Do you take a -EV shot in a limited buy in game?

[Julian55]

You sit down to a $3/$5NL cash game with a max buyin of $200 but big stacks of $600 - $2000 around the table, and some of those big stacks are clearly donkeys that you could take down with the right stack and cards.

Clearly you want to double up quickly to get your share of the big stack donkeys. So the question is does it make sense to take a slight -EV shot on an allin hand early on when you still have between $200 to $300 to give you more bullets for a later hand. If you would how -EV would you go? Or does it never make sense to take a -EV shot?

[ArturiusX]

This is a tournament question thats phrased in a cash game way. The answer is, no.

[DJ Sensei]

This is a similar question to one recently posed about whether or not it was good to fold in a +EV situation against another TAG at the table because you and a big fish were both deep. Getting sucked out on there means you could lose potential EV against the fish's full stack.

Basically, the answer to that question, as well as this one, is that the future EV you expect to gain by making such a play has to be more than the EV you save here by folding.

If the game will last a long time, it leans more towards yes, take the gamble for a bigstack.

[flawless_victory]

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The answer is ABSOLUTELY.

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[runout_mick]

I would without hesitation.

I'd also try to find a $3/$5 game with a higher cap. $200 is absurdly small.

[NoahSD]

It definitely depends on how -EV the shot is and how fishy the deeper stacks are and stuff.

[shag]

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I would without hesitation.

I'd also try to find a $3/$5 game with a higher cap. $200 is absurdly small.

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That's all there is in LA. There is a 5/5 game with $500 cap at the bike though...

[NoahSD]

Any idea why casinos make these caps.

[Kirkrrr]

The casual players don't go broke nearly as fast, as well as making them feel more comfortable. In answer to OP's post, yes, absolutely. If the whole table is deep and bad in spots, I really don't mind shoving with FD's and such hoping to get a stack going and play deep where your edge becomes far more significant than whatever you lose taking smaller gambles. Live, deep-stacked poker is a different type of beast, and can't always be approached with a + b ALWAYS = c mindset. Also, as soon as you can, jump seats until you get good position on the... casual players. Don't forget to mumble that you're getting really bad cards in that seat and hope that a change will help with that.

Kirk

[LearnedfromTV]

[ QUOTE ]
This is a rebuy tournament question thats phrased in a cash game way. The answer is, yes .

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Well, not exactly, but close enough.