Vs. Short Stacks

[BankItDrew]

How do you play against the short stacks?

I find myself avoiding c-betting a lot more often these days against short stacks because there have been a lot of check raises all in come my way for only another $5 in a $25 pot. Should I let these stack see more cards when I have ace high? What's +EV for AK missing against these poor post flop players?

I honestly think I loose most of my $$ to these guys, and I remember it was only a month ago where I was advocating loving these guys because you can push them around. I'm beginning to think otherwise.

[martindcx1e]

I've recently been wondering about post-flop play against these guys too. One situation where I've slowed down lately is...
$10NL Full Ring
Hero ~$10
Villain ~3
Hero is CO w/ AK
4 limpers and Hero raises to .80.
Villain is only caller.
Pot= $2.05.
Flop is 3 cards that miss Hero.
Villain leads for .70 and has $1.50 behind.
So normally I would raise a weak lead like this but villain has put in 1/2 his stack already so he must have something that he's willing to put the rest in with right? I'm not sure yet how I feel about c-betting against shorty's though. I too would like to hear from others on this subject.

[sejje]

I seem to have my cbets elicit folds more often vs short-stacks.

Also, I feel like I can get away with a much smaller cbet, as calling it is commiting their stack anyway...meaning that to be profitable it has to work less often.

As for being lead into, Martin, I think that's a fold. They're commiting their stack and you only have ace-high.

[mcatdog]

I seem to have my cbets elicit folds more often vs short-stacks.

Me too. These guys hardly ever have the cojones to raise a continuation bet without at least a pair. If they're going to bluff, they'll usually just donk the flop. So I...

As for being lead into, Martin, I think that's a fold. They're commiting their stack and you only have ace-high.

...disagree. Short stacks do this all the time with absolutely awful hands, especially if they're really short. If I have AK, I'm usually putting the guy all-in. The chance that he has nothing + the chance of hitting an ace or a king even if he has a pair, makes all-in more than profitable in my experience. If I was raising with something like KQ and the flop has an ace on it I'm much more likely to fold, because I don't have any outs if I'm wrong.

[Fnord]

I gamble with them all the time and come out way ahead. Just throw big cards and big pairs against them and leave the small/suited/whatever crap behind pre-flop unless you can see a cheap flop with position.

[Irisheyes]

200NL

I have AK. I raise to 10 PF. Short BB calls, all else fold.
Flop comes whatever, no A no K.
Pot is $22. Shorty has $30 left.

He checks, I bet $30.
He bets (decent bet) I fold.

Note: If you want a call, go All-in. If you want him to fold, bet exactly his stack.

[mcatdog]

Standard hands.

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (5 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

SB ($58)
BB ($37.90)
UTG ($24.85)
Hero ($176.05)
Button ($45.70)

Preflop: Hero is MP with Q, A.
UTG raises to $2, Hero raises to $8, 3 folds, UTG calls $6.

Flop: ($17.50) J, J, 2 (2 players)
UTG bets $16.85 (All-In), Hero calls $16.85.

Turn: ($51.20) 3 (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($51.20) 5 (2 players, 1 all-in)

UTG shows [A 4] and won ($49.20) with a straight, Ace to Five
Hero mucks hand


PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (5 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

Hero ($110)
UTG ($94.85)
MP ($83.40)
Button ($98.50)
SB ($36.80)

Preflop: Hero is BB with K, A.
2 folds, Button calls $1, SB raises to $3, Hero raises to $10, Button folds, SB calls $7.

Flop: ($21) 3, 2, 6 (2 players)
SB bets $5, Hero raises to $27, SB calls $21.80 (All-In).

Turn: ($74.80) T (2 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($74.80) Q (2 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: $74.80

SB shows [J K] (high card King)
mcatdog: shows [K A] (high card Ace)


PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $1.00 BB (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)

Hero ($165.10)
BB ($81.35)
UTG ($20.70)
MP ($39.35)
CO ($73.90)
Button ($37.75)

Preflop: Hero is SB with Q, A.
UTG calls $1, 2 folds, Button calls $1, Hero raises to $5, 1 fold, UTG calls $4, Button calls $4.

Flop: ($16) 3, 6, 6 (3 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets $3, Button folds, Hero calls $3.

Turn: ($22) 8 (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets $6, Hero calls $6.

River: ($34) 5 (2 players)
Hero checks, UTG bets $6.7 (All-In), Hero calls $6.70.

Final Pot: $47.40

UTG shows [A J] (a pair of Sixes)
Hero shows [Q A] (a pair of Sixes - Queen kicker)

I'm not right every time (obviously), but I'm right often enough to be profitable. Now I also have a tendency to play sheriff with ace high against bigger stacks and that sucks, I need to cut it out because it's costing me a lot of money.