Effective Stack sizes and how it affects bet size

welshdentist · Effective Stack sizes and how it affects bet size

Having had a session with The Angler and am making my way through the new condensed course endgame videos, has there been many posts threads in the forum about this concept?

My search of the forum hasn't brought up a specific thread yet.

During HUSNG how does your stack size affect YOUR decision making? Or is this too broad a question?

nachtwacht

Very short answer:

If your stack size does not affect your decision making then you are doing something wrong.

How and when it should affect your decision making, the answer to that is like all other poker questions, it depends.

welshdentist

Quick answer, I was and it was yet another case of mixing up strategy for player types but a lesson learnt.

I understand this is a very broad subject but do players here have a general range for raises and the effective stack size and blind level.

Despite some large mistakes on my part, I was able to win a match last night as my opponent kept making 3x PFR at 50/100 and called my minraises and value cbets very lightly.

Also from the course I understand against particular player types we should have PFR larger or smaller.

My problem last night involved keeping my PFR small, a 50-60% cbet which was then punished with a huge check raise whicst at 40+ effective stack size.

I gave the villain credit the first couple of times but then adjusted by not cbetting unless for value but felt I was a little run over. I think he saw a min raise and 60% c bet as weak and spazzed out.Obviously he then exploited it after seeing it worked.

My first time calling him down was with top two pair and he had air. I was constantly put in tricky spots though and there was a period of him reraising or putting in 4x pfr to which I had a card dead period and nothing to fight back with.

nachtwacht

YATHINNK

My approach in general is a 3x to 50-60bb deep, 2.5x 50-30bb deep, MR underneath. But that is really generic, like if a guy is 3 betting a lot pre then you wanna drop your raise to a MR as it keeps the pot to stack ratio smaller.

I even throw in limps if I think that the guy is going to let me and it can be hugely dependant on what our opponent is doing.

As for c-bet sizing, I never really change it from half pot unless I have a read, say if he's stationy then I can bet bigger for value and if he doesn't pay attention then you can bet smaller for bluffs.

At the start of a match though and against a guy that doesn't really have too many preflop leaks (this is really rare) I tend to go:

75-50bb = 3x
50-30bb = 2.5x
30bb> = 2x

Other than those broad statements then you want to exploit your opponent as much as you can. I don't think 3xing at 50/100 is often going to be the best play as you're making a huge pot and if he does make a move with/without a hand, you're going to really cripple yourself.

welshdentist

BetMagicMoney

please specify a few context otherwise i think i would possible die before i can finish writing a comprehensive post Razz

welshdentist

chesslw

Another trick is you want to make stacksizes awkward for your opponent. E.g. sometimes 3bet bluffing is terrible- since villain can make a small raise over your cbet and it's meh when you shove or fold (and flatting oop isn't great either).

Another example is say you hold 87 on 543r blinds 25/50. You flat oop to a minraise with 1300 stack- then the stacksizes are perfect to make a donk of say 125 into 200- if he raises you, then you can jam with good fold equity, and if he flats- you can bet 3 streets to fold him off his 4x. The whole point is that checkraising isn't great (you want to be betting 3 streets, as seeing turn/river helps you and increases your fold equity- he may be calling a turn shove on Kx, but may fold to 3 sreets on K turn and Q river). Another point is that you want to be folding out his air as your hand is worse than air.

Anyway, this just shows that stacksizes are fundamental to any decisions you make postflop.