Quote:
Originally Posted by BiggNuttz
Thank you all very much for the helpful replies. You have all contributed helpful, constructive comments.
One point that has been raised is that maybe I need to loosen up a little bit. I am definitely finding that I am almost always the smallest or small stack at the final tables I have made. It seems like I am always just "hanging on" rather than being aggressive and pressing the other players.
My stack size has always been on the short side with between 10-15BB, while the leaders had 50++.
I am talking micro MTTs by the way.
My opinion doesn't necessarily reflect optimal play, but I do speak from micro experience (3x first, 1x first/tie, 3x second and another 5x 3rd over the last 200 tourneys)
1) When you are shortstacked, there are no half pot sized value bets. You either have a hand, that you want to go with or you don't.
Reasons: If you like your hand enough, you want to extract maximum value. Both your opponents folding their half of the pot and not being able to fold a turn/river they don't like are more beneficial to you, then whatever bet you are doing.
A lot of chips are made with sth like a small bet - small bet - big bet pattern, where you take advantage that your opponent can't easily call for half. If you are shortstacked, you can't do this, because you are all-in on the turn anways, so take advantage of what little fold equity is left and getin on the flop/pre or fold.
Additionally the getin play has the advantage that you can't make anymore mistakes (like folding the best hand for example) and it neutralizes that you are out of position.
2) The shorter you are the more likely your hand has to win at showdown and the more often you have to double up. Even splitting the pot can be beneficial to you.
For example: You are sitting on 5BB, assuming an ante of 10%, the pot is 1,5+0,6 BB bar any action. Let's assume, one guy limps and you decide to shove over him, rest of the table folds. He calls and you end up splitting. In this case, you won 1,05 BB for a whopping 20% increase in stacksize. Additionally (especially in bounty tourneys) there are some dynamics, where one big stack forces the other big stack out of the pot and makes you win one side, which you normally wouldn't have.
At the final table however, people are more inclined to call and check you down, because eliminating another player is so beneficial to everyone.
3) You don't have to put pressure on other players, but you need to defend against overly aggressive players (Which I encounter often at the micros). If you don't, they will slowly chip away at your stack, until you are so short, that they can easily afford to take flips with you.
If you have something like an 65-80% equity edge over your opponent you are pretty much crushing him and it doesn't matter, wether you have this edge preflop, on the flop or on the turn, aslong as the betting is finished by then. Yes, you will lose a decent amount of the time, but you are still making good bets that will win in the long run.
I suggest reading Harrington's "On Hold'em". While it isn't about Omaha Hi/Lo it covers a lot of general principles and ideas that apply to Tournament Poker.