nice read

shuld i be ignoring a SSers 3bet stats?

Non-rathole shortstacks are among the worst fish out there, avoiding them is giving up free money.

awsome, thanks

+1

40bb-60bb players = freeeeeeeeeeeeeee$$$$$

Yes, true, in our experience. But in theory I'm not so sure. I can imagine an advantage for 50bb players: they can shove flops with draws profitably. We can't do that with 100bb, or else we become too readable, or we have to do it as well with tp and sets. Thoughts?

my WR is almost linear to effective stack size.

you're right, it is of course possible to play a 50-60BB stack profitably. but, those players that could play this stack size profitably, generally play fullstacked instead, because as sammy said, playing a deeper stack is more profitable for them.

hence, in practice, halfstack = free moniez

half stack is easy to play, Its basically the perfect amount to stack off with on TPGK and OP. The problem that most people have they are playing way too many speculative hands without shoving them enough on the flops.

yeah, every now and then I want to play 60bb deep; but then i see the full stacked fishies and I have to buy in to cover.

Personally, I would rather have SSers on my right than my left. If they are in the pot first, it folds out most of my range, and I've lost nothing. If I'm in the pot first, a lot of my range has to fold. It's great being able to steal their blinds from the button and CO, but that's only 2 of 9 spots.

When they're to your left you can steal their blinds from more than just the CO and button. On the right tables you can steal very profitably from the hijack and a nitty ss is perfect to have in this spot. When they do have a hand and push all in you can adjust and play perfectly against them. If they're on your right you're not going to make anything from them unless you cooler them.

Stealing a shorties blinds is far more profitable than them 3betting you with JJ+ and AK.

But you can steal nitty tall stack's blinds for the same vig. I just view SSers as pests to avoid.

I know exactly how you feel. In an old thread it seems I have come to the same conclusion. In response to why we have such a hatred towards shorties I once said this:

I'm pretty sure that is also the reason why *Split* said in OP that any table with 3+ shortstackers must be avoided.

i actually had a debate with a very solid 6maxxer today on this subject

my point is this...

if they are on ur left, and say will only re-ship a range of 88+/AJ+/KQ (8% of hands) then we pick up the pot uncontested 92% of the time. and the 8% they ship, we will sometimes be able to call profitably against. So we are picking up these spots super often. Also, i count at least 3 spots to do this (us in CO, BUT, or SB)

If they are on our right, we play an effective SS range when they steal (about 2.5 hands given a SS strat). If they steal wide/call tight, and we can shove ATC, then that is different. but most SS's wont allow you to do that (correctly so regardless of the SS player type). So you win nearly nothing when they are on ur right (ur WR is now a SS WR playing an effective SS game), and if they are on ur left you win 92%+.

Left>Right

or put another way. a SS on ur right isnt there. a SS on ur left is free lunch

There is another way of looking at it. I don't mind ss-ers on my left, because in poker money goes clockwise. Imagine yourself as a bottleneck, money will flow to you but can't get out fast enough because their stacks are too small. Unless there is something like extreme skill difference of course.

SS, ***** you motherf****rs.

that is all.

The worst SSers of all are the ones who double up and then immediately leave the table, thus denying anyone the chance to get their money back. And while I usually celebrate when an SSer leaves, he is usually replaced by yet another SSer. They are like locusts.

FYP

If you are SSing, this is proper strategy.

depends on the short stacker. The ones that steal way too much I rather be in their blinds and just resteal with any PP and broadways. the 5/5 that play the max number of tables types I want on my left.

Very informative article! Let's hope this article will make SS extinct :P

i suppose no1 has yet found it ironic that a shortstacker wrote this article, lol

That's not going to happen as long as P*kerstrategy.de exists.

seems entirely apt to me; knowledge of their play is a prerequisite for formulating a counterstrategy, and playing the style yourself is the best way to familiarise yourself with their strategies imo.

did you just shortstack once-upon-a-time, or do you still do it periodically? (hope this isn't too much of a derail, feel free to delete if you think it is )

i SS once in awhile...really just as a mixup, bonus burner, and/or to re-think about their ranges