ITH Poker Forum

[chrisjp]

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Reread the above post. Then read it again.

The 3-bet v. the initial raiser is a major part of the ballgame.

I remember too many tournaments where I raise with my 10-12BBs with AT and get called by AQ and I'm gone.

Don't let yourself get so low. When you get down to 20-25BBs or so be looking to 3bet push. Be fairly patient though and use position to your advantage. Late position is huge when you get this low. And late position includes the blinds. I love it when I have 20BBs and I'm in the blinds. I'm praying for that late position raise by someone so I can push. I'm not reckless at this point and pushing wildly, but this is where you can get called light sometimes and double. They think you are pulling a fast one, but you aren't.

Sometimes you will be getting garbage and you drift onward toward 15 BBs Then open shove. If you have to open shove the good hands in late position so be it.

I've even limped UTG with AKo and then hoped someone would raise or push. In the WSOP I limped and the guy pushed from the button with AQ. Board came AQxxK but that made it even more exciting. I needed to double my stack, not just win the blinds and antes. Sometimes folding equity can be a detriment. That sounds weird but it's true. In today's game so many villains are keeping you honest that waiting for a better hand and then overpushing can be a winning strategy.

But forget my examples, just heed what yanks and phil said.

A little discussion about the value of chips. When you get down under 15BBs you really are in trouble. You are not in trouble of busting if you are patient. But you are in big trouble because it is now so very hard to get a big stack. If you have to take a shot with 20BBs to try to get to 40BBs well then it's worth it. Those extra BBs are just HUGE. The value of those chips is not much less that the first 20BBs. You can even argue they are slightly more valuable.

I use to think some of the "pros" were crazy in how loose they were with a small stack. They usually were too loose. When you have a small stack you need to be patient. But don't let yourself get there unless you lose a nice pot.

Letting yourself drift down to a small stack by not being willing to gamble is just plain wrong. I learned that the hard way.

Chris

[timchuk]

Probably the turning point in my game is when i read Gus Hansen's Book. He would 3bet light vs a Light opener in late position.(i hate playing OOP and so do your opponents) I tried this and i made a final table in my first week. I was basically putting Fear Equity into the player and my hand didn't even matter. I listened to an interview with Vanesa Selbst and she said during her NAPT victory she would only play pots in position for the most part and not call to Liberly with the big stack. Like if she had 8,5 and a small stack shoved she would just let them take the pot and not double them up. Sometimes by not knocking a player out you can let them bleed out slowly.