When it comes to multi-table tournaments, there's no shortage of advice out there for accumulating chips and bullying with a big stack. Nor is it hard to find tips about short-stacked strategy, including 'push-fold' charts and other guidance to help you try to chip back up and into contention.
Meanwhile, there isn't quite as much specific advice out there for playing a medium-sized stack in a MTT. By 'medium' we mean stacks that are not deep enough to allow a player to explore the entire range of preflop and postflop options, but not so short that the player is unable to open-raise or three-bet preflop, or engage in other postflop moves like continuation betting and the like.
While the structure and current status of the tournament dictate what exactly a 'medium' stack is at any given point, in many MTTs anything from 15-30 big blinds often will fall in that range.
Equilibrium Push Fold Strategy (Including NASH CHARTS) By: admin. On: December 27, 2017. In: STRATEGY. Tagged: advanced poker strategy, Equilibrium Push Fold Strategy, heads up poker, heads-up, nash charts, poker maths, poker strategy. With: 0 Comments. Let’s first define the word equilibrium. Above is a table called the Heads-Up Push. My 5 Best Pro Tips for Fast-Fold Poker Strategy The first thing you need to know is that fast-fold poker strategy has some significant differences from the standard strategy you are used to applying. I’ve already expounded on the virtues of fast-fold poker in many spaces. The charts do not cover stacks larger than 14 big blinds (again, 8 bb pre-ante). This too is by design. Over 14 big blinds you should not use a push-or-fold strategy, but rather minraise most of your range and push just some small part of it in certain situations. Refer to the.
For some players, a stack of 20 big blinds (for example) also often will fall within the range of 'squeeze stacks,' meaning if a player raises before the flop and one or more call, a player might reraise-shove those 20 big blinds as a squeeze play designed to collect all of that dead money without a showdown, or at worst be up against a single opponent with a playable hand. (See '10 More Hold'em Tips: Making the Squeeze Play' for more on this move.)
While squeezing with such a stack can be an effective move, being down to 20 big blinds doesn't mean you have to be overly eager to get it all in — not yet.
A primary lesson when playing medium stacks, especially as a tournament moves into the middle stage and nears the bubble or even after it has reached the money, is to continue to have patience and not feel as though you have to get those 20 big blinds in the middle at the first opportunity. That's an idea explored more thoroughly in an article appearing here a short while back titled 'Risky Business: Medium-Stacked in a Tournament's Middle Stage.'
At a past World Series of Poker, our Sarah Herring caught up with the Russian pro Anatoly Filatov as he was playing a no-limit hold'em event, and as it happened it was the middle stage and he found himself on the (relative) short side with a 20-big blind stack.
Filatov offered some useful tips for those who find themselves in this situation, advising players to...
- remain patient
- wait for playable, good hands
- still open-raise, but don't be overly ready to shove
- three-bet occasionally (depending on hand strength)
- tone down the aggression (especially if there are other aggressive players at the table)
- when getting involved, try to pot control
Take a look:
Finding a trustworthy room to play online poker can be a monumental burden. That's all the more true if you're just looking for a place to play poker for free. We've listed five of the best play-money poker sites to enjoy and help hone your skills.
Tags
tournament strategyno-limit hold’emstarting hand selectionsqueeze playpreflop strategypostflop strategyAnatoly FilatovRelated Players
Anatoly Filatov
Episode 7 of the World Series of Poker on ESPN kicked off with a short discussion between Jason Mcconnon and Kenny Hallaert about a piece of paper.
Mcconnon, with 1,995,000 in chips just under the average of 2,526,500, brought a so-called push-fold chart that tells players which hands they should push and which hands they should fold in what position once down to a certain amount of big blinds.
Hallaert immediately objected to the use of the information on the sheet of paper. Mcconnon, however, seemed sure he was allowed to use it.
The first hand, action folded to Mcconnon and he picked up in middle position. With the blinds at 40,000/80,000 and an ante of 10,000, he reached for the papers in his lap to see how to play his 50 big blind stack. Hallaert objected and asked for a ruling.
