Got through a couple of successful sessions in AC. Had a couple of hands that I thought would have played differently depending on stack sizes.

I usually buy in for $300 at the $1/2 tables, and think that's an average stack. There seem to be a few guys that are around $100 - $200, as well as a few deeper stacks $500+


AA flops top set on a monotone board

Dealt AA ($500 stack)

In ep, raise to 10 and get 2 callers.

Flop is A85

I lead out for $20, one fold and get min raised to $40.

V started with just over $100. I assumed that he was shipping the rest in on the turn, almost regardless of the card. I called, thinking I was ahead, and there was no reason to shove, possibly getting a weaker hand to fold.

Turn was a blank. I checked. He shoved. I snap called. No instant reveal.

River another blank. I show him top set. He shows me bottom set (5s).

What is the plan if he started with $300 or $500?





KK is an overpair on wet board


Dealt KK ($400 stack)
I raise to 10 in mp, bb calls, lp calls.

Flop 972

bb fires $35 (Stack about $180)
OMC in lp has about $800

BB has played a LAG style. Wide range. Not successful (see stack size).
I raise to 90.
LP folds.
BB calls.

Turn 7
As expected BB ships it, I snap call. No reveal.

River blank. I look for him to show. He looks at me. I decide I'm good and show. He mucks.

What is the plan if BB started with $400 instead?



I thought both hands played themselves, it was just up to me not to mess it up. I do wonder how things would have been different if they had larger stacks.

If they had started with more money you would have had more profitable sessions.

I don't fold KK on that second hand.

Hand 1, there's a limit to how much I'd put in. Not sure where it is. Would be game and player dependent.

It's interesting to me that you think these hands "play themselves" when I think you made mistakes in both.

In hand 1, shove the flop. If a fourth club had come on the turn you miss value from worse made hands, and your hand is too strong to ever fold (because you have a full house redraw even if you are behind or get outdrawn on the turn).

In hand 2, what is your plan if, after you raise the flop, the guy behind you who covers you raises or calls?

Stack size should dictate play, yes. SPR and so-forth (see Professional No Limit Holdem).

In hand 2 - I would have made the LAG show or fold. You called him.

Agree with hand 1.

In hand 2, what are his other options? Folding is lol, and flatting is horrible because it allows OMC to come along with any number of speculative hands. If OMC does re-raise or flat, which is something we don't really need to concern ourselves with all that often, we can be fairly certain our hand is no longer good or at least very vulnerable. Raising is the best option by far.

A lot of $ was paid to see what he had. Wait for him to show. If he mucks, muck behind. Only giving info away and not getting any in return isn't good.

LOL. And that's why I read/post. I thought with the stack sizes, that I was never folding either hand.

Hand 1 - I believed V to be aggressive enough to fire any turn, thinking that I might find a fold. I also thought he might be able to find a fold if I re-raised him on the flop. In hindsight, a 4th club may have chased him off the turn.

What if we both started with $400?
I think I'm more likely to re-raise, in this case probably $100 even?
Turn ($230 in pot) $290 in stack.
My confidence goes down when the stacks go up. I'm not sure I'm ready to shove top set on a flushed board, and surely not a 4-flushed board.
I could see this particular V betting after a turn check.
By the river, if it wasn't a turn shove, it will be a river shove.
UGH.




Hand 2

If OMC raised, I think I can find an easy fold. I later learned that he tripled up with quads earlier on 2 'young guns'. Has played true OMC style.

If OMC calls, I think I can vomit a little in my mouth. When LAG ships the brick turn, I call and expect OMC to come along. When the river bricks, I expect OMC to check behind.

TRUTH:
I know I'm a bit skeered to ship a big stack into the middle, but was pleased that I raised to deter OMC from coming along. If there is a more aggressive player behind... I still raise, but probably go away when the big stack raises.

PLAN:
I know I should view them as chips and poker as a 'game'. I was positive that I was ahead, and should have looked to get as many chips into the middle as possible. With the draws (S&F), I had to raise to charge the draws an improper price. If a deepstack comes along, I have to slow down with 'just an overpair'.

Will check out SPR stuff, have found myself not planning for PS shoves and having awkward moments.

It did cross my mind to make him show or muck. On the other hand, there is always the chance that he'll muck a winner (*), and the return on that is sufficient. As it turns out, he pleasantly got up and left.


(*) AC casino. 1/2 game.
Hero in seat 7, Short stack in seat 2
Dealt 22
Flop 442
Whee... I bet, short stack raises, I re-raise, short stack shoves.
I show and say I'm full.
Short stack doesn't reveal.
Turn 4
River blank.
Short stack flashes cards that are later confirmed as QQ, mucks and reloads.

so he mucked the winner?

See, I guess it's good that you are thinking about how you'd play differently with different stack sizes, but in fact I'd actually reverse the way I'd play this.

As played, the effective stacks are just over $100--when Villain puts $40 of his stack in, or 40% of his stack, it is less likely that he's folding to a shove than if he put in 10% of a $400 stack, which is also $40. The chances that you are folding out worse hands is actually higher when you reraise with a deeper stack. Now that doesn't necessarily mean you shouldn't reraise in either case, but it does mean that you should definitely be reraising with the shorter stack, while you might sometimes call and sometimes raise with the deeper stack.

Yes, it's now my #1 reason for not playing the 'you show first' game.

OK. That does make sense. I didn't think a guy who would put 50% of their chips in the middle would find a fold at 1/2. I know they exist because V from hand 2 found a fold on a different hand, similar spot, must have missed his draws. Also makes sense that once he raises, he's not going anywhere for that price.

If we're both $400 deep in Hand 1...