My thoughts on the Miller short stack theory

[Razor]

[ QUOTE ]
One limper, you have AJo on the button and raise to 5x BB. Blinds fold, the limper calls. Flop is 9c4c2h and the limper checks. All in, check behind? What is your plan for the turn? I am losing with almost all Overcards, as well as pairs less than JJ... Usually I push all in and anyone with a pair calls me and I lose. Anyone who missed the flop folds.

[/ QUOTE ]

In that situation I push pretty much every time.

What size game are you playing in?

[binions]

[ QUOTE ]
One limper, you have AJo on the button and raise to 5x BB. Blinds fold, the limper calls. Flop is 9c4c2h and the limper checks. All in, check behind? What is your plan for the turn? I am losing with almost all Overcards, as well as pairs less than JJ... Usually I push all in and anyone with a pair calls me and I lose. Anyone who missed the flop folds.

[/ QUOTE ]

It may not matter much in that particular hand. If he is trapping with a set or overpair, you will be called. If he has a flush draw + overcards, or pair + flush draw, he probably is calling. If he doesn't have any of these things, he is probably folding. The only hands I can think of that might be influenced by your bet is 88-55 and maybe AK.

In general, if your opponents actually think about what you might have (as opposed to focusing solely on their 2 cards), a pot sized bet of half your stack might look more suspicious than an all-in, and may actually get a few more folds (which is what you are hoping for in bluffing a flop).

[mosquito]

Great post, Binions. I have seen similar results,
albeit at mostly lower levels.

Also you have done more to expand the system than
I have, more power to you.

One addition would be that your bluffs should probably
be in situations that are likely to pick up the blinds
most of the time. I have found that they are not only
profitable overall this way, but tend to induce more
calls when you do get the big pair.

Also have played some on Absolute, 40x min buyin and
generally better play (though not alot). It can be a
bit tricky with this mid size stack, but the experience
learned from using 1/2 of available stack on flop at
Party proved invaluable.

[TheShootah]

Dude, you shoulda made this a 2+2 Mag article and made 200$. Geez. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[SuitedSixes]

The interesting thing about this system, is that it is identical to the way many 2+2ers play the first three levels of SNG NLHE tournaments.

[TheShootah]

[ QUOTE ]
The interesting thing about this system, is that it is identical to the way many 2+2ers play the first three levels of SNG NLHE tournaments.

[/ QUOTE ]

<------ ME! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Matt Ruff]

Binions,

Wanted to add my thanks for the post. I've been looking for ideas for fine-tuning/fleshing out Ed's strategy, but unfortunately, a lot of poker players I talk to about it seem to think that short-stack play is too "cowardly" to be worth bothering with. (My favorite comment along these lines came from Gary Carson, who referred to Ed's system sight unseen as "strategic rat-holing.")

Anyway, nice post. You helped clarify some things I'd been mulling over.

-- M. Ruff

[Scuba Chuck]

[ QUOTE ]
The interesting thing about this system, is that it is identical to the way many 2+2ers play the first three levels of SNG NLHE tournaments.

[/ QUOTE ]

HUH, does that mean I don't need to read the book?
Scuba

[Rudbaeck]

[ QUOTE ]
(My favorite comment along these lines came from Gary Carson, who referred to Ed's system sight unseen as "strategic rat-holing.")

[/ QUOTE ]

It is strategic rat-holing.

[Matt Ruff]

[ QUOTE ]
is strategic rat-holing.

[/ QUOTE ]

I actually kind of like "strategic rat-holing" as a description, but I think it falls short of the damning criticism Gary intended it to be. Gary, like a number of other players I've talked to, seems to believe that only scared money would deliberately choose to play with a short stack.

-- M. Ruff