How do you play big stack?

[BYOP]

when to go bonkers

hi all

at a certain time wile you are playing a torunament well when can you just try to kill off players
what is the right amount of chips to do that

for instance if i have a stack around 50k and i got position on players with 4 or 5k that are just trying to survive and i know that they at least try to have A high to go all-in preflop when is it okay to call with any two cards to just take them out

is this a good spot for that or shold i have more or less chips to just burn players

right now if the blinds are high and i got 10x the stack of the agressor i will call him off with almost any two cards

 

[SamBush]

I would say don't worry about killing off players.... just apply pressure and take chips without being all in! i would call off any 2 if you are getting 2-1 though and it doesnt take more than 20% of your chips.

 

[10058765]

players desperately trying to survive don't push with trash, so you need a decent hand to call their shove.
If they're really trying to survive...raise the shit outof them....

 

[TakinOver]

I like sams answer.. Apply the pressure and if the shove call. With a big stack not that is smart but for whatever reason the sites always give love also to the bigger stack. Of course this is not my reason to get crazy. I would not try it with 23 46 something nasty. If im running hot, why not. If you shove with those and the shove back then you know your way behind. So i would apply pressure with those crappy hands and fold if they come back. Thats me though. Any face card and any kicker i would go for it. Just me.

 

[floweryhead]

If you have a large definitive stack compared to the blinds then you'll be playing deep stack poker whereas most other people will be playing short-stacked. Therefore you have an advantage in that you can speculate a lot more. Someone in one of the books I've read said something along the lines of "Large stack means you can play more hands". There's a good section on playable hands in the second volume of Harrington on Holdem.
So, yes, playing style should alter throughout the game

 

[TeUnit]

ideally your play style should always be evolving, depending on villian stats, tourney equity and effective stack sizes

 

[terryg642]

It depends on the table texture that is the people to the left of me if there stacks are small enough I'll try to steal the blinds and put pressure on,until they try and stop me ,I try to steer clear against the big stacks unless I have premium hand.

 

[lobbyrunner]

i tend to play the wrong handsorplay themgood hands wrong. def need to use chips as an advantage. i play conservatively with the chips even with a heavy stack

it is usually the reason why i got the chip stack to begin with.

 

[bracadelija]

I love it when I do mine with a big stack much pressure and I'm very aggressive. Of course not stupid and aggressive then put pressure on the smaller stack and only the positions. And this brings up the final table!

 

[romych007]

I use a big stack pressure on
opponents pushes all the chips
with medium hands

 

[trekmaster]

I like to keep the stack so I usually stay away from marginal hands and make costly the hands that I do play in. So I guess I bully with the stack but only with hands that are favored to win.

 

[VizziVizo]

With big stakes when you have 70-100 bb just play tightly and try not lose chips.with big staks i can just make my stack better and just play good and calm poker.

 

[jtholdm]

bully

I have seen many a bully stack go bust because they think they can push other stacks around I personally do not bully but if I have a hand in the bb that I think is better than the sb and the sb has a few chips left I will shove, I play my same game as I do with less chips. I also read the players at the table and the worst thing you can do is loose respect of the other players. A this level you really have to get a read on the players that you can steal from. I am a firm believer in Karma, If it gets to heads up I am aggressive especially on any ace card I have or pair or high premium I don't slow play or fancy play I go for it. I have had 5000 chips left to a bully's 30k I won 3 hands ina row because he was a donkey and ev 1 else folded I tippled up and put him on tilt and knocked him out

 

[Slawa1986]

When I have a big stack, I try to steal the blinds from tight players, if you get ollin in response, the fold!

 

[A2345Razz]

Bully, but I don't make it TOO obvious.

Like, if you have total trash on the button, go ahead and fold your 52off.....I mean a few well times folds can have people guessing a lot when you want them to fold to your button raises/3B.

If you literally take every spot, they are just going to make a stand at some point; well most competent players like me are. Also, you wanna stay away from marginal spots in raised pots with other big stacks.

Honestly, I see big stacks pick fights with other big stacks all the time, and I wonder what the hell they are thinking. You don't have to flat the other big stack with your QJss.....you dont need to play a huge pot.


This is something aggressive bad players do all the time...it's just so wrong.

 

[Romario2223]

you must play aggressive but fold to push with average hands

 

[Katyushka4]

So, I'm wondering, whats the best way to play it? What positions/what hands do you play with. How often should you attempt to steal preflop? Whats your VPIP/PFR when your big stacked? And any other criteria that follows suit, do mention!

