One of the great equalizers in NL/PL cash games is buying in for the
table minimum (online, that’s usually 20 big blinds). Having a short
stack in relation to everyone else takes most of the strategy out of
the game and drastically reduces superior opponents’ ability to
outplay you. In these situations, you just wait for a hand, shove
over the top of limpers or a raiser, hopefully double up, and leave
the game. Lather, rinse, repeat.

I’ve been seeing this minimum buy-in mentality in my limit games
recently…where it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Online, the
minimum buy-in for a limit game on most sites is only 10 big bets. In
a whole-pot game like Hold’em, Stud or Razz, two rounds of blinds or
antes & bring-ins will dramatically cut into your stack, requiring a
double-up just to get back to even. In a split-pot game like Omaha
8/b or Stud 8/b, where a standard hand contains a lot more action,
this is an even bigger mistake - it’s very possible to cost yourself
money.

We’ll start with $100 in a 5/10 Stud 8/b game. We go 6 hands without
anything playable, and get stuck with 2 bring-ins. We’ve paid $6 in
antes + $4 in bring-ins, leaving ourselves with $90. We finally get a
good low hand, let’s say [64]5, and the rest of our table starts
high…so we pay another ante & bring-in. Our stack is now $87. A
Queen up completes the bet to $5, a King up raises to $10…our best
play is just to call the two bets, so as not to get the Queen out of
the pot. We call, Queen calls. Our stack is now $77.

4th Street brings another low card for us (let’s say we have [64]53,
giving us a straight draw in addition to our low). The Queen gets an
Ace, and he bets $5. The King gets a Jack, matching his suit, and
raises to $10. Again, a smooth call is likely in order, and the Queen
calls as well. Our stack is now $67.

5th Street pairs the Queens and Kings, as well as bringing us a 2 to
complete our low & straight. Kings lead out for $10, we call $10,
Queens makes it $20, Kings 3-bets for $30. Our best play is now to
make it $40, both players call. Our stack is now only $27.

6th Street bricks everyone…it’s very probable our straight is good
for a massive scoop…but we have less than 3 bets left. We’d LOVE to
repeat the action from 5th, as well as getting a bet or two in on 7th
Street.

I typically buy into a limit game for 20 big bets. I feel it’s easier
for me to get away from a table if I get really short AND the table is
playing tough…if I buy in for 30 or 40, I don’t feel as short early
and am tempted to try to play through situations where I should know
I’m in bad.

But anything less than 20 big bets is just dumb.