There are certain situations in a game of Hold 'em where all your playing strategies fly out the window and your have to reconsider your moves.
In a poker room the most frequent times that you will be forced to make adjustments to your game play is when you are faced with an opponent who has a short stack in front of him or her.
In this situation, you are suddenly confronted with competition that has really nothing to lose in terms of money and you will need to rethink how to approach this type of game.
There are certain things that you can do to adjust your game and minimize the risks.
Firstly, take it as a given fact that the short-stacked opponent will call you if he or she has any reasonable hand.
With that in mind, don't bother with strategies that involve complex raising plays with draws.
The following probably won't work in this situation: checkraising with draws, raising with draws, etc.
Even bluffing won't work nearly as often when you are faced with an opponent with a short stack.
Secondly, don't let prejudice cloud your judgment.
In other words, don't assume that just because a player has a short stack that he or she is a bad player.
Make the same calls as you would if the player had a large stack and don't let go of your normal calling standards.
Your opponent may be desperate but he or she may still be dealt a good hand.
Fold to preflop raises when dealing with smaller drawing hands.
Your opponent is going to move in on the flop anyway, and so drawing hands are not much use in this situation.
Your best bet would be to stay with big cards and pairs.
Finally, this strategy will work if you are sitting to the right of your opponent with a short stack and you hold a good hand of two Aces or two kings.
(A) Open with a small raise - hopefully this will prompt the opponent to reraise all in.
(B) Other players will start calling.
(C) Come in for the attack with a big three-bet.
In this case you will either have lured other players around the table into a call with odds that are highly unfavorable to them, or, better still, you will grab the pot.
In a poker room the most frequent times that you will be forced to make adjustments to your game play is when you are faced with an opponent who has a short stack in front of him or her.
In this situation, you are suddenly confronted with competition that has really nothing to lose in terms of money and you will need to rethink how to approach this type of game.
There are certain things that you can do to adjust your game and minimize the risks.
Firstly, take it as a given fact that the short-stacked opponent will call you if he or she has any reasonable hand.
With that in mind, don't bother with strategies that involve complex raising plays with draws.
The following probably won't work in this situation: checkraising with draws, raising with draws, etc.
Even bluffing won't work nearly as often when you are faced with an opponent with a short stack.
Secondly, don't let prejudice cloud your judgment.
In other words, don't assume that just because a player has a short stack that he or she is a bad player.
Make the same calls as you would if the player had a large stack and don't let go of your normal calling standards.
Your opponent may be desperate but he or she may still be dealt a good hand.
Fold to preflop raises when dealing with smaller drawing hands.
Your opponent is going to move in on the flop anyway, and so drawing hands are not much use in this situation.
Your best bet would be to stay with big cards and pairs.
Finally, this strategy will work if you are sitting to the right of your opponent with a short stack and you hold a good hand of two Aces or two kings.
(A) Open with a small raise - hopefully this will prompt the opponent to reraise all in.
(B) Other players will start calling.
(C) Come in for the attack with a big three-bet.
In this case you will either have lured other players around the table into a call with odds that are highly unfavorable to them, or, better still, you will grab the pot.
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