Still More Topping Up:
As you might remember, I don't top up my stack on challenge days as part of an experiment to see how well my tournament experience might serve me when playing off a shorter average stack. So far, I have no data whatsoever to work with, as I have not yet found myself with a shortie on a challenge day. Thus far, I've either doubled up early and have kept a big stack for the rest of the session, or I've been completely felted during a single hand, and have had to rebuy with the next 100bb stack.
On non-challenge days I keep topped up to the max buyin of 150-250bb, usually in units of $100 each. This has served me quite well, and I'm becoming very fond of it.
I've already talked about creating the perception amongst the other regs that I'm winning all the time by never having a short stack in front of me, but here's an example of a more concrete and practical way in which it has helped.
Flamingo--max buyin $300:
Hand 1:
I pick up K
K
in MP and open for $10 with $280 behind. I get a call from a Live One on the BTN and a call from a meh reg in the BB. The Live One has $160 behind and the meh reg has about $100.
(Pot $31) Three players.
Flop 7
4
2
The meh reg donks $20, I call, and the Live One shoves for his remaining $150. The meh reg folds.
(Pot $221) Two players. One player is all-in.
I think for about 7 seconds, then I call.
(Pot $371) Two players. One player is all-in.
The Live One shows Q
Q
.
Turn Q
River brick. Nice hand, sir.
A very standard beat, and I was happy with the way I played it. I made an awful lot of Sklansky bucks on it, out there in the infinite universes.
I'm left with $120 in my stack. I pull out a hundo, then change my mind at the last second and pull out $180 instead. It's a full top up to $300.
Hand 1.5:
Next hand I pick up J
T
in MP and open for $10. Folds to an Aggro Reg in the BB who 3-bets to $30. I make a loose call. Tilted? Maaayyyybe a little.
Flop is a brick sandwich for me--aside from a gutshot, which we don't chase in 3-bet pots when villain likely has blockers--and it smacks villain's range. I fold to his c-bet.
Hand 2:
Two hands later, UTG opens for $10. I pick up K
K
as UTG+1 and I 3-bet to $30 with $270 behind. Aggro Reg is now on the button. He calls. His stack covers mine. UTG folds.
(Pot $62) Two players.
Flop Q
8
T
I bet $45 and Aggro Reg calls.
(Pot $152) Two players.
Turn 5
A thought occurs:
What would I do here if I had AK?
I check.
Aggro Reg puts me all in for my remaining $195, and I snap call.
(Pot $542) Two players. One is all in.
River A
I show my KK and villain mucks without showing. Phew.
Here's the point: after the rake and tip, I'm now sitting on $533, within easy shouting distance of being even after taking a bad beat a few hands before.
Instead, if I'd only topped up a hundo, I'd have just $370.
If i hadn't topped up at all, I'd have $170, or worse--Aggro Reg might have chosen to stay out of the hand after I'd put in a third of my meager stack on the 3-bet pre, and I'd be sitting on $100.
Those are some big delta dollars to ponder.
Last edited by suitedjustice; 10-26-2018 at 02:26 AM.