15 July 2008
You Must Consider Your Stack Size in Holdem Poker
Posted by John Splash under: Education .
Stack sizes, compared to each other and the blinds, are a huge factor in deciding what to do in NL Texas Holdem. Let’s explore some situations that make this clear. After looking at them, I think you will agree that you need to pay close attention to everyone’s stack size.
Here is a very simple example of where stack size affects a decision. The game is NL $1/$2. You are in the small blind and everyone has folded. You have $500 and your hand is 44. If the big blind has only $25 in his stack, you could just push all in. You could even bet $8 or $10 planning to play to the end. This would surely be profitable.
But, let’s say the big blind has $500. Then going all in would be a very risky play. Although you would win the blinds most of the time, you will also lose most of the time when you get called. Who wants to risk $500 to win $3?
Let’s take it one step further. Would you risk $100,000 for the lousy $3 in the pot? Even if your opponent only plays A,A (which happens 1/220 times), you will win the $3 two hundred and nineteen times. However, the one time you do get called, you will lose the $100,000, 80% of the time.
If you could convince the guy with a $25 stack to only play A,A you can push all in and make money consistently. You will show a nice profit even without ever winning when he has A,A.
Now, you get 3,3 and have a $500 stack. The game is still $1/$2 and you just call. THe big blind chooses to raise to $10. His stack makes all the difference in what you will do.
If he has $15 you could do any of the three options and be correct. How well you know your opponent is the deciding factor. If he has something like $40 this is an easy fold.
You only get your three of a kind 12.5% of the time and the max payout is only five times if you can even get an all in call. A $500 stack means you need to call or maybe even raise. With either play you can get enough value from the hand when it goes right.
6,7 suited is a hand that you should play when everyone has a lot of chips. There is plenty of money availiable to get big profits when you catch a monster. When no one has very many chips, you can’t make enough money when you hit the hand.
The big pocket pairs can cost you a lot of money if the stacks are big. These hands are hard to get rid of. When people hit their hands, you can pay heavily if you can’t let them go.
If we turn this around the A,A and K,K hands do great in the short stacked situations. With preflop betting and a good hand you will rarely fold. These are pretty routine conditions to play.
Now you should see why everyone is affected by stack sizes. When you get many different stack sizes at once, it gets tricky. Still, you have to sort it out to the best of your ability to make the right play.