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Optimizing your play for your stack size

• 30.06.2025 7:57 pm
• Helen
• 0 Comments

It does not matter if you are playing money games or tournaments-your stack size determines the style of play that will be profitable to you.

If you happen to have a huge stack, then you have freedom; but if you have a small stack, then you will only have one option.

What might look like right hand with a big stack, can be wrong when you are playing it with a small stack.

And your play becomes different according to whether your stack is 10,50 or even 300BBs.

The best money-game players make the most of cash on the table

In money games, the max buy-in is normally set. It can come out to be 100BB, 200BB or it can also be unlimited.

If you happen to lose the hand, you can buy in back to the max.

The best players take advantage of their edge by having a lot of money on the table.

If you are a good player, you should always stay close to the max buy-in on the table.

The main reason why you should do this is because the cash is only a tool to extract chips from the other players.

Remember if you have more money, you will definitely make more cash from the other players.

If you hit the nut straight or a complete house, then you want to bet the maximum you can.

If you have got only 30BBs you are losing value. So as the best player always have a lot.

Tournaments are totally different

The tournaments are different from the cash-games. In tournaments, your attack is limited-you cannot buy the back in.

You remain with what you have if you happen to lose a pot. When you do not have anything left, you are out of the game.

You mostly depend on your chip stack and you have to play the best poker with the chips that you have.

If you have got deep stacks then you have freedom

Remember deep stacks will determine your freedom.

You can look at more deep-stack plays in this in-depth article, but basically when the stacks are deep, the pre-flop have no value at all.

You can also play the huge range pre-flop since the implied odds are greater.

Deep stacks normally mean freedom.

The pre-flop hand becomes more of a post-flop chess game.

The hands that look like connectors and all the pocket pairs rise in value.

When the hands hit, they make very huge pot hands, while the top-pair hands drop in value.

The hands with one pair mostly win the small pots, and when they lose, they lose immensely.

The regular stacks

The normal stack is about 100 huge blinds.

This is what a lot of online poker sites set their max buy-in to. If you happen to have 100BBs, then you have freedom. However, you have to be extra careful with your hand choice before the flop.

A number of poker books give over the size of their pages to playing this kind of stack. To look at every single article would be hard.

If you want to have a look at the strategy articles that play 100 BB stacks, have a look here.

The medium stacks

The medium stacks are normally between 35-50 BBs

These stacks are what the sizes of several online tournaments are played at.

In a level like this, there is always some apace for pre-flop creativity.

The choice of hands is the main thing with a medium stack.

The drawing hands are normally not in use. You want to play top pair hands such as A-K,A-Q,K-Q,and a lot more others. You also want to play the big pocket pairs.

When they hit the flop, they become good a bigger fraction of the time.

When you have a 35-50 stack, you may also have a pre-flop raise, a turn bet and also a flop bet.

Any single time that you bet the flop and then turn, you will have a very small stack and there will be no river to bet.

Ensure that you pay much attention to the hands that you can constantly get in on the flop.

The small stacks

The small stacks are a nuisance to every pro in cash-games.

Mostly, these players will take their seats at a table and toss over every reraise until they bust or simply double up.

If the former player gets the stacks, then you are sure that he will right away sit out and go to the next table to repeat as needed.

If you are playing on a short stack with 15-35 BBs is a feature of the game that needs to be memorized like any other poker feature particularly if you want to play tournaments with any kind of frequency.

In spite of the bad name that the short-stackers have in cash-games, it can be really a money making style if played properly.

If the game itself is playing aggressive before the flop, then you can profit from buying in short and looking to get all-in just before the flop.

A lot of players do not give much attention to the short- stackers. And they will pay you off with a lot of ease than if you had a bigger stack.

The short-stack plan needs patience

The correct short-stack strategy is to wait for the best top pair hands or the big pocket pairs.

The short stacks need patience

Connectors and small pocket pairs are not of any help to you.

You do not have adequate chips for an approximate hand to be of great value to you.

You need to be patient and wait for one of the big hands and toss it pre-flop over a raiser who is so aggressive. You can also wait until you have a connection with the flop and get it all-in

If you have a small stack, you will get it in a flop or you can also get it in a pre-flop, so pay attention to the hands that seem to be the best on the flop.

You should not draw

While you are playing the tournament poker, a 25-35BB stack is normally a good one for restealing.

When tournaments are nearly ending, the players protect their stacks by getting blinds.

For restealing, a 25 BB stack normally makes for a big sized stack.

If you happen to find a player stealing blinds aggressively from a late position, then you can play back by tossing your small stack again over the players'pre-flop raise.

When you do this, the players will have to fold their steals, and this will earn you their raise in addition to the blinds.

This means that you will gain a 4-6BBnet.

Tiny stacks

This stack would be less than 15BBs. In a cash-game you are advised not to play this kind of stack.

If you have only 10BBs left, the only alternative is to fold or push.

With 10BBs and less, you can go into a push-or-fold mode. If you find yourself this low, look for first- in vigourish.

You should toss with a fairly large range if the pot is folded to you.

You can build your stack by getting blinds and antes. If you fold, you will get blinded out.

You cannot wait for aces since this will waste your time. Look for first –in and discipline those blinds!

Getting to know the size of your stack

If you are playing cash game, make sure that your stacks are toped up. Make the best use of your edges on your worse players.

If you are playing tournament poker, keep in mind that the size of your stack does not matter, it has got its minuses and pluses.

Know how the size of your stacks will change your plans.

Correct your style accordingly and you will definitely have a good poker game.