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You are the BB and facing 2.5 BB open and one call. SB folded. You have 78s.

Do you play the hand and how.

Everyone has 30 BB.

Assume competent pretty much down the middle players.
They can be bluffed but typically go to the river.

Also what size stacks would you not play (assuming you play with 30 BB)?
Does you answer change with 3 in the pot in front?

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Everybody is short stacked here which definitely affects how you have to play, if you have >50 BB, I'd say definitely call, at the very least because having the image of being a blind defender is always an asset and 78s is definitely a playable hand. With short stacks and only 2 players in though, I just don't think you can justify playing this hand. Suited connectors are great cards but only in the right situation and I've seen way too many people overrate them, especially in short-stacked/non-multi-way pots.

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  • Would not call 30 BB short stacked but not very short stacked – paparazzo Jan 22 '17 at 12:20
  • That's a 1-2 game where everyone at the table has $60. Normally the average stack is 100BB. So unless you're talking about tournament play, it's pretty short-stacked – ejLev Jan 23 '17 at 14:26
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    It is still a Harrington green zone. – paparazzo Jan 23 '17 at 16:08
  • So I've actually never read Harrington and I just looked up the concept and it's very interesting, but you are at the barrier between the 2 zones, and technically even if there are 9 players at the table, you are now in the yellow zone, counting your effective M-ratio. And remember that the defining factor of the yellow zone is that "hands containing small pairs and small suited connectors lose value." – ejLev Jan 23 '17 at 20:30
  • Bottom of the green zone and that is not "very short stack". There are 4 zones. – paparazzo Jan 23 '17 at 21:06
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Not going to accept my own answer so feel free to post.

You are out of position but you are closing betting. If betting was still open no way I call.

You are looking to flop 2 pair or better. Will flop that about 5.6% of the time. And that is not using any pair on the board.

Surprising an open ended straight draw of flush draw about 19%. That is surprising to me and I will run the numbers again but also got that number from a link from Herb Wolfe.

About 2:1 to complete the draw by the river. Will you get paid off 2:1 if you complete. Check the flop and see what happens. I am certainly not going to call a pot size bet but might call 1/2 pot even not getting immediate odds.

It is marginal but looks better than I thought. But that is getting in pretty cheap.

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