Aggression is efficient only if you know how and when to use it. Let’s explore some interesting spots where you should consider jamming even with 40 big blinds.
At Poker Academy, you can study tons of preflop scenarios and learn the best strategies with free resources and packages. You can also take advantage of a free trial and downloadable packages available for studying preflop scenarios. In this article, we will focus on jamming 40 bb effective stacks from the Small Blind versus Button and Cutoff opens. Such plays allow you to put pressure on the big stack and make you an uncomfortable opponent.
Small Blind vs. Cutoff. Don’t miss these strategies
A 40 bb stack is very comfortable, but if you want to win chips, you can’t forget about your 3-bets and jams. As you can see below, the Small Blind is 3-betting a significant portion of its range in the ChipEV scenario. However, there are a few hands you should obligatorily raise all-in or at least consider doing so: AQo, KTs, JTs, and pocket eights should be part of your basic strategy. If you know your opponent is too tight or too loose when facing 3-bets, you should adjust your jamming range accordingly.
Let’s take a quick look at how ICM implications change a similar situation. As you can see, all of your previous all-ins switch to almost pure calls. Why? Because it is not worth risking all of your chips just to win a small portion of your stack when 10% of the field is left. The situation looks completely different for scenarios with 30 or fewer big blinds. If you want to study these and other top poker strategies and learn how to effectively play different stack sizes, including 40bb, sign up for a 3-day trial at Poker Academy and immediately improve your game. Additionally, enjoy the ease and benefits of making a purchase for more strategy packages, with options like Credit Card, Skrill, and PayPal.
When should you jam? Important hands and range for SB vs. Button
Your Small Blind moves with 40 bb should be even more aggressive against a Button open, as having more room to maneuver with a larger stack size allows for better strategic depth. To remember basic strategies in different scenarios, you need to simplify your choices. Therefore, look at the chart below and make an easy mental note: go all with high offsuit aces, Txs and some pocket pairs to provide wide board coverage when called. These hands are almost obligatory all-ins, so they are the most important to keep in mind. As you can see, there are some moves possible involving KQo and A5s – if you remember those options too, it will only benefit your game.
By using Poker Academy Tournament Charts, you can study the game by analyzing how your opponent should react when facing your 40 bb all-in. Not only can you learn the proper moves from the small blind, but you also gain insights into Button behavior. Playing with different stack sizes affects your profitability and decision-making. Having more room to maneuver at the table enables you to maximize your profits. Just look how many folds you can induce with your new 40 bb deep strategy. If you notice that the opponent doesn’t call enough, you can easily exploit this weakness and shove with even wider range.
