The End of the Competent Shortstacker (Hopefully!): Part 1

[Fishstick]

The End of the Mid-Stake Competent Shortstacker (Hopefully!): Part 1

After a very frustrating session today I have decided to reveal some of the tools I use to minimizing the edge that competent shortstackers have when playing against a table of aggressive full stacks. While my losses today had nothing to do with these shorties, I came to realize during tonight’s session just how much I hate them.

If you don’t know what a competent shortstacker (CSS) is, then don’t worry about this post and just keep playing your game. If you do know what that term means—or have a general idea of what it means—than please read this carefully, and help me make their poker sessions frustrating and difficult. There’s nothing more irritating than a player that consistently makes money without having any skill whatsoever.

The “facts” I am listing in this post are supposed to represent the typical CSS’s hand ranges and weak spots. The following ranges apply to NL 6 max and assume that the CSS buys in for only 20bb’s:

CSS UTG opening range : 10’s+, AQs+, AKo (3.8%)

-wont fold any thing they raise with from UTG.


CSS UTG+1 opening range: 99+, AQs+, AQo+(5.1%)

-wont fold any thing they raise with here unless 2 or more players go all-in/re-raise.


CSS cutoff opening range: 88+, A9s+, A10o+ (8.3%)

-if vs a loose player they are folding A9s, A10s and A10o (Calling with 82% of their hands here)
-if vs a tight player they are folding A9s, A10s, A10o, AJo and 88. They may also
occasionally fold AJs and 99 (Calling with 65% of their hands here)


CSS button and SB opening range: 20-30% of the total possible hands, including almost any pair, any two paint cards, and paint coupled with high non-paint. They won’t be raising many suited connectors here unless the BB and SB are nitty (and this is assuming they have poker tracker and some understanding of table dynamics).

-they have to be raising with some junk from these positions just to stay alive at six max; if they didn’t raise with a lot of hands here, then they would get eaten alive by the blinds and the rake.

Here is the great thing. They are folding a large % of their button and SB range to 3 bets preflop so take advantage of this by raising lighter than u normally would vs them when they are in those positions. Most of them are calling/pushing with only 10-12% of their range here (44+, KQs+, A9s+, A10o+); this means they are folding 40-66% of the time. This is their weak spot so take advantage of it by re-stealing!!



Well…that’s just the start of it. I am still debating whether or not I want to post the second part but if I do it will be in about a week. If you have enjoyed this post, then please show your appreciation by crippling the bankroll of every competent shortstack in sight, especially if you play at Party Poker.


FishStick

[stinkypete]

not really sure what to say about this other than LOL

[UR75]

Nice post. I have my own kind of improv strategy against these guys but nice to see it in print.

[soah]

thanks for posting a guide to how to shortstack competently

maybe delete it now?

[stinkypete]

[ QUOTE ]
thanks for posting a guide to how to shortstack competently

[/ QUOTE ]

lol #2 for this thread

[Fishstick]

If a few more posters tell me to delete this b/c it gives too much away ill consider taking it off in a few hours

[MTBlue]

I personally think it should be stickied.

[LucidDream]

yea, delete. there are already enough shortstackers...we don't need more that see this and decide they will try it out now.

[The Velour Fog]

[ QUOTE ]
thanks for posting a guide to how to shortstack competently

maybe delete it now?

[/ QUOTE ]

jesus christ poker players are such whiny babies sometimes.

"bohoo, the shortstackers have shaved off 0.X ptBB from my winrate. lets never talk about them and maybe they will go away!!"

heres a newsflash, shortstacking isnt rocket science, i doubt that OP's post will cause a sudden flood of shortstackers invading all sites. all the information is out there anyways. what his post might do however is spark some sort of interesting discussion about how to combat them ( unlikely since the topic has been discussed ad nauseum, but still, who knows. )

i dont shortstack, i dont particularly like playing against shortstacks, but i wouldnt go as far as saying i hate it either. if i happen to be at a table with many shortstacks i.. and listen carefully because heres the tricky part.. leave and find another game.
what i dont do is go all around the most popular poker forums screaming in outrage about the shortstack problem because.. heres another piece of information you should read carefully.. shortstacking wont go away unless the buy in norm changes at the reputable pokersites.

its one way of exploiting a certain edge ( which i might add not too many shortstackes are capable of ) thats inherent in the normal structure of todays games.

i havent really been involved in the shortstack debate earlier, cant say i want to either. just my 2 cents sparked from this unnecessary rip on OP .

[The Velour Fog]

that might have made little sense, i might even have ripped on OP's post myself there. the point i tried to make is that im tired of people acting like spoiled children scared that their favourite toys will be taken away, everytime the topic is shortstacking.