Testing Alex Scotts Short Stacked Cash Table Strategy

[GaF]

Alex Scotts "Easy Money" article in the May issue of Inside Poker has received much aclaim on PL, so I thought I'd study it and give it a go. Summary The theory is to buy in to a cash table as a short stack. You then sit patiently and wait for very specific premium hands (AA, KK, QQ, AKs, AKo, AQs). When you get these hands, you reraise any raiser all in. If there is no raiser, then you slow play and limp. It is stressed as key - you reraise a raiser all in, otherwise you limp to trap with your monster hand. My Approach I'm testing the system. To do that, I feel I need to apply it pretty mechanically, and that's what I tried to do. There are things I instinctively feel I should do differently, but if this system is a (proven) success, I can add my tweaks later. For the moment this is all about proving to myself whether it works or not! There were not a huge amount of cash tables on laddies where I was starting my test available at that time on a Sunday morning, so I played across a range of buy ins. In fact I played all 10 seat NL tables available up to 50c/$1. That came to 7 tables I sat down at simultaneously. This level of multitabling is not a problem when you are playing tight and mechanically. I didn't even bother to turn my PokerTracker on at first as I didn't expect to have to make any decisions. I realised about halfway through that there would occasionally be hard decisions to be made and turned my PT on. The first decision is how much to buy in for? The article doesn't actually go on to talk about this, which surprises me as I view it as a critical decision (I would be interested to hear any thoughts from someone good at crunching numbers as to what the optimal buy in amount may be....). There was an example that implied that your stack was about 20xBB. The minimum buy in on laddies is 10xBB. I decided to go for just under 20xBB. Why just under? I feel that this approach calls for your opponents to lack respect for you, mainly because of your stack size, but I can reinforce that by buying in for a bizarre amount .... for example on a 10c/20c table I bought in for $3.88. On a small number of the tables, I did rebuy in when my stack had fallen to less than 10xBB, up to about where I started. It is my intention to leave a table when I have approx 40xBB in my stack. Some Numbers Thought it would be interesting to check just how many hands I would be playing .... just how long would I have to wait on each table? Your chances on each hand of being dealt one of the specific pocket pairs is about 1 in 220, or 0.45%. Your chance of being dealt either AKs or AQs is 0.3% Your chance of being dealt AKo is 0.9% Overall, if my maths is right, this means that you are playing about 1 in 35 hands, about 3%!!! Results Summary Table 1 10c/20c $4.63 Profit / 289.38 BB per 100 - 8 hands played in 9 mins Table 2 10c/20c $10.96 loss / (44.92) BB per 100 - 122 Hands played in 156 mins Table 3 10c/20c $4.04 Profit / 54.59 BB per 100 - 37 hands played in 44 mins Table 4 10c/20c $11.76 loss / (48.6) BB per 100 - 121 hands played in 139 mins Table 5 15c/30c $4.88 Profit / 180.74 BB per 100 - 9 hands played in 9 mins Table 6 50c/$1 $34.17 Profit / 94.92 BB per 100 - 36 hands played in 38 mins Table 7 50c/$1 $12.68 Profit / 63.4 BB per 100 - 20 hands played in 16 mins Overall $37.68 Profit / (2.02) BB per 100 - 353 hands in 411 table minutes (about 60 mins per table) Summary This is an excedingly small sample, but seems to reinforce the results from the article. (At least it did until I got a bit bogged down in the 2 losing tables!!!) This approach looks a good