When NOT to isolate a short stack shove

Sometimes it is better to call a short stack shove than to reraise to get the pot heads-up.

Have you ever been in a spot where a Button shoves for a small amount, let's say six big blinds, and you are the Small Blind with, let's say 25 big blinds. You have a hand that is way ahead of their shoving range, let's say A8 offsuit.

This is either a fold, because you are worried about the Big Blind waking up with something. Or a shove, to isolate and price out the Big Blind, right?

Well, no.

These spots work surprisingly well as just a call.

Why flat calling works best

First of all, you want to just call with your very strong hands, which protects your call here with the bottom of your range. Your call looks super strong.

If you shove here, the middle of your range would not be protected. If you always call with AA and KK here, your shoving range looks weak.

Secondly, there is very little difference between the hands the Big Blind shoves with, and calls shoves with, here. The range is virtually the same. They have to be very strong hands that play well multiway in both spots.

We are in terrible shape when we call and the Big Blind shoves. We are in terrible shape when we shove and the Big Blind calls.

But only when we call and the Big Blind shoves can we get away from the hand.

The Big Blind is never shoving as a bluff, because the Button is already all-in.

It sucks having to fold after calling for so much, but it's one of those spots where good players will live to see another day, while amateurs will lament getting into a cooler.

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