First, evaluate the style of the game opponents at the table. If everyone is playing tight, then you need to start using your stack and steal chips from short stacks in the blinds with the help of a minimum raise as often as possible (with more or less worthy hands, of course). If the table is loose, you should continue to play only a premium starter. Secondly, you need to steal the blinds are in good position for this.

 

[Colbefc]

As people have said you use your big stack to steal blinds and by the late stages of a tourney you should know who you can push around and who will fight back and guess which ones you pick on.

 

[TheBigFinn]

I disagree with playing a big stack the same as an average stack.

You don't have to completely retool your game, but you NEED to use your chips as your weapons.

According to ICM chips in a big stack are worth less than chips in a short stack...you can use this to your advantage by putting pressure on the right opponents. Their 1,000 in chips is worth much more to them than that same 1,000 is to you.

You want to pick the right players to put pressure on. basically medium stacks who have more options than shove or fold. Avoid playing pots with short stacks and big stacks unless you are playing the value of your own 2 cards. When you are playing vs. medium stacks you can play the value of your hand, plus you can play your position and you can play their weakness.

If you have 30,000 and they are a medium stack with 7,000 you can put them all in on a scare card when you hold 2nd pair or some other marginal hand....they won't be able to call away their tourney life without a really strong hand or a really good read. You couldn't make that same move if you only had 7,000 yourself. that's just an example.

Avoid calling, especially calling all-ins. You want to use your stack to put pressure on your opponents by betting relentlessly. pounce on weakness.

I agree completely with the above. IMHO, you want to be putting medium stacks to the test. It cost them much more to call 1/10 of their stack then it cost you to bet 1/30 on yours. They have to call tighter.

C Betting flops AND believable rivers also puts real pressure on medium stacks. If you open middle position and get medium stack callers on the button and the BB with 89s and get a dry KT5 flop, its a mandatory 1/2 pot CB. The turn CB should also be considered. It is just about impossible for them to call with a T or a weak K. They'll let you know when to back off.

The closer you get to the money the truer this is.

On the other hand when you are bet into either in the blinds or in position it might be a good idea to fold medium hands. I tend to not call 10BB stack pushes without premium hands unless the pushers is very active.

 

[Syltan]

With a big stack is to play very acurate and to put pressure on the table, but need to press on the middle stacks which have something to lose, and to avoid short that will put Alan with a weak ACE.

 

[Ducbim]

In tournament, especially in the last 2-3 tables, Big stacks has huge advantage against medium stacks, because usually medium stacks want to wait for short stacks to bust out first so that they can guarantee a price jump. That's why I think the big stack should always steal blinds from medium stacks, and fold mediorce hands when they fight back. It is not profitable to steal blinds from desperate short stacks with less than 10BB because they will take chances to shove.

 

[A2345Razz]

I agree completely with the above. IMHO, you want to be putting medium stacks to the test. It cost them much more to call 1/10 of their stack then it cost you to bet 1/30 on yours. They have to call tighter.

C Betting flops AND believable rivers also puts real pressure on medium stacks. If you open middle position and get medium stack callers on the button and the BB with 89s and get a dry KT5 flop, its a mandatory 1/2 pot CB. The turn CB should also be considered. It is just about impossible for them to call with a T or a weak K. They'll let you know when to back off.

The closer you get to the money the truer this is.

On the other hand when you are bet into either in the blinds or in position it might be a good idea to fold medium hands. I tend to not call 10BB stack pushes without premium hands unless the pushers is very active.

I am pretty sure if a 10BB stack is shoving in late position and you pick up a non-premium such as 99 or AJss, you should still be calling quickly.

It is a pretty big leak not to be snapping there, and it also encourages people with HUDs or notes to shove on your blinds more often. Plus there is usually an overlay with the blinds/antes....

 

[Rawdeal1955]

Big stack play in micro mtt

when I'm big stack I keep playing the same, knowing the rest of the field wants my stack. When getting involved I'll have a big hand bet to size of other player putting the them at risk and making think if they want to get involved. Then you get the player that make the play to get lucky with the mid range hand win play on or to the rail and on to next tournament. Good game good cards to you.

 

[mendiolacubicle]

I learned a lot with the most of what is shared in this thread, please keep em coming pros and grinders!