Repping Strength Based on Stack Sizes

[Sherman]

So I've been working on a volume for my overall SSMTT strategy. I'm not going to make any promises when it will be done, b/c it may be months from now. But anyhow, here is concept that I use really often. This isn't the most perfect example, but it is good enough to show the purpose.


Ok, the topic is stealing blinds. In general, we want to steal from Medium stacks. This is because short stacks tend to be desperate and willing to go all in. Also, big stacks will have a tendency to defend their blinds. This is even more true during ITM situations.

So here is the concept. I call it repping strength against thinking players based on stack sizes. Here is how it works.

It is open folded to you in LP with XX. The SB is a big stack, smart, aggressive, and thinking. The BB is a very short stack, but he is the nitty type of short stack. The type that often blinds himself to death.

Typical advice says that this is a bad situation to steal. Which makes this a PERFECT situation to steal and I do it all the time. By open-raising in this spot we have "frozen" the big stack. He can't re-steal from us b/c he knows that we know not to steal from the Short stack. Because he knows this, he knows we aren't "stealing". He thinks we must have a legitimate hand. So he mucks all but the strongest of hands. Then the super nitty BB folds and we scoop another pot.

Now the plan doesn't always work, but it is highly profitable. For example, in this situation if the big stack in the SB raises, we have a super easy fold because we have "repped strength" to him, therefore his range is even tighter. If the BB shoves, we have the odds to call with any two and we do so, almost never being in bad shape.

Here is an example hand from an $11+1 turbo:

The SB in this hand is 62/42/oo over 26 hands. Quite aggressive.

The BB in this hand is BB is 0/0/0/ over 8 hands. Very tight.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em Tourney, Big Blind is t150 (8 handed) internettexasholdem.com

MP1 (t3480)
MP2 (t1450)
CO (t1595)
Hero (t1925)
SB (t3435)
BB (t1145)
UTG (t1285)
UTG+1 (t1585)

Preflop: Hero is Button with T[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img], 5[img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img].
<font color="#666666">5 folds</font>, <font color="#CC3333">Hero raises to t450</font>, <font color="#666666">2 folds</font>.

Final Pot: t675


The key is that this is a very profitable play b/c we have gained extra FE PF from the stack size situation. This FE coupled with some equity if the BB shoves and we call, makes this play very profitable. The example above isn't the greatest example b/c I am somewhat short stacked myself (but it was the quickest and easiest one I could find), we aren't ITM, and the SB might be a little too loose. But in general, this play of "repping" extra stength against thinking opponents can help you pick up lots of free chips. Especially around the bubble.

Sherman

[erc007]

[ QUOTE ]
It is open folded to you in LP with XX. The SB is a big stack, smart, aggressive, and thinking. The BB is a very short stack, but he is the nitty type of short stack. The type that often blinds himself to death.


[/ QUOTE ]

I like the concept and i think if it's applied properly and judiciously, it is def EV+ and can allow you to pick up a lot of extra chips. The only prob is finding a player with the profile of SB described above. In realiy, in low stakes tournaments, this type of player is pretty rare although easy to recognize/identify. I would say that this play might be more easily/profitably executed at higher stakes, but there a thinking player would know what u are doing (3rd;4th level) and repop u with air.

I'd like to see your work when you're finished b/c i think that u are a good, thinking player who is always looking for EV+ spots.

[nhWPjstUnLKy]

pssst don't tell anyone.. been using this for a long time

[Proofrock]

Definitely not crazy about your example for several reasons (way too small a sample size for the stats to be very useful, SB's stats indicate he's not really a "thinking" player, and it's a turbo so people generally play looser and there's less time for a thinking player to peg *you* for a thinking player since the action is faster), but otherwise nice post.

However, you need to be careful to do this only vs. *thinking*, observant opponents, which aren't easy to come by in small buy-in MTTs. Overall, I'm still not entirely convinced it's overwhelmingly +EV to do this with trash, though, since you'll generally need to call those times the nitty BB shoves.

[erc007]

[ QUOTE ]
Overall, I'm still not entirely convinced it's overwhelmingly +EV to do this with trash, though, since you'll generally need to call those times the nitty BB shoves.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with this, but if this situational/stack size "protection" allows u to expand your LP opening range (to include most hands with decent showdown equity), then i think this play is EV+.

[woohoo88]

[ QUOTE ]
The SB is a big stack, smart, aggressive, and thinking. The BB is a very short stack, but he is the nitty type of short stack. The type that often blinds himself to death.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wouldn't the thinking SB also notice this and assume you have as well (if he realizes you're probably a thinking player as well)?

I'm not disagreeing that you gain some fe here. Just pointing out that this part of the logic seems a little flawed. FWIW I like to look for spots like this too.

[erc007]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The SB is a big stack, smart, aggressive, and thinking. The BB is a very short stack, but he is the nitty type of short stack. The type that often blinds himself to death.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wouldn't the thinking SB also notice this and assume you have as well (if he realizes you're probably a thinking player as well)?


[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah...it kind of requires the SB to be good...but not that good...

[levAA]

good post sherman

think we should call this move the "sherman repper" [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[ChipSpeak]

I like it too Sherman, it is a highly profitable play I use as well. Key is SB is a thinking player, he can't possibly make a play at us here.

[Sherman]

[ QUOTE ]
Definitely not crazy about your example for several reasons (way too small a sample size for the stats to be very useful, SB's stats indicate he's not really a "thinking" player, and it's a turbo so people generally play looser and there's less time for a thinking player to peg *you* for a thinking player since the action is faster), but otherwise nice post.

However, you need to be careful to do this only vs. *thinking*, observant opponents, which aren't easy to come by in small buy-in MTTs. Overall, I'm still not entirely convinced it's overwhelmingly +EV to do this with trash, though, since you'll generally need to call those times the nitty BB shoves.

[/ QUOTE ]

Proof,

As I said in the OP, the example hand here isn't perfect. I have way way way many more examples, but I'd have to look through a bunch of HHs to find them. To be honest, it isn't worth that much effort.

This isn't a play that is going to make you $ over-night. In fact, this play isn't even used that often. I'd guess that I use it less than once per MTT.

FWIW, when I said XX as the typical raising hand to steal with here, I am NOT talking about ATC. I always make sure I have something that plays marginally well in FO calculations.

Quantitatively, I want something that is like 33% against the BB's shoving range. In this example hand, T5o is one of the worst hands I make this move with. I'm not doing it with T4o here. Although I would with 97o. I'd pretty much avoid all X2s and X3s unless they are Aces or Kings (maybe suited Queens). But I am never making this move with something like 42o. I want a hand that has some equity against his shoving range...maybe around 33%.

Sherman


Edit: BTW, I made a post a long time ago about small sample sizes and stats. TBH, I think you are dead wrong if you say these sample sizes are too small to be useful. In the case of this hand, the BB is ~2.5 times more likely to have a true VPIP of 10 than of 20, ~7.5 times more likely to have a true VPIP of 10 than 30, and ~2.9 times more likely to have a true VPIP of 20 than 30. I'll try to search for and bump that old post.