one, ESPECIALLY for those who may lack confidence on cash tables, but wish to clear bonuses/get raked hands. There are few tough decisions to be made. It is tough for your opponents to counteract if they notice what you are doing, but most on low buy ins on the internet wont notice and will give you action when you reraise all in with your Pocket Rocket!!! The approach is pretty mechanical - if you are disciplined enough, I dont see why anyone shouldn't be able to play this way profitably. (Even though this sample shows a small loss). The availability of tables is essential!! The limited number of tables on laddies didn't help at all!!! (though the small "mini" tables did help!!) Detailed look - Table 1 Hand 1 (739151525) - dealt T9o in BB - easy fold to any raise, but instead get a free flop with 5 limpers. Flop is 8hJdQd. I have the NUTS!! Me to act first, the strategy is to check raise all in. I check. Player after me puts in a minimum raise of 20c into the $1.30 pot!!! He has 2 callers and 2 folds. Back to me .... the strategy calls for an all in!!! But I don't like it .... it was only a minimum raise and my all in now is double the pot!! I stick however to my mechanical implementation of the system and reraise all in. I'm very happy to see one caller :-) I don't know what he had, but the 2d on the river shows it wasn't a flush draw!! First hand and I've broken through the 40xBB barrier immediately!! I turn off "AutoPost" of blinds and am ready to leave the table next time I have to post the BB. I don't play any more hands and leave the table after Hand 8. Detailed look - Table 2 Hands 1 to 57 folded. Hand 58 (739182352)- AQs - UTG limps, I call, everyone folds to BB who checks. Flop 2h5sJd. UTG bets 20c into 70c pot. I call with just the 2 overcards :unsure BB folds. Turn comes 7c. UTG bets 20c into $1.10 pot. I call again with my two overcards :unsure :unsure River is 8c - I have Ace High!!!! UTG bets $3.27 into the $1.50 pot (to put me all in if I call). I fold. He shows Jh7h!! Hand 59 (739183105) - AA UTG - I limp. BB Minimum raises. Again I'm unsure here - the strategy is to check raise all in - but the minimum raise means that this would be a massive bet!!! However I follow the strategy and reraise all in. Unbelievably 2 callers who show down KQs and 76s!!! Flop 2sJsKd. Turn Ad. River 8s. My aces are cracked, but that doesn't matter - what a fantastic situation I was in - I'm happy with that - the result is irrelevent and really doesn't bother me. I'm happy for my all in on aces to be called by suited connectors (in fact, by anything) all day!!! I reload. Hand 60 to 79 folded Hand 80 (739196383) - KK in late position. One limper before me, I call. BB goes all in (for less than 5xBB). First limper calls, I reraise all in and get one caller. The shorter stack than me wins with his A8s. I win the side pot (and make a profit on the hand) Hand 82 (739197565) - AKo - first into the pot, I limp. Flop of 8h9dQs doesn't help me. Ah gives me TPTK. Last to act and 2 checks before me, I cant manage a check, so I put in a 60c pot sized bet. 1 call and 1 fold. The 8s River pairs the board. Opponent folds before the showdown, without me betting!!!!!! (his 2h3h must have missed the flush :tongue2) Hand 84 (739198931) - QQ - UTG limps, I call. 3 more limpers, then a minimum raise from the button (This "problem" keeps coming up - I want to check raise all in - but what do I do to a minimum raise?). I remain mechanical with the system and reraise all in (raising from 40c to $4.82 - I don't like it at all, but consistent callers with worse hands seem to show it's working!!). I get 2 callers one has ATs and the other has 