disguise advantage play. Here instead of giving the Pit a chance to read you, you are not giving the table much time to read you. Downtown I would just walk across the street to a new game. On the strip a bit more of a challenge.

My MSS strategy has me continuation betting overcards but folding to a raise or folding to a prior bet. If not improved, check/fold on the turn. Thanks for your advice to modify for the right V types. I will try.

If anyone knows a complete MSS strategy similar to the old Miller SS strategy I would love to find it.

If there is a bingo hall across the street Id suggest going there instead.

I would just not play. Due to the internet and prior to the american ban, I guess I have played just about every game there is at an advantage. I even played Keno with an edge at some microgaming shops.

During the golden age of Las Vegas there were many ways to play at an advantage. One didn't have to be smart. One just needed not to be obviously stupid.

After this next trip, I will give your advice some consideration - not as to bingo but perhaps to move on from poker. Right now I think I can find an edge. And that is all I really want at my age. Not looking to get rich.

Downtown there is no "across the street", the only poker room is at the Golden Nugget.

On the strip, "across the street" can be a long walk in the summer time, bring a hat.

Noted. What happened to Binion's?