Huge Stack Of Poker Chips
In tournament poker a 25-35BB stack is great for restealing. When tournaments get to the late stages, players try and pad their stacks by stealing blinds. A 25BB stack makes for a great-sized stack for restealing. Correctly Playing A Big Stack In A Poker Tournament Can Make The Difference Between A Mere Cash And A Huge Score – We Look At Some Common Big Stack Errors Here! Successfully turning a big chip stack into a big final table score is one of the things which differentiate great tournament players from the field. The reason for this is that you’ve got a huge insurance policy in the form of a big stack, and if they lose their smaller one, they’re out. Something to remember when you’re starting off a hand as a big stack owner is how your position at the table will affect how you should make use of all your chips. Thus, a player with 2250 chips at a 50/100 blind level would consider himself to have a 22 big-blind (or 22BB) stack. Many players typically buy-in to a cash game for around 100BBs, but poker tournaments can vary greatly from that number.
Chip stack size is crucial when playing any form of poker, especially in no limit holdem for both cash games and tournaments. Your stack size or that of your opponents will play a significant role in your overall strategy as well as theirs. A player with a large stack size will be more inclined to push whereas the small stack will become passive in his attempt to gain chips. In a cash game, players who buy-in for max often have the bankroll to play for those limits, which means their game is better adjusted should they lose. Whereas a player who buys in for a smaller amount, sometimes not quite meeting half the max buy-in, is either playing above their means, or lacks confidence in their abilities. Not to mention they can be easily pushed around given they are most likely concerned about the size of their bankroll.
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Huge Stack Of Poker Chips
Big Stack Strategy and Benefits
There are obvious benefits to holding the big stack, and of course drawbacks to coming up short. Besides having luck on your side and possibly taking down the game, chip stack size plays a critical in tournament play, especially when closing in on the bubble. Large chip stacks will push players into difficult decisions they wouldn’t otherwise make had they had the number of chips required to match you. Often called bullying, the large chip stacks will fire away bets in hopes that a player will fold rather than risk their hand on draws. This of course means small stack players will in most circumstances fold to these bets unless their hand is above average. If the board isn’t showing any flush or straight draws it’s generally the perfect scenario for the chip leader to push his opponents off of their hands. The same holds true for cash game players who are submissive to a player who dominates them in chips.
The second benefit to having a bigger chip stack is of course the number of successful bluffs you will be able to pull off. As the smaller player is more inclined to fold, you can typically fire a number of raises pre-flop to blind him or force his play. If the small stack calls you can assume his hand is above average and should play with caution on the flop. Generally, these players will be waiting for monster hands so any board that represents a draw should be taken into consideration before you fire a bet on the flop.
Short Stack Strategy
That said if roles are reversed and you’re playing with a lesser stack than your opponent you need to take into consideration what the bet will cost you in relation to your chip stack on the flop, turn and river plus the number of cards available to complete your hand. If your current chip stack is 1500 against someone holding 25,000 it’s a no brainer that he can take you out in one swoop. You’re holding a mediocre hand at best, let’s say 10d9s, and you’ve paired the board as well as hold a possible inside straight draw. Assuming the other player bets 200 to a 20 pot, you can be pretty sure his next bet will be at best pot size on the turn if not more. Do you call the first bet and be forced to call the second? At this point you’re looking at min 620 chips out of the 1500 in your hand, which basically means you committed to seeing the hand all the way through. On the flop you have four cards to complete your straight draw, and can possibly hit a second pair or a set, leaving you with a total of 11 outs.
Do you risk your hand in hopes of catching one of four cards to complete your straight, or do you think your pair or second pair will beat him? Given the 12% – 17% probability of improving either of these hands by the river, it’s easy to see why strategy plays such an effective role in relation to chips stacks. Unless the small stack has an above average “made” hand they can’t afford to risk their chips, in either tournament or cash games.
Correctly Playing A Big Stack In A Poker Tournament Can Make The Difference Between A Mere Cash And A Huge Score – We Look At Some Common Big Stack Errors Here!
Successfully turning a big chip stack into a big final table score is one of the things which differentiate great tournament players from the field. This article looks at 5 common errors made with a big chip stack during poker tournaments and shows you how to avoid them!
Big Stack Poker Tournament Play – Error #1 – Over-Relaxing
Time and time again players build a decent stack during the early stages and then take their foot off of the gas too soon. Before you know it you have allowed several of your opponents to catch up – seriously reducing your ability to put pressure on the rest of the table. Keeping up your momentum and drive to accumulate more chips is a key factor in making a big score in poker tournament play.
Big Stack Poker Tournament Play – Error #2 – Too Much Calling
Since it is (relative to your stack) ‘cheap’ to see a flop, many players with big stacks will call too many bets in the hope of hitting a solid flop, further compounding this by choosing easily dominated hands to do it with. While calling has its place in a balanced strategy, you should be looking to be the aggressor in hands where possible. Taking the initiative against players who know you can bust them will allow you to win many pots without a showdown – calling just ends up building pots when you have slightly the worst of it.
Big Stack Poker Tournament Play – Error #3 – Effective Stack Sizes
When deciding on the best play it is the stack sizes of your opponents which are often the critical factor. For example, you have built a 200 big blind deep stack and each opponent remaining in the hand has 15 blinds or less – here your maximum gain from a single opponent are those 15 blinds. This means that your decision to raise, call or shove should be based on the smaller amount, even though you have a lot of chip the ‘effective’ stack in play can only equal those of your opponents.
Big Stack Poker Tournament Play – Error #4 – Bubble Pressure
Putting pressure on opponents at the money bubble or final table bubble is a pleasure. However big stack mistakes are made here too. Common errors include calling raises from mid-stacks with weak hands (since they are often unwilling to raise you here without a strong holding). Failing to raise when folded to is also an error – those blinds and antes are there for the taking, make sure you use the bubble to accumulate as many as possible!
Big Stack Of Poker Chips
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Big Stack Poker Tournament Play – Error #5 – Not Respecting Other Big Stacks
While you should, generally speaking, look to take any positive expectation situation that arises – it is often prudent to avoid confronting other big stacks in the late stages of a tournament. The concept is that you are in a great position to exploit the smaller and medium stacks, and risking busting while conditions are this favorable requires an extra equity edge. Simply showing some respect to the other big stacks can leave you in a great position to go after the ‘scared money’ during the late stages instead.
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