buy in question

[littlewashu]

just wondering when you sit down at a table are you better off buying in for the min or the max???

[Irisheyes]

max. That way when you take an opponents stack, you take his whole stack.

[Off5th]

Players with deeps stacks also have the advantage over you because with a shortstack (min. buy-in) your limiting yourself to a lesser range of hands (low stack, you tend to play more of a tight and conservative style), and a good player will pick up on that.

[sejje]

Players with deeps stacks also have the advantage over you because with a shortstack (min. buy-in) your limiting yourself to a lesser range of hands (low stack, you tend to play more of a tight and conservative style), and a good player will pick up on that.

Where are these shortstacks you're talking about?

The ones at my stakes are GAMBLO0RZ! I swear, I lose more pots to a shortstacks weird-ass two pair...

[AHiltz]

Yep. I see a lot of people buyin for 15-20 at 50NL and play like laggy bitches. They know you don't have odds to set hunt against them, so they make it a preflop game.

[jackvance]

There are two kinds of 'shortstacks' in my experience.. the ones that sit there all day folding, and then throw themselves all-in when they finally get their AA. And then there's the less patient kind, who throw themselves all-in on AQ+ and any pp.

I think I took about 3 of those down today with AA/KK.

[dev]

I always buy in max. I'm interested in playing poker, and a bigger stack = more options. That, and if anyone at your table has a comparable stack and they aren't used to big stack poker, you can scare them off some pretty good hands.

[Off5th]

Players with deeps stacks also have the advantage over you because with a shortstack (min. buy-in) your limiting yourself to a lesser range of hands (low stack, you tend to play more of a tight and conservative style), and a good player will pick up on that.

Where are these shortstacks you're talking about?

The ones at my stakes are GAMBLO0RZ! I swear, I lose more pots to a shortstacks weird-ass two pair...

Every site I played it has a lot of them. It's easy for me to distinguish which ones are just waiting for monster hands. And which one are gamblers after I've been in a table for a while. When shortstack comes into play, the value of AQs, AK, AKs goes way up!! I've pushed so much with AK postflop even if I missed and still destack shortacks successfully.

[BankItDrew]

I buy in for the max and top up as often as possible.
Reasons:
1) I think I'm better than the average player, which means I'll take more stacks than loose. So I want to maximize this.
2) I can push around smaller stacks and minimize being pushed around by larger stacks.
3) I can outbet draws, call drawing odds.
4) I can camp for sets.

2,3, & 4 Can't be done with the minimum buy in (a lot of the time).

[Pelion]

I agree with everything you said except this

2) I can push around smaller stacks and minimize being pushed around by larger stacks.

Ive seen alot of people say it and I just dont think it applies to cash games. In a tournament short stacks are worried about going out so you can push them around. In a cash game if someone buys into a $25 for $5 and loses a stack they rebuy for $5.

The reason you beat on short stacks is because most of them suck. The vast majority of them buy in short because they know they are going to lose and they want to lose the least possible. They also know they cant play postflop poker so they want to make it a 2 street game. Pushing this guy around works because he will call with any A.

If you find a competant shortstack you wont be able to push him around with substandard hands. If you come over the top of him with AJ, hell call with AJ+ and fold AT- Reducing your hand requrements against this guy will mean he lulls you into a false sense of security and then snaps of your bullying with KQ, when you overplay KJ.

The good news is you wont see many competant shortstacks.
But if you do sit down at a table out of position with a 25BB stack called Ripptyde dont think you will be able to push him around with more chips.

In otherwords if I think you are going to give me more action just because I am a shortstack, I will buy in short.

Watch out for the 25BB guys who dont play for 60 hands and then open-push. They are banking on that attiude and they have AA or KK.

The reason you beat on short stacks

Damnit you guys are turning me american.

[WhooFleuryScores]

I buy in for the max everytime.

[Laeelin]

I buy in for max.

About the only reason to buy in short is if you think your playing against players that are better than you. (so you can basically remove the turn/river play) ...

But, if you are playing with players that you think are better than you..

LEAVE THE TABLE... (this isnt a game of pride)

The only time I buy in short is if i'm (1) changing limits (2) playing at a site I have not played at in a long time. Then I just single table, and buy in for the min.

Then after i'm used to the game at that site/limit again, I rebuy for the max buyin, and in a hour or two I'm back to multitableing.

[Laeelin]

Damnit you guys are turning me american.

Your welcome.