Pokerstars $1+.20, big stack starting level 2.. Open with more hands?

[Poker Clif]

Pot odds often don't mean a whole lot in STT. Preserving your stack, or "waiting for a better spot", is often more important than figuring a close call on pot odds.

However, if you build a big chip stack early, I think that there are hands that make sense to play, even though they are outside the normally tight range in the first couple levels.

Let's say at the start of level 2, all 9 players still in, hero with 20% of the chips. First, given the right pot odds/number of limpers, is it wrong to open with the hands below?

Second, after hitting the flop, for example, flopping an open-end straight draw with 45s, is it strictly a pot-odds call in this scenario, or do you want to be more than 50.3% to keep going?

1. A4s
2. 98s
3. 45s
4. 33

Any comments are appreciated.

[cougar62]

First question: basically the bigger your stack and EV the bigger your edges need to be. To play those hands you need to know that the implied odds are enough to justify getting involved, in other words, is there a good chance you're going to stack someone if you hit? Otherwise your EV doesn't improve that much by taking shots and hitting these speculative hands.

That pretty much answers your second question too. You're giving up your EV edge when you don't hit, and a lot of times not improving it a hell of a lot when you do.