Pkr.com – Simple Plays
Category: Poker
www.pkr.com – Sometimes we are forced to keep things simple in poker. One such circumstance would be when you have a shortstack in an MTT. One player at my local game last week was very low on chips and was still flat calling the blinds and seeing flops which is not how I like to play in such situations.
I think when you are shortstacked you have to use what little power you have left to ensure you are in a heads up situation when your chips go in. This maximises your chances of a double up and doesn’t give your opponents the chance to play back at you. Being a short stack generally means you can be pushed around in poker but the moment you switch to playing shove or fold poker, you take this advantage away from your opponent.
Simple plays are not only to be used in short stack situations though, as when you have a strong stack you can still maintain a solid yet simple style of play to preserve chips.
When it comes to playing hands in differing ways there are also some instances where keeping things simple can be to your benefit. Small pocket pairs are usually cards which I play in a simple way. Try and see the flop as cheaply as possible, disregarding the number of players who end up involved in the pot, works well for me. Most of the time you will miss the flop and can fold, but if you flop a set, you can then get involved in a pot which such a hand will often win. pkr.com