There are a few things to take into account at this level.
1) You don't have any implied odds at all. You can't make speculative plays anymore.
2) Three-bets tend to become pushes all-in. If your opponent is raising too frequently, you can exploit this by shoving over his raises with just about any two cards. You generally don't want to do this deeper than about 27BB, though. It's very good around 20BB.
3) Winning small pots becomes more important. You want to stab at them, and if your opponent is letting you take them away, then you've found a big edge.
4) Proper short-stack strategy becomes very important.
You shouldn't be at all concerned with waiting for a bigger edge at this stage in the game. If you've found a strategy that you know gives you an edge, you should use it.
March 2010 Archives
What changes when you're between 15 and 30 BB?
How should I react to 3-bets in HU SNGs?
First, if you have a pocket pair, this is where most people can make some crucial mistakes. It's definitely bad to 4bet 22-77. If
you've gotten into a situation where 4bet > call > fold, then
you've done something wrong. You can probably avoid this situation if
you minraise them preflop instead. If you have 88+, it's never bad to 4-bet your opponent.
Calling 3bets with hands like KJ or JT are some of the biggest mistakes I see people make in HUSNGs. Probably just fold suited connectors as well unless you're very, very deep.
If your strategy isn't working, and your opponent is 3betting you OOP with
air a lot, you need to consider a new strategy. Raise fewer hands
preflop, so your range is stronger on average when you are 3bet.
Remember that being the recipient of a 3-bet is a double edged sword. First, it's bad because it forces you to a decision to play for stacks. But, it's good because your opponent has put a large chunk of stack on the line out of position. You need to learn to pick up on the opportunities that this gives you, either by taking it away from him now or by folding your mediocre hands to encourage him to continue to make this mistake against you.
Cereus Snoops on Users
C
ereus has implemented snooping code into their software. According to this thread over at twoplustwo, a user has reported that his antivirus detected suspicious activity from the Ultimate Bet application.
He writes, "I found out because yesterday after the update from UB, Kaspersky has
been reporting keylogger four times, every time after starting the UB
client. This is the first time I've seen Kaspersly report a keylogger
after months of using the UB client."
Fortunately, Hold'em Manager and Poker Tracker are on the list of allowed applications.
Turning Stone Wins Battle vs New York State
Today, Turning Stone's legal battle with the New York State legal system resulted in a win for the casino. This should end the long legal battle about whether or not Turning Stone will be allowed to operate in New York State.
Do Downswings Prepare Us For Future Losses?
As poker players, we're conditioned to deal with losses of different sizes. We have to lose pots without tilting. We have to lose games without tilting. We have to lose ten games or twenty games in a row without tilting. If, ten years down the road, my house were to burn down, I think I would just be like "whatever, that's just bad luck" and move on with my life. However, I get the feeling that a loss of this size would make many people very distraught. What do you guys think? Let me know in the comments.
How do you play Crazy Pineapple?
Crazy Pineapple is like a second cousin to No Limit Hold'em. In Crazy Pineapple, players get three hole cards instead of two. The players must discard one of the hole cards after the flop. Typically, Crazy Pineapple is played as a Hi-Lo game, with the best hand and the "lo" hand splitting half the pot. To begin the hand, three cards are dealt to each player. Players play the preflop round like in Texas Hold'em. Then, a card is burned and the flop is dealt. Play continues like NLHE until time for the turn card. At this time, players must burn one of their hole cards. Then, the turn is dealt and play continues according to the rules of No Limit Hold'em. At the showdown, if a qualifying Lo hand exists, it will win half the pot, with the best Hi hand winning the other half.
You
can play Crazy Pineapple at UltimateBet. Update: UltimateBet has discontinued Crazy Pineapple.
A Different Kind of Gambling
Yes! There are a few options available.
First, PartyGaming is featured on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PRTY.L. It's primary holding is the poker room PartyPoker. PartyGaming also operates one of the few cash game backgammon websites. They do not allow any customers in the United States. PartyGaming is headquartered in and operates under the laws of Gibraltar. PartyGaming's net income in 2008 was $67 million.
Second, the British gambling giant 888 is on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol 888.L. 888 operates Casino-on-Net, which is one of the largest online casinos. They also operate the Pacific Poker network. They do not allow any customers in the United States. It is headquartered in and operates under the laws of Gibraltar. 888's net income in 2008 was $37 million.
The
UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act) caused both of
these stocks to drop nearly 80%. If gambling were ever legalized in
America, it is very likely that these stocks would skyrocket.