What wasn't shown in the broadcast was that the floor initially did not forbid the use of the sheets of paper. Hallaert asked for a second opinion and Tournament Director Jack Effel came to the table and ruled the following:
So listen, the way that any of those things work, it's just like anything else. While you're in a hand, you can't use any kind of tools, you can't use any aide, anything like that. When you're out of the hand, you're more than welcome to reference anything that you have, your notes or anything like that, but not during the play of hands.
Mcconnon wasn't convinced just yet, but proceeded to play the hand without checking the charts again. Mcconnon must have checked the WSOP rules before he started playing Day 6 of the Main Event because he seemed so sure.
What Do the Rules Say?
Let's see what the WSOP 2016 Rules say on this subject.
The first rule in the 2016 WSOP rule book under the 'Participant conduct and tournament integrity' section is no cheating allowed. Technically, the use of the push fold chart could be ruled a cheating device, though that would be a very liberal interpretation of the rule.
40. The competitive integrity of all Tournament play at the WSOP is paramount. All participants must adhere to the spirit and letter of the Official Rules of the WSOP that forbid play or any action that is illegal, unethical or constitutes cheating or collusion in any form.
- 40.a. Cheating is defined as any such act engaged in by a participant to break the established rules of play to gain an advantage.
- Cheating includes, but is not limited to, acts such as: Collusion; chip stealing; transferring non-value tournament chips from one event to another; introducing chips not intended for an event into an event; card marking; card substitution; or the use of any kind of cheating device.
One could rule the use of the sheet compromises the competitive integrity of the WSOP, as stated in rule 40.f. That's not, however, what Effel refers to in his explanation in the broadcast.
- 40.f. Anyone found to have engaged in or attempted to engage in any act that tournament officials believe in their sole and absolute discretion compromises or could compromise the competitive integrity of the WSOP will be subject to sanctions imposed by Rio.
Two rules that hint at relevance to the issue here are Rule 63 and Rule 110. They don't, however, come close to the situation at hand; Mcconnon does not use an electronic device (Rule 63), nor does he have the piece of paper on the table itself (Rule 110):
63. Communication: All cell phones and other voice-enabled and “ringing” electronic devices must be silenced during tournament play. Participants not involved in a hand (cards in muck) shall be permitted to text/email at the table, but shall not be permitted to text/email any other participant at the table. If Rio, acting in its sole and absolute discretion, believes a participant is communicating with another participant at the table, both parties will be immediately disqualified from the tournament and face imposition of additional penalties as described in Rule 40. [...] No cell phones or other electronic communication device can be placed on a poker table.
No Limit Holdem Push Fold Charts
110. Foreign Objects: There will be no foreign objects on the table except for a maximum of one card cap (also known as a card protector). Card caps can be no larger than two (2) inches in diameter and no more than one-half (1/2) inch in depth. Participants may not place any food or beverages on the poker table with the exception of one (1) capped bottle of water.
In fact, the entire rule book does not mention anything concerning the use of an 'aide' or 'tool' or anything concerning getting 'assistance' during a hand from something other than a player (collusion). In the end, it's Rule 56 that really plays here, the rule that warrants the tournament floor and director to do what's in the best interest of the game:
56. Floor People: The tournament director, managers and supervisors are to consider the best interest of the game and fairness as the top priority in the decision-making process. Unusual circumstances can on occasion dictate that decisions in the interest of fairness take priority over the technical rules. The tournament director (“TD”) reserves the right to overrule any floor decision.
The Right Decision?
In my eyes, Jack Effel absolutely made the right decision forbidding the use of the documentation during the hand. To me, it's clear that a specific rule concerning the use of any outside help is missing from the rule book at the moment and should be included next year.
But where do we draw the line if such a rule would be included next year? For example, are people allowed to have the payouts printed and consult those when the tournament is on a bubble? What do you think?
Push Fold Charts Poker Strategy
Finding a trustworthy room to play online poker can be a monumental burden. That's all the more true if you're just looking for a place to play poker for free. We've listed five of the best play-money poker sites to enjoy and help hone your skills.
Jennifear Push Fold
Tags
2016 World Series of Poker2016 WSOPWSOPJack EffelESPNRelated Tournaments
World Series of Poker