Shortstack strategy: Preflop game

1. Introduction

This article deals with the play of the Shortstack strategy before the flop is dealt. In a so called starting hands chart (SHC), which you can use in a printed version while you are playing, every playable hand is listed. In addition you will find informations when you have to play these hands so that you make the highest possible profit in the long run.

You will learn…

• • …what position of a player at the poker table means and how you identify it.
  • …how to use the starting hands chart (SHC).
  • …what kind of hands are playable and how you have to play them under certain conditions.

2. The positions at the poker table

The position of a player in Texas Hold'em is determined by the distance to the actual dealer. This is done counter-clockwise.

The position of a player is based on the position of the dealer.

	Late late position		Middle middle position		Dealer
	Early early position		Blinds

If you want to determine your own position you have to count the seats between you and the dealer. You start with the dealer and count counter-clockwise.

• The dealer as well as the player left to the dealer are in late position.
• The next three players are in middle position.
• The next three positions are the early positions.
• Last but not least we have the two blinds.

When there are only nine players at the table, the first early position drops out. With eight players left also the second early position drops out.

3. The starting hands chart (SHC)

The starting hands chart (SHC) is an overview of all playable starting hands and gives you concrete advices what to do depending on your position and the actions of your opponents.

The left column of the SHC shows all possible starting hands which are playable. If you get a hand which is not in this list, it is not playable and you should fold the hand.n.

card names
A	Ace		K	King
Q	Queen		J	Jack
T	Ten		9	Nine
8	Eight		7	Seven

sample hands
	77		AK		99		AQ
	JJ		KQ		AJ		AA

4. Utilization of the starting hands chart

In the next paragraphs you will find out how to implement the SHC into your game. The utilization is very simple:

• • You determine your position (cp. paragraph The positions at the poker table). This determines the column you have to look at in the SHC.
  • You determine your starting hand. This determines the row you have to look at in the SHC. If your hand is not listed you don't play the hand unless you are in the big blind and can see the flop for free.
  • You look for the appropriate entry in the SHC and execute what is written down. What you have to do concerning to the entry in the SHC you will find in the following table:

    Entry in the SHC	Actions of the opponents in front of you	Your action
    RAISE	It doesn't matter what your opponents are doing.	You raise no matter what.
    Raise/Reraise	There was no raise in front of you.	You raise.
    	There was exactly one raise in front of you.	You raise again.
    	There was more than one raise in front of you.	You fold.
    Raise	There was no raise in front of you.	You raise.
    	There was a raise in front of you.	You fold.

5. The size of your raises

The size of your raise depends on how many players are already in the hand and if there was a raise in front of you.

6. React to raises behind you

If you have raised and one or more opponents raise behind you the only question is whether you go all-in or fold.

The answer depends on the ratio between the amount of money you have left and the amount of your raise.

Examples

You raised to $0.50 before the flop and your opponent reraises you. Your remaining stack is $2.40.

Your stack: $2.40
Your raise: $0.50

The ratio between stack and raise is $2.40:$0.50, or approximately 5:1.

Now you have to take a look at the table above. You will find in the row "4:1 and higher" (because 5:1 is higher) that you should go all-in with AK, AA, KK, QQ, and JJ. All the other hands have to folded.

If for example you have raised to $0.50 you go all-in with all hands of the first row if your remaining stack is $2.00 or higher because $2.00:$0.50 = 4:1 which is the bottom line of the first row.

You go all-in with all the hands of the second row if your stack is between $2.00 and $1.25 because $2.00:$0.50 = 4:1 and $1.25:$0.50 = 2.5:1 which determines the 4:1 to 2.5:1 range of the second row.

You go all-in with the hands of the third row if your stack is $1.25 or lower because $1.25:$0.50 = 2.5:1 which is the upper bound of the third row.

7. Examples

Example 1:

Your cards
Your position	Blinds
Situation	You play NL10 and your stack is $2.30. One of your opponents raised to $0.40, two opponents call that raise.

The entry in the SHC for your hand and your position is RAISE.
For this reason you raise to 5 times the amount of the opponents raise because two opponents already called that raise. The amount is 5*$0.40 = $2.00. Since this amount is more than 2/3 of your whole stack ($2.30) you go all-in directly.

Example 2:

Your cards
Your position	Late position
Situation	You play NL10 and your stack is $1.90. Three opponents are already in the hand, but they did not raise.

The entry in the SHC for your hand and your position is Raise, which means that you raise if noone raised in front of you.

For this reason you raise to 4 big blinds + 1 big blind per player who is already in the pot. That means with 3 opponents you raise to 7 big blinds or $0.70.

Example 3:

Your cards
Your position	Early position
Situation	You play NL10 and your stack is $2.00. Nobody was in the hand in front of you and you raised to $0.40 following the SHC. All players fold their hands except from one player in late position who raises to $1.00.

