The Half-Stack Approach to NLHE
General Aproach:
Buy-in for 50bb
Re-load when you drop below 40bb
At 75bb re-evaluate table conditions. If you don't like your seat or table, nit it up until your blinds hit, then leave.
Tend to leave if you drop 100bb at a table.
Advantages to a less than 100bb stack:
It's easier to set-up favorable stack-to-pot ratios
It simplifies one pair decsions. You just pretty much go all-in unless you're pretty sure you're crushed.
Pulling the trigger all-in is much more accessable. All-in is a weapon that I don't feel I use often enough 100bb+ deep unless the game is juiced.
You often get read as a fish. Regulars bluff you less and tend to felt pretty good hands instead of making well thought-out laydowns. Consider all the -EV shit people do for a table image like that. All I had to do was buy-in for less than max!
It changes up the decisions, hence full-buy in robots will be more likely to make errors against you.
Set-mining is less effective against you.
More options to play a monster to get all the money in since you don't need to get in a full 3 or 4 big bets.
"The way you win at chicken is to throw the steering wheel out the window in full view of your opponent" - David Skylansky
Drawbacks to playing less than 100bb:
Can't get as much value from strong second best hands or calling stations. (most calling stations have less than 100bb anyway.)
Often don't get to the river with or against a draw in a raised pot.
Can't trap someone for their stack when they flip the spew bit (although it's hard to make a hand strong enough to do this anyway.)
Although I don't like 20bb deep because I feel it takes the play out of some of my best streets. Too much pressure on making a hand and the rake doesn't cap out on as many hands.
Adjusting to play 40-60bb deep:
Big cards go up in value.
Good one pair hands tend to get felted. Try to get the money in by the turn.
Hence, draws lose value against a "made" hand because they often can't bet the river for value.
Strong draws can commit on the flop.
Suited trash goes down in value. Don't even bother without initiative + position.
Reads on your opponent lose value over strong play.
Can't float around hoping for a chance to win as much.
If you find yourself playing cards more than getting great reads. Playing infrequently enough that you don't know the regulars in your player pool. Totally lost in difficult one pair spots on the river. Going for a quanitity over quality approach to poker profits. Then I think this approach is very +++EV for you.
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Originally Posted by DBL0SVN
