Hey guys,

I was wondering if anyone knows anything about preflop strategies for HU NL short deck. I have no idea what the standard opening/defending frequencies are for this game type.

Assume an ante from both players and a blind on the BU, deepstacked. Also assume that it's the straight>3oak ruleset used by Triton and Stars. How wide should UTG open? How wide should BU defend, and what % of hands should he be 3betting? Is his 3b range supposed to be more polar, or more linear?

I think it's a confusing question for a few reasons. One, the large open size that most players have adopted as standard UTG. From what I've seen, most people are going to 4x or 5x with their RFIs. Second, unlike HUNL, the player who acts first preflop is OOP post. As a result, he's less incentivized to open and BU is more incentivized to defend. Then there's the antes in play, as well as the fact that equities run so close in short deck.

Finally, should UTG be playing a mixed strategy of limping and raising? Is it viable for UTG to play a strictly raise/fold strat as a simplification, or is that sacrificing too much EV in this game type?

If any of y'all could guide me in the right direction here, it would be much appreciated.