99. I've been called by 2 signifcantly worse hands. I'm happy, regardless of the result. My ladies are 55% to stand up against both opponents, yet I have better than 2-1 for my money. I'll take those all day in cash games!!! Flop comes 9cThJc and I'm needing an 8, Q or K!!! They dont come and I lose the hand. HOWEVER the result in this single instance is of no signifcance to me - I'll take the pre flop situation with happiness!!! After that it's just short term variance (erm ... luck) which will sort itself out. Given enough time, short term variance (er....luck) doesn't exist!! I fold the next 38 hands before calling it a day on this table - I'm significantly down, but the situations I was in give me optimism :) Detailed look - Table 3 Hands 1-28 - I put nothing into the pot other than the blinds. Along the way I fold 3 pocket pairs, hands I usually like to limp with to try and hit trips. My implied odds are however extremely limited. Hand 29 (739166534) - A little bit of ill discipline creeps in and I expand my starting hand selection to include JJ in the SB!!!! (Alex "allows" JJ in the article on loose aggressive tables. I dont really have an opinion on my table - but its low stakes, it's probably LAG isn't it? :tongue2). I dont think putting money in the pot here can ever be a mistake - I have JJ against 2 limpers .... I'm getting 7-1 for my money - I CANT fold JJ!!! Flop comes 4c6s9c. Turn is 9d. River is Qs. It's checked all the way and my JJ is good, but only for a 56c profit. I hate playing so passively when I believe I'm ahead. If I try and tweak the system at some point in the future to my own version, I will allow some betting when I believe that I am ahead (but vulnerable). Hand 31 (739168679) - AKo in late position. 4 players fold, then a limper. I limp. Button Calls. The BB puts in a 4xBB raise. Perfect. I get my check raise!!!. Player before me calls, and I spring the trap. I reraise all in. BB calls, other 2 players fold. He turns over AKs and we split the pot. We share the dead money for a profit of 37c. Hand 36 (739171661) - Pocket Rockets!! Early position, so I limp. There is a raise to 4xBB and a caller. Again I spring my trap, reraising all in. The original raiser calls. The caller folds. I flop an Ace for trips. My opponent mucks his cards at the showdown and I win. After Hand 37, having my 40xBB target, I leave the table. Detailed look - Table 4 Will post later Detailed look - Table 5 Will post later Detailed look - Table 6 Will post later Detailed look - Table 7 Will post later Appendix - Full Hand Histories ** Game ID 739151525 starting - 2007-04-29 11:45:08 ** Mayflower [Hold 'em] (0.10|0.20 No Limit - Cash Game) Real Money - __shark__ sitting in seat 2 with $8.80 - Laa sitting in seat 3 with $22.52 - toonboy123 sitting in seat 4 with $24.21 - Bullen1976 sitting in seat 5 with $8.45 - michalis12 sitting in seat 6 with $26.05 - welshpoker20 sitting in seat 7 with $6.81 - pivi1000 sitting in seat 8 with $33.27 [Dealer] - TrampTomson sitting in seat 9 with $18.00 - Telepe sitting in seat 10 with $3.68 TrampTomson posted the small blind - $0.10 Telepe posted the big blind - $0.20 ** Dealing card to Telepe: 10 of Spades, 9 of Hearts __shark__ folded Laa called - $0.20 toonboy123 called - $0.20 Bullen1976 called - $0.20 michalis12 folded welshpoker20 called - $0.20 pivi1000 called - $0.20 TrampTomson folded Telepe checked ** Dealing the flop: 8 of Hearts, Jack of Diamonds, Queen of Diamonds Telepe checked Laa bet - $0.20 toonboy123 called - $0.20 Bullen1976 folded welshpoker20 folded pivi1000 called - $0.20 Telepe went all-in - $3.68 Laa folded toonboy123 called - $3.68 pivi1000 folded ** Dealing the turn: 4 of Clubs ** Dealing the river: 2 of Diamonds Telepe shows: 10 of Spades, 9 of Hearts toonboy123 mucks: Telepe wins $8.61 from the main pot End of game 739151525 ** Game ID 739166534 starting - 2007-04-29 12:18:03 ** Atlas [Hold 'em] (0.10|0.20 No Limit - Cash Game) Real Money - limbo-rock sitting in seat 1 with $26.02 - Reps sitting in seat 2 with $22.28 - neosweper sitting in seat 3 with $19.80 - jklklklklk sitting in seat 4 with $27.77 [Dealer] - Telepe sitting in seat 5 with $2.68 - frwd sitting in seat 6 with $18.50 - Jammyfish sitting in seat 7 with $19.10 - bad_beat11 sitting in seat 8 with $9.55 - PaulNic sitting in seat 9 with $14.40 - Murdererer sitting in seat 10 with $13.24 Telepe posted the small blind - $0.10 frwd posted the big blind - $0.20 neosweper posted to play - $0.20 ** Dealing card to Telepe: Jack of Spades, Jack of Hearts Jammyfish folded bad_beat11 folded PaulNic folded Murdererer folded limbo-rock called - $0.20 Reps folded neosweper checked jklklklklk folded Telepe called - $0.20 frwd checked ** Dealing the flop: 4 of Clubs, 6 of Spades, 9 of Clubs Telepe checked frwd checked limbo-rock checked neosweper checked ** Dealing the turn: 9 of Diamonds Telepe checked frwd checked limbo-rock checked neosweper checked ** Dealing the river: Queen of Spades Telepe checked frwd checked limbo-rock checked neosweper checked Telepe shows: Jack of Spades, Jack of Hearts frwd mucks: limbo-rock mucks: neosweper mucks: Telepe wins $0.76 from the main pot End of game 739166534 ** Game ID 739168679 starting - 2007-04-29 12:21:19 ** Atlas [Hold 'em] (0.10|0.20 No Limit - Cash Game) Real Money - limbo-rock sitting in seat 1 with $25.62 - Reps sitting in seat 2 with $22.28 - neosweper sitting in seat 3 with $19.80 - jklklklklk sitting in seat 4 with $27.57 - Telepe sitting in seat 5 with $3.34 - frwd sitting in seat 6 with $18.30 [Dealer] - Jammyfish sitting in seat 7 with $19.56 - bad_beat11 sitting in seat 8 with $9.35 - PaulNic sitting in seat 9 with $14.40 - Murdererer sitting in seat 10 with $13.24 [sitting out] Jammyfish posted the small blind - $0.10 bad_beat11 posted the big blind - $0.20 ** Dealing card to Telepe: King of Clubs, Ace of Hearts PaulNic folded limbo-rock folded Reps folded neosweper folded jklklklklk called - $0.20 Telepe called - $0.20 frwd called - $0.20 Jammyfish folded bad_beat11 bet - $0.80 jklklklklk called - $0.80 Telepe went all-in - $3.14 frwd folded bad_beat11 called - $3.34 jklklklklk folded ** Dealing the flop: 3 of Hearts, King of Diamonds, 5 of Diamonds ** Dealing the turn: Jack of Hearts ** Dealing the river: 10 of Diamonds Telepe shows: King of Clubs, Ace of Hearts bad_beat11 shows: King of Spades, Ace of Spades Telepe wins $3.71 from the main pot bad_beat11 wins $3.72 from the main pot End of game 739168679 ** Game ID 739171661 starting - 2007-04-29 12:27:34 ** Atlas [Hold 'em] (0.10|0.20 No Limit - Cash Game) Real Money - limbo-rock sitting in seat 1 with $27.89 [Dealer] - Reps sitting in seat 2 with $21.38 - neosweper sitting in seat 3 with $18.80 - jklklklklk sitting in seat 4 with $26.77 - Telepe sitting in seat 5 with $3.71 - frwd sitting in seat 6 with $18.10 - Jammyfish sitting in seat 7 with $19.56 - bad_beat11 sitting in seat 8 with $9.83 - PaulNic sitting in seat 9 with $14.00 - Murdererer sitting in seat 10 with $12.82 Reps posted the small blind - $0.10 neosweper posted the big blind - $0.20 ** Dealing card to Telepe: Ace of Diamonds, Ace of Hearts jklklklklk folded Telepe called - $0.20 frwd folded Jammyfish folded bad_beat11 folded PaulNic raised - $0.80 Murdererer folded limbo-rock folded Reps folded neosweper called - $0.80 