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A request for some strategy discussion

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  1. Rammstein Rammstein is offline

    Norway

    Posts: 175
    Joined: Dec 05

    Jul 24th, 2006 (7/24/2006 9:45am)

    Topic: midgame

    Situation: bigstack, 2x average or larger

    Environment: med-high buy in

    I struggle with a spesific part: my bigstack play. I have accumulated a bigstack on several occasions lately, come midstage, and sofar I have used it as a timecontroler. Playing appropriate hands regarding position and with great respect towards the potential payoffs/hurt I can encounter. If I have a hand that does well in a coinflipp+- situatin I`ll raise the shorties-to med stack and see how they respond. I`ll wait for position for deepstackplay against larger stacks, and I need to feel that the implied odds are there. I`ll play my premiums for high cost. I loosen up with the looser players.

    Reads and situations only come around so often, and many times I see the field catch up or 1-2 beat is enough, and I am in the same push/fold 8+-M mode as most when we get down to 5% of the field and I usually bust on some coinflipp/suckout somewhere btw 80-15th place.

    Cure: bully, but I suck at that and blow my chips faster then you can say HIIIHAAAAAW.

    So stick with what I have done and blame variance? Or take more risks to get bulletproof in end game?

    Your take on ruling the table with a bigstack......?
  2. BlackSeven BlackSeven is offline

    NY
    United States

    Posts: 17
    Joined: Jul 06

    Jul 24th, 2006 (7/24/2006 11:23am) in reply to Rammstein

    Being somewhat of a bully is really the best idea. I recommend playing the game that got you to your bigstack, with some added agression. Play strong hands strong, dont give the other players pot odds to call your bets unless you have the nuts, and use aggression in position to take control in the hands you participate in. With the bigstack you have a great advantage and can afford to make some moves that other players at the table cannot, or are afraid to, especially late in the tourney.

    If you are blowing your chips when you become more aggressive, you most likely are either getting in hands that you should not be in reguardless of your stack, or pushing in the wrong positions. I have also seen big stack players play as if they are trying to be aggressive but look "scared" to lose their stack. ie raising preflop on the button, called by small/med stack, checking down flop/turn. Dont be a maniac just make it hard for the small stacks to play you/give them tough decisions.
  3. supermoves supermoves is offline invented poker

    Posts: 6,840
    Joined: Feb 05

    Jul 24th, 2006 (7/24/2006 12:00pm) in reply to Rammstein

    I think a lot of players (including myself until a few months ago) play a big stack a little too aggressively. For example, Lets say you have 20,000 in chips and the average stack is 10,000. You are in the big blind for 400. plus 100 ante. So there is 1600 in the pot. Someone moves in on the short stack for 3500 more. I cannot TELL you how many times I see a big stack call this type of bet with J-T or even suited connectors like 6-7. Why the hell are you calling off almost 4k when you are almost certainly behind?? I think your first duty is to protect your large stack.

    Now, there are many ways to take advantage of your big stack. One of the best ways is to pick on the average and slightly low stacks. If the blinds are 200/400, you should be raising when people who have 5000-7000 are in the blinds. These people will be playing more conservatively and allow you to pick up a LOT of blinds unless they have a big hand.
    1
  4. DDSpade DDSpade is offline

    Henderson, NV
    United States

    Posts: 551
    Joined: Apr 06

    Jul 24th, 2006 (7/24/2006 12:26pm) in reply to supermoves

    Having a big stack early brings you to this situation you currently are in which, of course, is a favorable one to be in.

    The first few times i've EVER had a big stack, when i first started playing, I was sooo off in how to play a big stack. I always thought YOU HAVE to bully, YOU HAVE to be extra aggressive. but that is Incorrect. ..to an extent.

    You have to understand the dynamic aspects of your table and play accordingly.. There is not one 'right' way to play just because you have a big stack.

    As the in-the-money-bubble approaches and as well as any bubble, many weaker players tighten up and will fold 'decent' hands. I'm talking about even folding hands when it might give them coinflip at best like AQ AK... You have to understand the pyschological part of the poker game. What is their motivation? Are they going for first and willing to lose w/o making money?

    Do they just want to make it in the money first and then go from there?

    If you have your table filled with these weak players, you can probably be more of a bully and get away with it. You'll be in a good position to accumulate chips with little risk.

    -When you have a big stack, you don't have to force yourself to knock out everyone. Play solid. Why would you want to risk your stack that you just made by raising calling all in with something like 67 suited just to be a bully?
    ***Do this on the right circumstances against the right people only. Against really aggressive players, or thinking players, sit tight, play solid hands. Let them hang themselves when they push with ace-rag. You just don't want to raise with something like AJ under-the-gun only to have it repopped by medium stack and you either can't call, and lose what you just raised, or call and lose more.

    You have the patience to still wait for very good hands while the shorter stacks and medium stacks have to severly pick up the pace. This means they might change their starting hand requirements.. notice who's adjusting their game. When a short stack moves all in, can you tell if he picked up a hand ? Or if he is just getting desparate? Paying attention to the table will help you. Keeping notes will help you. You still must make GOOD decisions while playing. You cannot afford to make mistakes just because you have bigger stack. Try to play your best.
  5. LesW LesW is offline

    Boston, MA
    United States

    Posts: 1,032
    Joined: Feb 06

    Jul 24th, 2006 (7/24/2006 12:26pm) in reply to Rammstein

    Here are some factors to consider which will make your play obv:
    How did you get your stack?
    What is you table image pre vs post "big stack"?
    What are stack sizes to your left and right like?

    These are a few of the only things which should really dictate your play in marginal situations.
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