Sunday, November 28, 2004
Another Word about Sit and Goes
Streaky.
While I'm here, a bit more than a word : I should point out that the short-stack strategy featured on this blog isn't quite as optimal for 50-30-20 sit and goes. In fact I think I've been over-reliant on it lately. The first reason is that survival is more important in a Sit and Go than it is in a standard winner-take-all ST (where it isn't important at all) or in an MTT (where it's much less important than almost everyone thinks). The second is that most (not all, but most) of your Sit and Go opponents will call you on the sole basis of what cards they have. They don't really take into account your stack or your position. If they have AJ/88 or better, something like that, they call. This means that raising in late position (with only one or two players behind you) is more effective, and that when you raise, if you don't have a hand with some value against AJ/88 and better, then it doesn't really matter what you have at all. In fact Ace-small is actually worse than many hands that aren't "real" raising hands.
It's up to you how you interpret that for the moment, but it's something to bear in mind.
While I'm here, a bit more than a word : I should point out that the short-stack strategy featured on this blog isn't quite as optimal for 50-30-20 sit and goes. In fact I think I've been over-reliant on it lately. The first reason is that survival is more important in a Sit and Go than it is in a standard winner-take-all ST (where it isn't important at all) or in an MTT (where it's much less important than almost everyone thinks). The second is that most (not all, but most) of your Sit and Go opponents will call you on the sole basis of what cards they have. They don't really take into account your stack or your position. If they have AJ/88 or better, something like that, they call. This means that raising in late position (with only one or two players behind you) is more effective, and that when you raise, if you don't have a hand with some value against AJ/88 and better, then it doesn't really matter what you have at all. In fact Ace-small is actually worse than many hands that aren't "real" raising hands.
It's up to you how you interpret that for the moment, but it's something to bear in mind.
# posted by Andy_Ward @ 11:53 AM 
Comments:
<< Home
A number of players seem to be making the all-in move with Kx (where x is higher than an a 7) rather than Ax where (x islower than an 8) because they think that they are more likely to have live cards if they are called.
If you can identify which players do which, all the better (when you are in the position to call).
For the moment, most callers seem to take the "call with the Ace and any pair, fold the King" route. For this reason, making the all-in move with the King looks, for the present, to be the better EV in tournaments.
Any views on how to play NL tourneys (24 runners, starting 8-8-8) when the opposition seems horribly passive? I had just such a situation in the Flamingo. Blinds were 25-50 for first 20 minutes (1000 chips to start). First hand I get something like 8-6 suited on the button. Five players limp in front of me.
Hell. I've never had anything like this before. I don't like to fold, I don't like to limp and I don't like to raise.
Thoughts?
Pete B
If you can identify which players do which, all the better (when you are in the position to call).
For the moment, most callers seem to take the "call with the Ace and any pair, fold the King" route. For this reason, making the all-in move with the King looks, for the present, to be the better EV in tournaments.
Any views on how to play NL tourneys (24 runners, starting 8-8-8) when the opposition seems horribly passive? I had just such a situation in the Flamingo. Blinds were 25-50 for first 20 minutes (1000 chips to start). First hand I get something like 8-6 suited on the button. Five players limp in front of me.
Hell. I've never had anything like this before. I don't like to fold, I don't like to limp and I don't like to raise.
Thoughts?
Pete B
# posted by 
: 11:13 PM
: 11:13 PM
It's not a hand I would be interested in if the game was aggressive, but against passive players why not have a nibble and take a flop ! You aren't going to get many cheap flops (even if it's passive) once the blinds go up so why not do it while you can.
The Kx move is interesting - what happens when the callers realise this and start calling with KT ? Then it shifts the other way. Personally I'm much more likely to call an all-in with KT than A2 for the same reason that I'd rather raise with KT - because it's better against the range of hands you are likely to face, even without this Kx adjustment.
Andy.
Post a Comment
The Kx move is interesting - what happens when the callers realise this and start calling with KT ? Then it shifts the other way. Personally I'm much more likely to call an all-in with KT than A2 for the same reason that I'd rather raise with KT - because it's better against the range of hands you are likely to face, even without this Kx adjustment.
Andy.
<< Home
