Poker Chip
Stack Sizes
You can learn a
lot about your opponents starting with the size
of their poker chip
stack. You will usually find that the good poker
players have the large chip stacks and the
weaker players have the smaller chip stacks.
There are a couple of reasons for this.
The better
players generally win, so they tend to have a
large bankroll.
The weaker players generally lose, so it is
natural that their bankrolls are often small.
A common mistake that many weak players make is
that they play at limits that are either too
high for their bankroll or play at a higher
limit where the competition is too tough for
them.
Of course this
isn't always 100%
accurate. There will be times when a good player
is on a losing streak and bad player gets on a
bit of a winning streak but it does serve as a
pretty good indicator of whether you are up
against a good player or a weak player. You can
get an indication about new opponents by looking
at their stack size when you first sit down at
the table. This is especially true at the higher
limits, which requires a larger bankroll to
play. The size of your opponents stack is going
to be your first impression. When the cards are
dealt you’ll begin acquiring additional
information about your opponent which may or may
not change that first impression.
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A player with a
small stack usually falls into one of two
categories - The first is someone who plays a
lot of hands, which is probably why his stack is
so low. The other type of player is one who just
moved up from a lower limit game. This player
probably is playing very tight since he is
scared of losing a lot of money. With either
type of player, you can use this information to
your advantage. Play aggressively against the
scared player and don't
try to bluff the loose player.
An exception to
this rule is when the players stack becomes so
low that they will go broke with just a few more
bets. In this case, both types of players
generally tighten up a lot waiting for that big
hand. This is a great time to play aggressively
against them both before and on the flop.
Attempting to steal the blinds on them can be
very effective as they tighten up.
On the flop,
try to be the aggressor and then back off if
your opponent either bets first or raises. Since
he is playing survival poker, it is doubtful
that he is bluffing. Playing aggressively is
usually very profitable against opponents with
small stacks and since there is not much risk to
you, you can back off if your opponent shows any
signs of strength.
When it comes
to your own chip stack you want to be playing
with a stack large enough so that you can play a
hand effectively. For example, say if you are
playing in a $5-$10 game of hold
'em and you have about
$50 in chips. With a few big bets/calls you can
easily run out of chips during a hand. If you
are playing a tight-aggressive strategy which is
the style that I recommend, you definitely don’t
want this to happen. Be sure to buy more chips
so that you are playing with a large enough
stack for the limits that you are at.
I would
recommend that at minimum your chip stack be 10
times the big bet. So in a $5-$10 game of hold
'em, you need at least
$100 in your stack before any given hand. I
personally like to have at least 25-30 times the
big bet for a stack of about $250 to $300. This
way if I feel I have the best hand and am up
against an opponent who keeps raising and
re-raising me I can play the hand how I want to
and not worry about running out of chips. |
