Online Poker Tournament Rankings

I play a lot of 1/2 NLHE ring games. In the past there was always a short stacker at any table but recently there seems to have been an explosion. Yesterday I sat at a table with 4 short stackers.

Short stackers are players that sit down at a table with the minimum buy-in and have the intention to double up and will then leave the table. Some do this while multi-tabling. It is very annoying when you open from late position with AT suited and the short stacker in the big blind shoves.

But are they really that annoying or can you actually profit from them? Most short stackers are not interested in post-flop play. With few exceptions most suck at post-flop play. They either fold pre or get it in. Sometimes they will call a bet pre and then fold or shove on the flop.

In my experience when short stackers shove they usually have 88+ or AQ+. Sometimes I see 66-77, AJ or QK. Most of the times they will not be holding such a good hand and will hand over their blinds to you if you bet with any two cards. If they do shove just fold or if you have their range covered, call and double up. But even if you do call with JJ and they happen to have QQ, you only loose $40 of your $200 stack.

Personally I will only call with TT+ or AQ+ unless my notes tell me his range is wider but then I still want 88+ or AJ+.

Super Turbo’s are the ultimate short stack games. Everyone starts with 300 chips and the starting blinds are 15/30. That’s right, everyone has just 10 big blinds. In a regular tournament means you are in shoving mode. The difference here is that everyone has 10 blinds, there are no big stacks or small stacks. But the play will be fast, not only are the blinds 10% of your starting stack, they will go up quickly too.

The key to playing super turbo’s is position position position! In position your range can be much wider than out of position. This was already the case in regular tournaments but even more so here. In regular tournaments stealing blinds in position is nice, here it is essential!

You have to remember that in a super turbo not just your shoving range is very wide, your opponent’s calling ranges will also be much wider than usual. Most or the times you will decide between shove or fold. The blinds sometimes call and check. Otherwise flatting and raising will be rare. Also, play a little 'tighter' in the first orbit. Expect 2/3 players to drop off in the very first orbit which increases your chances to advance and not to get called if yoy're trying to steal blinds.

Early position

You should only play strong hands from early position: 77+, AT+, QK+. If you have a strong hand you should open shove unless you have KK/AA in which case you can flat (hoping for someone to shove) or minraise. Note that a minraise will be perceived as strength. If someone does not shove but minraises I will be suspicious they have a monster.

Mid position

Shoving range just a little bit wider. 55+, A8+, JQ+, TK+, but your calling range should be narrower than your shoving range: 77+, AJ+.

Late position

If you’re on the button your shoving range should be huge. Any pair, ace-rags, any king or queen with a decent kicker.

In the blinds

When you’re in the blinds realize the above. Someone that shoves from early position probably has a strong hand. But someone that shoves from the button could be shoving any two cards so a call with 7Qs can be correct.

If you are unfortunate enough to be chipped down, it’s decision time. If you only have 2 or 3 blinds left you can be pretty sure you WILL get called. So make sure you have a decent hand when you shove. Sometimes it’s a good idea to shove when the table big stack is in the blinds because people will fear the big stack and may fold so at least you’re up to only one opponent. And hey, he may fold too!

Similarly, if you’re in the blinds and a shortstack shoves, you should call if it’s cheap to do so. I once played a super turbo sit and go where the shortstack had 160 chips left and the big blind was 60. The shortstack shoves and I folded 7Ts from mid position because the big stack had the big blind. The big blind folded. I think he should have called for only 100 more with pretty much any two cards. Oh, by the way, this shortstack won the sit and go in the end!

Because variance is huge in these super turbo sit and go’s the key to making money is volume. About once in seven times your AA will get cracked by any random hand. So play a lot of games to even out such short term variance. Don’t get mad when your aces get cracked. It’s math, it’s statistically supposed to happen every once in a while. If you can’t stand that, don’t play poker.

These have a little bit of different dynamics. How so?

Say there are 40 players and 8 win a seat. Here it doesn’t matter if you come first or eighth, you get the same prize. It’s not about having the biggest stack anymore but about survival.

I once was on the bubble, down to less then 2 antes and I was about to give up. Then 3 players shoved: AA, AK and JJ. 1 got eliminated and I made the money. AK and JJ while holding monsters were 100% going to get a seat (or take the Tournament Dollars which is what I di) if only they had folded 2 more hands.

I once folded QQ in a similar situation after one player in front of me shoved and another one called. The initial shover had air but the caller had TT and flopped a set. Had I called I would have been out and now I earned a seat by folding.

People play these satellites like regular sit and go’s that’s why I believe they are profitable.

1. Position!
2. Shove wide, call narrower.
3. Fold equity

Two days ago I played the $50 (1R + 1A) on FTP. I was running good and quickly build up a top 10 stack. In about 7th position but before the bubble I get dealt KK. Sweet. There is an UTG  limper, and I raise to 3BB. SB and BB fold but limper calls. I am disgusted to see an ace come on the flop and sure enough the villain bets. What to do? Calling would be bad, I have to choose between reraising or folding. I decide to fold but hate it.

Next hand I get AJ. I again raise to 3BB. The very same guy now reraises me to 9BB. Smells like high PP or AK doesn't it? Aaaargh why did I make the mistake of raising oop with AJ, a trouble hand? So I make another mistake and call. The flop comes 22J and suddenly things look bright again. I shove. He calls and what do you know, he has AK, just as I expected. From the title of the thread you can probably guess what card came on the river, right?

Fast forward to last night. $10 rebuy. Been card dead for a long time but managed to control myself and still grind around an average stack. Here they come again KK. Sweeeeet! There is a limper again. I open shove. Do I have a note on my forehead that says "I raise oop with garbage" because the villain calls and flips over pocket 5's. Sweeet, I got him yay, OH NOOOOOO, a 5 on the river! AAAAAAAAARGH!

Give me a break one time! Unlkess I get seriously shortstacked, I always shove the best hand! Put this in your notes! 0906aad only shoves quality hands! Don't call unless iwth nuts! Or call anywaty because 0906aad loses coinflips a lot!

I should really change my screennames to 2outrme, so often as I keep getting 2 outtered. People that take play against me a lot and take notes on me should know I play pretty tight and if I go allin, most of the time I will have the goods. A few examples of people who thought otherwise:

Taj Tourney, I have AcJc. I flop a flushdraw and shove. I get called by A9 and he hits one of the two remianing 9's that are not a club.

Last night FillTilt Fifty-Fifty. UTG raises to 3BB. I have aces and reraise to 9BB. The player to my left calls (!!) and then the original raiser shoves. I get very worried here because I don't like 3 way shoves even if I have aces. I mean, if I'm up against QQ and KK, I have 4 cards to dodge...

But I have yet to fold aces pre so I call. Player on the left of me also calls and... HE HAS ACES TOO!!!  And as expected the original raises has Kings. Mr Aces and me can not improve unless we hit 4 running cards to a flush. Instead a king comes on the flop and I loose half my stack.