halfstack hands

Im going to try some half stacking at FR100 NL. Ill post some hands here as I go.


I dont have to much history with villan. He is running at 20/10/4. Nothing out of the ordinary.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (8 handed) Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

BB ($96.40)
UTG ($105.90)
UTG+1 ($68.75)
MP1 ($12.60)
MP2 ($98.35)
CO ($95.50)
Button ($129.45)
Hero ($54.25)

Preflop: Hero is SB with Q, Q.
UTG calls $1, 5 folds, Hero raises to $6, 1 fold, UTG calls $5.

Flop: ($13) 7, 7, 7 (2 players)
Hero bets $8, UTG calls $8.

Turn: ($29) 6 (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets $7, Hero calls $7.

River: ($43) 4 (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets $33, Hero calls $33.

Final Pot: $109

I slowed down because I figured it was a way above, way below situation here. Anyone folding at any point??

Are you folding this to a 12/8/4 pre flop?

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (9 handed) Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

UTG+1 ($120.50)
MP1 ($99.50)
MP2 ($99.90)
MP3 ($166.05)
Hero ($51.55)
Button ($17)
SB ($95.90)
BB ($100)
UTG ($18.50)

Preflop: Hero is CO with K, Q.
3 folds, MP2 raises to $4, 1 fold, Hero calls $4, 3 folds.

Flop: ($9.50) 2, A, 6 (2 players)
MP2 bets $7, Hero folds.

Final Pot: $9.50

hand 1 AA/KK are unlikely to limp-call preflop. Flopping quads is rare, you think villain has 67s or 78s here? i don't understand your play on the turn - either bet or check-raise. You're too shallow to be scared here. As played bet river.

Hand 2 fold pre or 3-bet pre-flop. KQ is asking to be dominated. What you going to do on a king high flop - get stacked by AK?

I suggest (re)reading Fnord's post and the comments that follow

[quote]hand 1 AA/KK are unlikely to limp-call preflop. Flopping quads is rare, you think villain has 67s or 78s here? i don't understand your play on the turn - either bet or check-raise. You're too shallow to be scared here. As played bet river. [quote]


How bout this one??

I really just didnt think he would call a second barrel with worse than QQ. But there was a chance of him putting me on AK and firing with less.
And I kinda felt like I was beat while the hand was happening. (Which I was)


PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (8 handed) Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

SB ($23)
BB ($43.70)
UTG ($89.50)
UTG+1 ($82.15)
MP1 ($30.15)
Hero ($44.65)
CO ($91.50)
Button ($204.40)

Preflop: Hero is MP2 with K, A.
1 fold, UTG+1|UTG+1 raises to $4, 1 fold, Hero raises to $11, 3 folds, BB calls $10, UTG+1|UTG+1 folds.

Flop: ($26.50) 8, 8, 3 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $33.65 (All-In), BB calls $32.70 (All-In).

Turn: ($0) 3 (2 players, 2 all-in)

River: ($0) 4 (2 players, 2 all-in)

Final Pot: $92.85

hand one...i know you were beat (because you said so), but i still shove the turn. i catch every boat worse than mine, and for half a stack i will also string along AK most likely.

hand two...fold pre. i dont like 3betting unless i KNOW he can fold hands that dominate me. which being short, i doubt he will.

hand three...thats what shortstacking is right there, imo. i would have 3bet bigger, but you got it in on a scary flop. ideally, he would fold to your flop slam. it will pay when you hit a flop.

but, thats where all the variance comes from shorting. you HAVE to push these for FE, and you get burned quite often when they have small overpairs.

1: only 3 hands beat you. shove every day, twice on sundays.

2: fold.

3: I don't know the dynamics of shorting, but basically, I wouldn't 3bet with an unmade hand pf, hoping to hit
You have to shove any flop if you do, and a large % of time it equals burning money

Originally Posted by Chopper

hand three...thats what shortstacking is right there, imo. i would have 3bet bigger, but you got it in on a scary flop. ideally, he would fold to your flop slam. it will pay when you hit a flop.

How is that a scary flop for anyone?


I like 1 and 3, hate 2.

Of course, I'm down quite a lot with this strategy, mostly from sticking it in with QQ preflop.

Hand 1 bet/bet/bet

1. Check/bomb the turn since you checked. But I probably bet/bet/bet especially at full ring.

2. Meh. I dont know. Full ring ain't my friend.

3. you need to raise biggger pre. $14, and shove any flop. This will happen a lot with AK when you 3bet and wiff the flop. Get used to it.

Originally Posted by sejje

How is that a scary flop for anyone? (hand 3)

its only 8 high. and, villain raised pre and flatted your 3bet. screams AK/pp to me. therefore, any pp may call your shove. 99+/AK will certainly call you, and you are a 75/25 dog here w/ little FE.

you are trying to bump overcards off while wondering if 99+ or the 8 is calling you. its a scary push for you, but its also scary for villain, if he doesnt have the overpair. that said, you still have to shove. you cant c/f this flop with only $30ish behind.

if you have 99+, yourself, shoving this flop is not nearly as scary.