poker folding table

damn short stacks in poker?

there isnt a single poker table in the low stakes where the table isnt at least 50% short stacked.
they keep going all in all in all the time forcing me to fold my bet or gamble with them.
if i wait just for the premium hands to call them with AA/KK/QQ and perhaps AK it will take ages between when i can play a hand and when i finally get it theres a chance the shortstacks wont push and even if they push ive waited all that time just to steal a short stack, i want a big stack when i get a premium hand

You don't need to wait for super premium hands unless you're sure that's the kind of range a particular person is shoving with. You have to remember that any pair is a mathematical favorite over any non-pair, and often times these people are shoving with crap just to try and push you off the pot. You're often going to have a mathematical edge over short stacks who like to shove a lot, and that's what you're looking for in ring games.

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As long as you've got the bankroll to buy in for the max and sustain the swings, micro-limit, short stacked shove-fests are super easy to beat. All you have to do is play solid poker and have at least a basic idea of how to put your opponents on a range of hands.

Folding as a Weapon

I've adapted this strategy a bit. Say I'm in seat 6, on a 9 seat table, UTG, whom I know is a light raiser (and is also simply annoying me) raises to 450 on a 50-100 blind. It is folded to seat 5, who is fairly solid, but likes to be creative with some marginal hands (67s, 10 j os) calls and now it is up to me with A 7diamonds. Not a great hand per-se, but alot of value if I hit, and even better if I don't. (More on that in a moment). The rest of the table folds and the flop brings 7h, Kd, Qh. I have missed the flop, aside from the 7's, and I know I am not going to continue in the hand. BUT, I also want to see a big pot between UTG and Seat 5. UTG bets 600 into the pot. A small bet, and giving me and Seat 5 tremendous odds if we were on a draw. Seat 5 calls. Now I have to deside if I am willing to sacrifice a further 600 of my stack.

Of course this is an obvious laydown. But I feel if I do lay it down, theere is a good chance the pot will be too small to disrupt the balance of the table and UTG will continue his obnoxious play. So I sometimes deside to make the call call. This accomplishes 2 things. One, it inflates the pot therefore making any bets from my opponents that much bigger if they want to take the pot down. Secondly, It assures that there is 'blood in the water' to fight over and increases the chance of a push/call situation by either of the other players. End result: either UTG wins a masive pot and cripples/busts seat 5, andI move up one spot, or Seat 5 does the same to UTG, therefore making UTG easier to pick off.

Ok, so the example is kinda hard to follow, so I hope you at least get the gist of it. Point is, entering a hand with the plan to fold it without showdown in order to move up the ladder or upset the rythim of the table (best used when the table gets into that "fold, fold, raise, fold, fold" mose before the bubble). Though i must point out that this is only adviseable when you have a healthy stack compared to the blinds, and you are pretty sure, based on your reads of your opponents, that by leaving your dead money in the pot, they will fight to the death for it.

"Folding as a weapon" makes me think of two things.

First, the phrase "The best offense is a good defense." In poker, assuming a full table with a larger stack to blind ratio, you fold a large majority of your hands, which keeps you around longer so you can learn about your opponents, thereby exploiting their weaknesses when the opportunities present themselves. So folding keeps you around, and being around keeps you in a position to attack.

Second, it builds your image as a tight player. Say in a tournament you only play premium hands. You miss a lot of opportunities for small pots. But later you can use the reputation that all those folds earned you to steal the pots sweetened with large blinds and antes.

I am a tournament player and it is defiantely my main weapon. Yes I am Hyper Aggressive Donk but thats a different story! The Book Zen and Poker has a great couple chapters on the Art of The Weapon of Folding. Check into it its a great read. I am a big reader and own over 30books on Poker.

Folding = Patience, in many cases. Making your moves in the correct position at the right time is all about patience, imo, and naturally requires 'folding'.

About the Author

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