shorthanded sit'n'go play

[T. Chance]

Thanks for replying, I'm sorry if it's not pleasant to read. I couldn't think of a better way to write this. It was quite boring to write too, but I really thought it might be instructive when I started it. I'll try to make up for it in my future threads.

I agree that the hands you comment are questionable. I'm not so sure there's a clear play there. Here's what I was thinking at the time.
Hand 9 stud. I don't think the 2 has trips either, but I think the J-8 has a better pair. He's been quite tight and passive, so even when he limped, I thought he was very likely to have a pair, that's why I didn't complete 3rd. On fourth, I'm getting 4:1 odds, with 8 outs and 42 card left so my odds against improving are 4.5:1, and someone might still catch better than me. So I don't think it's such a bad fold. Maybe it's weak-tight to assume that J8 have a pair here, though.

Hand 7 stud : I would limp that hand full ring, but here I was mostly trying to find an opportunity to steal the antes, so I could breath a little. Besides, villain was showing a K and would reraise if I limp almost every time, while he might fold to a bet. Maybe I was wrong here. I don't know if stealing the antes was that important.

Hand 13 razz : I know villain is very agressive, but he has called my bet and I brick while he's showing 7-6. Is it really correct to call a bet on fourth when you brick and your opponent doesn't seem to, and the pot is not huge ?

By the way I forgot to mention, in case it's relevant, that it was a $10 SNG on Full Tilt.

And now for something completely different : the stud 8 hands. Stud 8 is not my strong game, so I might have made more mistakes here.

1. 2 brings in, 9 folds, I complete with 8-6-7, J calls, 2 folds.
Fourth J catches a 6 and I catch a K. Both check.
Fifth I catch a J, villain a 5. I check he bets, I fold.
I think I really misplayed that one. I'm probably folding the best hand. I'm down to 957 with stakes 250/500 ante 40.

2. 2 brings in, 3 limps in, I fold A-8-J, villain is showing an A.

3. 4 brings in, A completes, 8 calls, I fold 9-7-J.

4. I bring in with K-8-6, 9 completes, T and K fold.

5. I bring in with 9-K-5, 6 completes, 9 folds, K calls, I fold.

6. 4 brings in, 7 folds, A fold, I fold A-2-K. Is that a good fold ? I'm very likely to have the best hand here, right ? My stack is 647 at that point. Is that a good hand to risk my whole tournament on ?

7. I bring in with 9-Q-6, everybody folds.

8. 2 brings in, I see a J and a K after me and I fold 7-K-T.

9. 3 brings in, K folds, Q folds, I fold K-7-5. Should I try to steal here ?

10. 2 brings in, 4 calls, villain shows a 3, I fold 3-T-5.

11. 3 brings in, 4 calls, villain's door card is a J, I fold 9-T-5.

12. 3 brings in, 6 folds, villain has a 5, I fold A-7-J.

13. I bring in with J-T-3, 8 completes, 8 calls, K folds, I fold.


We've now reached the end of Stud 8, and I'm down to 412 chips. I won't bother you with hold'em.

Once again the question, is pretty much the same. Did I pass on stealing opportunities here ?

How do you loosen your starting requirement in these shorthanded, shortstacked situations ? What kind of hands suddenly looks better ? I'm especially wondering about stud 8.

[mshalen]

In general as the number of players goes down so do your starting hand requirements. The hands that you posted show what can happen if you just sit and wait for good hands.

The Razz hands that you posted:
#2 Raise
#7 Call and hope he bricks and you catch, if not then fold
#11 Raise

If I remember correctly, in Razz you will catch 3 unpaired cards 8 or less only about 16% of the time. Razz is the easiest game to steal since a low board will scare off many opponents. When you are down to only a few players the odds are they are raising with what in a full ring game would be marginal hands.

I also have a hard time when playing short handed stud.

In stud 8, when short handed, the value of high hands goes way up and the value of low hands that need to catch goes way down. Many of these hands are won on 4th or 5th when a player going low catches bad and you are betting a high hand.

[Praxising]

[ QUOTE ]
When you are down to only a few players the odds are they are raising with what in a full ring game would be marginal hands.

[/ QUOTE ]
In cash games, I agree. In tournaments, late in the tourny with the limits being so high, they are usually raising with premium hands, it's much too expensive to play if the bring-in has A2 in the hole and decides to challenge.

[Praxising]

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for replying, I'm sorry if it's not pleasant to read. I couldn't think of a better way to write this.

[/ QUOTE ]
Use the converter. Not only to keep Andy's head from exploding and to get more comment from people, but why would you take the time to write all that out when the converter will do it in seconds, make it much easier to read and let us all see the development of the hand in an easy gestalt?

Now go download the converter and practice with it a few times. And send a case of beer to the ones who waded through this and gave you their opinions.