Your stack size ($1.60) : raise size ($0.40) ratio is exactly 4:1. In this case the value of the ratio is not so important because with two queens you go all-in anyway if a player raised behind you.

Example 4:

Your cards
Your position	Middle position
Situation	You play NL10 and your stack is $2.10. In front of you two players are already in the pot, but they did not raise.

A king and a queen of the same suit look nice and are a good hand, but in middle position they are not strong enough to play them profitably. For this reason you fold your hand.

Example 5:

Your cards
Your position	Early position
Situation	You play NL10 and your stack is $1.90. One player in front of you called the big blind. You raise to $0.50 according to the SHC. One player behind you raises to $1.00. After that another player moves all-in with $5.50. The player in front of you folds his hand and you have to decide what to do.

This is not the best situation because with a pair of jacks you often face better hands or you have only a small advantage over your opponents. Nevertheless it is profitable in the long-run if you go all-in.

Example 6:

Your cards
Your position	Late position
Situation	You play NL10 and your stack is $1.80. Two players are already in the pot but they did not raise. You raise to $0.60 according to the SHC. One player behind you raises to $2.00. Both players in front of you fold and you have to decide what to do.

First of all you have to look at your stack size : raise size ratio. You started with a stack of $1.80 and raised to $0.60. Therefore your remaining stack is $1.20 and your stack size : raise size ratio is $1.20:$0.60 or 2:1.

With this ratio you go all-in with all the hands you have raised before - according to the rules which have been mentioned above.

Example 7:

Your cards
Your position	Late position
Situation	You play NL10 and your stack is $1.80. All players in front of you fold their hands. According to the SHC you raise to $0.40. A player behind you raises to $2.00.

The situation is the same like before but your stack size : raise size ratio is different. You started with $1.80 into the hand and raised to $0.40 which means that your remaining stack is $1.40. Therefore your stack size : raise size ratio is $1.40:$0.40 or 3.5:1.

With this ratio you go all-in only with AA-TT, AK and AQ. All other hands have to be folded. Also in this case.

8. Conclusion

With the starting hands chart as a guide it should be easy for you to become accustomed to the Shortstack strategy within the next days and weeks.

In the next articles Evaluating your hand on the flop and The postflop game you will learn how to go on if you have one or more opponents and the first three community cards have been dealt.

9. Appendix: Answers

Question 1: How is the position of a player at the poker table determined?

Answer b is correct. The position of a player is determined by the position of the dealer and the relative position of the player.

Question 2: How many middle positions exist?

Answer b is correct. There are 3 middle positions.

Question 3: What is the starting hands chart?

Answer a is correct. The SHC is a list of all playable hands and the most profitable style of play depending on the position and the actions of the opposition.

Question 4: How do you call a starting hand which consists of a king and a queen?

Answer c is correct. This hand is called KQ, K for king and Q for queen.

Question 5: What do you do with a hand which is not listed in the starting hands chart?

Answer a is correct. You fold unless you are in the big blind and can see the flop for free.

Question 6: There was one raise in front of you and in the SHC the entry is Raise. What do you do?

Answer b is correct. You fold. You cannot play your hand profitably anymore.

Question 7: There was a raise in front of you and in the SHC you find the entry Raise/Reraise for your hand and your position. What are you doing?

Answer a is correct. You raise again.

Question 8: There was no raise in front of you. When are you allowed to raise?

Answer c is correct. You raise if there is an entry in the SHC for your hand and your position.

Question 9: You have a hand which you should raise with if you follow the SHC. When do you go all-in directly?

Answer a is correct. You go all-in directly if you would have to bet more than 2/3 of your stack.

Question 10: There was no raise in front of you and you raise. How much do you bet?

Answer c is correct. You bet to four big blinds + 1 big blind per limper.

Question 11: There was a raise in front of you and one player called the raise. You have a hand which you should reraise with according to the SHC. How much do you reraise?

Answer b is correct. If no player would have called the raise, you would reraise 3 times the amount of the raise. Since one player called the raise you raise to 4 times the amount of the raise.

Question 12: Whether or not you go all-in with your hand after an opponent raised you depends on...

Answer c is correct. It depends on the size of your stack and the size of your raise.

Question 13: If you had $2.00 at the beginning of a hand and you raised to $0.40: How is your stack size : raise size ratio after your raise?

Answer a is correct. The ratio is $1.60:$0.40, or 4:1.

Question 14: Your stack at the beginning of a hand is $2.00. You have two tens and raise to $0.40. One opponent raises behind you. Do you go all-in?

Answer b is correct. Your stack size : raise size ratio is $1.60:$0.40 or 4:1.

4:1 is exactly the borderline which decides that you don't go all-in with two tens (TT). If you would have had jacks or better or if your stack would have been smaller or if your raise would have been bigger you would have to go all-in.