Telepe went all-in - $3.51 PaulNic called - $3.71 neosweper folded ** Dealing the flop: Ace of Clubs, 6 of Spades, 10 of Spades ** Dealing the turn: 9 of Clubs ** Dealing the river: Jack of Diamonds Telepe shows: Ace of Diamonds, Ace of Hearts PaulNic mucks: Telepe wins $7.92 from the main pot End of game 739171661 ** Game ID 739182352 starting - 2007-04-29 12:51:10 ** Aero [Hold 'em] (0.10|0.20 No Limit - Cash Game) Real Money - basildonh sitting in seat 1 with $18.30 - Telepe sitting in seat 3 with $3.78 - haimbow sitting in seat 4 with $3.28 - bad_beat11 sitting in seat 5 with $10.71 - BoldBluff sitting in seat 7 with $21.40 - TheWisperer sitting in seat 8 with $10.66 [Dealer] - crispyhs sitting in seat 9 with $12.11 - frwd sitting in seat 10 with $32.75 crispyhs posted the small blind - $0.10 frwd posted the big blind - $0.20 ** Dealing card to Telepe: Queen of Diamonds, Ace of Diamonds basildonh called - $0.20 Telepe called - $0.20 haimbow folded bad_beat11 folded BoldBluff folded TheWisperer folded crispyhs folded frwd checked ** Dealing the flop: 2 of Hearts, 5 of Spades, Jack of Diamonds frwd checked basildonh bet - $0.20 Telepe called - $0.20 frwd folded ** Dealing the turn: 7 of Clubs basildonh bet - $0.20 Telepe called - $0.20 ** Dealing the river: 8 of Clubs basildonh bet - $3.27 Telepe folded basildonh shows: Jack of Hearts, 7 of Hearts basildonh wins $4.70 from the main pot End of game 739182352 ** Game ID 739183105 starting - 2007-04-29 12:52:09 ** Aero [Hold 'em] (0.10|0.20 No Limit - Cash Game) Real Money - basildonh sitting in seat 1 with $18.93 - Telepe sitting in seat 3 with $3.18 - haimbow sitting in seat 4 with $3.28 - bad_beat11 sitting in seat 5 with $10.71 - Dridgey1 sitting in seat 6 with $7.98 - BoldBluff sitting in seat 7 with $21.40 - TheWisperer sitting in seat 8 with $10.66 - crispyhs sitting in seat 9 with $12.11 [Dealer] - frwd sitting in seat 10 with $32.65 frwd posted the small blind - $0.10 basildonh posted the big blind - $0.20 Dridgey1 posted to play - $0.20 ** Dealing card to Telepe: Ace of Hearts, Ace of Spades Telepe called - $0.20 haimbow called - $0.20 bad_beat11 folded Dridgey1 checked BoldBluff folded TheWisperer folded crispyhs raised - $0.40 frwd folded basildonh called - $0.40 Telepe went all-in - $2.98 haimbow called - $3.18 Dridgey1 folded crispyhs called - $3.18 basildonh folded ** Dealing the flop: 2 of Spades, Jack of Spades, King of Diamonds haimbow went all-in - $0.10 crispyhs called - $0.10 ** Dealing the turn: Ace of Diamonds ** Dealing the river: 8 of Spades haimbow shows: 7 of Diamonds, 6 of Diamonds crispyhs shows: Queen of Spades, King of Spades Telepe mucks: Ace of Hearts, Ace of Spades crispyhs wins $9.74 from the main pot crispyhs wins $9.94 from side pot 1 End of game 739183105 ** Game ID 739196383 starting - 2007-04-29 13:19:14 ** Aero [Hold 'em] (0.10|0.20 No Limit - Cash Game) Real Money - PRICEY35 sitting in seat 1 with $0.73 - Kitt82 sitting in seat 2 with $24.39 - Telepe sitting in seat 3 with $2.98 - big_jutt sitting in seat 4 with $11.28 [Dealer] - Dridgey1 sitting in seat 5 with $20.52 - iceman2165 sitting in seat 6 with $0.72 - haimbow sitting in seat 7 with $8.20 - t-n-07 sitting in seat 9 with $7.53 - frwd sitting in seat 10 with $36.55 Dridgey1 posted the small blind - $0.10 iceman2165 posted the big blind - $0.20 ** Dealing card to Telepe: King of Clubs, King of Spades haimbow folded t-n-07 called - $0.20 frwd folded PRICEY35 folded Kitt82 folded Telepe called - $0.20 big_jutt called - $0.20 Dridgey1 called - $0.20 iceman2165 went all-in - $0.72 t-n-07 called - $0.92 Telepe went all-in - $2.78 big_jutt called - $2.98 Dridgey1 folded