previous page

1 2 3 4 5

next page

Tight vs Loose I

55$ SNG, 8-handed, Blinds 100/200

CO+4: 3400
CO+3: 1800 (Hero)
CO+2: 1800
CO+1: 2500
CO: 1500
BU: 3500
SB: 2500
BB: 3000

CO+4 folds. All opponents are unknown to us. With which hands should Hero push?

The hardest part is in the beginning - estimating our opponents' hand ranges. We can assume that CO+2 will call less than CO who will call less than the BB, since the risk of an overcall from a monster hand is greater the more players are behind you. Furthermore, SB and BB get better odds for a call than players in earlier positions.

In the end, all we can do is guess. I will assume two different calling ranges for our opponents and see what it would take for Hero to push:

Opposing calling ranges a)

CO+2: QQ+, AK

CO+1: QQ+, AK

CO: JJ+, AK

BU: JJ+, AK

SB: JJ+, AQ+

BB: JJ+, AQ+

Hero's Push-Hands: 22+, AQo+, A2s+, KTs+, QJs (12.5%)

Opposing calling ranges b)

CO+2: JJ+, AK

CO+1: JJ+, AK

CO: TT+, AQ+

BU: TT+, AQ+

SB: TT+, AJ+

BB: 99+, AJ+

Heros Push-Hands: TT+, AQ+ (4.7%).

We note: the tighter our opponents, the looser we can push. Also, we see that suitedness plays an important role in the push hands for very tight calling ranges.

I will not make an exact recommendation here for which hands to push. In practice tables as tight as a) don't turn up, so I tend toward the conservative push range. (When in doubt, keep the variance low and fold!).

Tight vs Loose II

55$ SNG, 8-handed, Blinds 100/200

CO+4: 4000
CO+3: 2000
CO+2: 2000
CO+1: 3000
CO: 2000
BU: 4000 (Hero)
SB: 1000
BB: 2000

Everybody folds to Hero on the button. The question is how our push range looks when a) the SB is very loose and the BB is very tight and b) the SB is very tight and the BB is very loose.

(We'll ignore the fact that every player plays differently with 5BB than with 10BB. We aren't trying to discuss a real situation, rather we want to gain insight into the impact of different styles of play.)

Let's first define loose and tight:

Loose: 22+, A2s+, A3o+, KTs+, KJo+, QJs

Tight: TT+, AQs+, AKo

What is Hero's push range against SB (5BB) and BB (10BB)?

a) Hero's Push-Hands with a loose SB and tight BB: 22+, A2+, K9o+, K4s+, Q9o+, Q5s+, J9o+, J7s+, T9o, T6s+, 96s+, 86s+, 75s+, 65s, 54s (39.4%)

b) Hero's Push-Hands with a tight SB and loose BB: 33+, A7o+, A5s+, KQs (14.8%)

A very clear difference. When the calling station has more chips, steals become too expensive and we must reduce our push range a great deal. A loose player with a lot of chips is a danger that should not be underestimated. In contrast to cashgames, he hurts not only himself with bad calls but also his opponents.