Strategy against NotSoShortstacks

[Newman30]

I know the strategy against short stacks who buys in for a minimum to 30 BB, and go all-in preflop, or bet preflop and go all-in on the flop regardless: Identify their range, call with a tighter range.

What about the middle stacks (about half a full buy-in)? How do you play them? It’s kind of hard to bluff them. They get so easily pot committed.

Look at the hand below. Villain is very aggressive on the flop, definitely bluffing a whole lot of flops. I don’t give him credit for having hit this flop, so I repop him. I do this once in a while, to take down the pots right away, if I sense a bluff. I also do it because it’s important to make your moves with air, so it’s not just great hands I check-reraise the flop with all the time. I would be too easy to fold to my check-raises then. Most of the time I do this, I take the hand down right away. If villain is fullstack and calls my repop, and I still sence weakness I will often get a fold to a following all-in on the turn. In the hand below, where I get a call, I am in big trouble. I cannot make my bluff on the turn because villain is potcomitted now.

Everest Poker No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00/$2.00 (HH Converter by Kreatief)

SB (202.75)
BB (184.80)
MP3 (17.95)
CO (254.20) (Hero)
Button (125.40)

Preflop: Hero is CO with Q[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], A[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img]
<font color="#666666">1 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $8.00</font>, Button calls $8.00, <font color="#666666">1 folds</font>, BB calls $6.00,

Flop: 4[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img], T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img] ( $25 )
BB checks, Hero checks, <font color="#CC3333">Button bets $14.00</font>, <font color="#666666">1 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to $50.00</font>, Button calls $36.00,

How do you play middle stacks in general? The example above arguments that they are not so easy to bluff, because they are much more potcomitted than a full stack. They can call with a significantly weaker hand than a fullstack.

Do you know any articles/books about playing someone who is short to middle stacked?

[pineapple888]

Well, I think you answered your own question. The flop is everything vs. a 1/2 stack or less buyin, so it's pretty straightforward poker. I'm unaware of any particular writeups on the subject.

[keikiwai]

you basically have to hit a flop, how hard you have to hit in depends on opponent

bluffs have to be well thought out

hand above is not horrible to cbet, but horrible to cr imo

[Newman30]

Ty for the input. Why is the hand horrible to c-bet iyo keikiwai? Could you elaborate? I'm not to fond of the move myself, because I am the pf agressor, and my opponent is middlestacked.

Actually when I think about it I almost only cr when I'm not the preflop agressor. I am rarely in this position, but could be with a small pair.

[xxSTWxx]

The guys playing with half stacks will mostly call on 3 streets with TP any kicker and sometimes 2nd pair/underpair hands.

So in general just wait til you've got TPGK or better and then bet all 3 streets for value. You'll get their whole stack and sometimes they even rebuy and let you do the same again!!

God I love donks who play 40 or 50 BBs deep [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[ryang]

yeah don't understand the c/r.

[Newman30]

I meant.. Why is the hand horrible to cr (not c-bet) in your opinion keikiwai? (I'm not to fond of the move myself, because I am the pf agressor, and my opponent is middlestacked) ...

[pineapple888]

[ QUOTE ]
I meant.. Why is the hand horrible to cr (not c-bet) in your opinion keikiwai? (I'm not to fond of the move myself, because I am the pf agressor, and my opponent is middlestacked) ...

[/ QUOTE ]

Dude, he's rarely bluffing into two opponents, and he's rarely going away after he bets, and he's gonna be pot-committed, and you have bupkis. K?

[The Don]

Uhh shortstacks don't fold ever and you are drawing to 6 outs at best?