t-n-07 folded ** Dealing the flop: Ace of Hearts, 2 of Clubs, 4 of Spades ** Dealing the turn: 4 of Diamonds ** Dealing the river: 6 of Diamonds Telepe shows: King of Clubs, King of Spades big_jutt mucks: iceman2165 shows: Ace of Spades, 8 of Spades Telepe wins $3.91 from side pot 1 iceman2165 wins $3.69 from the main pot End of game 739196383 ** Game ID 739197565 starting - 2007-04-29 13:22:07 ** Aero [Hold 'em] (0.10|0.20 No Limit - Cash Game) Real Money - PRICEY35 sitting in seat 1 with $0.73 - Kitt82 sitting in seat 2 with $24.39 - Telepe sitting in seat 3 with $3.91 - big_jutt sitting in seat 4 with $8.30 - Dridgey1 sitting in seat 5 with $20.42 [sitting out] - iceman2165 sitting in seat 6 with $3.59 [Dealer] - haimbow sitting in seat 7 with $5.61 - t-n-07 sitting in seat 9 with $8.75 - frwd sitting in seat 10 with $36.55 haimbow posted the small blind - $0.10 t-n-07 posted the big blind - $0.20 ** Dealing card to Telepe: King of Diamonds, Ace of Spades frwd folded PRICEY35 folded Kitt82 folded Telepe called - $0.20 big_jutt folded iceman2165 folded haimbow called - $0.20 t-n-07 checked ** Dealing the flop: 9 of Diamonds, 8 of Hearts, Queen of Spades haimbow checked t-n-07 checked Telepe checked ** Dealing the turn: Ace of Hearts haimbow checked t-n-07 checked Telepe bet - $0.60 haimbow folded t-n-07 called - $0.60 ** Dealing the river: 8 of Spades t-n-07 folded Telepe mucks: Telepe wins $1.71 from the main pot End of game 739197565 ** Game ID 739198931 starting - 2007-04-29 13:25:00 ** Aero [Hold 'em] (0.10|0.20 No Limit - Cash Game) Real Money - PRICEY35 sitting in seat 1 with $0.53 - Kitt82 sitting in seat 2 with $24.95 - Telepe sitting in seat 3 with $4.82 - big_jutt sitting in seat 4 with $8.30 - Dridgey1 sitting in seat 5 with $20.42 [sitting out] - iceman2165 sitting in seat 6 with $3.59 - haimbow sitting in seat 7 with $5.31 - tehapo sitting in seat 8 with $13.40 - t-n-07 sitting in seat 9 with $7.95 [Dealer] - frwd sitting in seat 10 with $36.25 frwd posted the small blind - $0.10 PRICEY35 posted the big blind - $0.20 tehapo posted to play - $0.20 ** Dealing card to Telepe: Queen of Clubs, Queen of Spades Kitt82 called - $0.20 Telepe called - $0.20 big_jutt folded iceman2165 called - $0.20 haimbow called - $0.20 tehapo checked t-n-07 raised - $0.40 frwd called - $0.40 PRICEY35 folded Kitt82 called - $0.40 Telepe went all-in - $4.62 iceman2165 folded haimbow folded tehapo folded t-n-07 called - $4.82 frwd folded Kitt82 called - $4.82 ** Dealing the flop: 10 of Hearts, Jack of Clubs, 9 of Clubs Kitt82 bet - $3.91 t-n-07 went all-in - $3.13 ** Dealing the turn: 2 of Spades ** Dealing the river: Ace of Clubs t-n-07 shows: 10 of Diamonds, Ace of Diamonds Kitt82 shows: 9 of Diamonds, 9 of Hearts Telepe shows: Queen of Clubs, Queen of Spades Kitt82 wins $14.88 from the main pot Kitt82 wins $20.87 from side pot 1 End of game 739198931

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Re: Testing Alex Scotts Short Stacked Cash Table Strategy

It is tough for your opponents to counteract if they notice what you are doing' date=' [/quote'] Did you mean "it's not tough"? I suspect this will be more successful if you don't play it too much at any one site. Re stack size: If your stack is too small, then you won't be able to win enough on the hands you do play to make up for the blinds you lose while you're not playing. On a full table, you play about once every three rounds (ignoring hands where you're given a free play as BB). During that time you pay 4.5xBB in blinds. So you need to average a profit of more than that on each hand you do play. I suspect you need a stack of more than 10xBB to do that.