two questions

[Hoffma]

1) I saw a post recently where someone said he wouldn't normally make a certain decision, but he did in this case because he "had an M of 4". What does this mean?

2) Is there a good rule of thumb for topping off your stack at a cash table? I like the idea of reloading once I sink below 75% of the max buy-in, so I'm just curious for some input on this one.

[jordiepop]

1) the m question has to due with the your chip stack in relation to the blinds. In plain english, it means that the person would not make the move unless he was under a lot of pressure to go all in. Your m is the starting pot in a tournament / by your chip stack. An M of 4 is very low, so the person would want to get in with any reasonable hand. For more on this read harrington on holdem vol 1 and 2. really great stuff.



2) well if you are comfortable with having the maximum amount allowed on the table, then you would want to reload anytime u drop below the max. For online this is easy. you just hit a button. Even if its 6 bucks just reload to the full 200. In a casino when i play 1-2 with a 200 buy in, i would reload any time i drop below say 175. Its just easy because i can pull a green chip out of my pocket. No need to get crazy when you are at 189 [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]. If you are comfortable where you are playing you will want to have the most amount of chips on the table as possible.




Hope this helps, you should really pick up some books on nl. Getting started in holdem by ed miller has some great stuff on nl cash and tournie. Phil gordans little green book is also amazing, as well as the harrington series. Good luck.

[PantsOnFire]

M is the ratio of your stack to the blinds and antes. This applies mainly in NL tournaments or SnGs.

For example, you have 1000 chips. The blinds are 100/200. Your M is 3.3 (1000/(200+100)). In other words, you will be blinded off in 3.3 orbits of the table. If the blinds are 100/200 amd the ante is 25, then your M is 3.1 (1000/(200+100+25)).

So in relation to poker, if your M is say 50, you have plenty of chips in relation to the blinds. Thus, you can play normal poker. If your M is 3 or 4, you are desparate. Therefore, you cannot play normal poker and you need to make a move that you wouldn't normally make. This sort of move is something like going all-in preflop with 66 or on the flop with a flush draw or open ended straight draw.

[AKQJ10]

M: In the future you can save a post by looking here.

As for stack size, if you're not seeking to play a short stack, you should rebuy as often as practical without calling attention to yourself.