Deep Stack Poker
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A lot of people ask me about playing 'deep-stacked' poker. You know, 200 big blinds, 300 big blinds or even deeper.
Deep Stack Poker Meaning
In poker, a 'deep stack tournament' is a tournament where players start off with a large amount of chips relative to the size of the blinds. For instance, in a traditional tournament, players might start off with 5,000 chips and blinds may begin at 25/50, with antes being added later in the tournament.
These are the kind of stacks with which you live poker players will be familiar. Deeper stacks also tend to happen often in 'fast-fold' style online poker games as well such as Zoom on PokerStars.
The truth is, yes, playing deep-stacked does change things in poker. In fact it changes everything.
For one thing, you simply cannot afford to be getting 200 BB, 300 BB or more in the middle with the same range you would with 100 BB or 50 BB. 'Stack off' ranges instead narrow considerably when the stacks get ultra-deep like this because losing a pot of this size is devastating for your win rate.
For example, most smart regulars will never get K-K or Q-Q all in preflop when they are 200-300 BB deep against another smart and competent regular. This is because they know that a good player is often only going to stick this many big blinds in the middle preflop with A-A.
Of course, I need to mention that (as usual) when you are playing against recreational poker players, you can just throw everything I just said out the window. Recreational players do not think about stack off ranges based on stack size. In fact, most of the time they aren't even thinking about what you can have at all!
So I do want to be very clear that this discussion of deep-stacked poker and stack off ranges is concerning competent regulars only.
Here's a 'micro stakes' hand played online illustrating how playing deep-stacked should affect the decision whether or not to commit your entire stack:
In this poker hand, we flat preflop from the big blind with 6-6 with 300-plus BB effective starting stacks. Our opponent is a TAG (tight and aggressive) regular.
We nail the flop nearly as well as you possibly can with a full house. As I always suggest at these stakes in particular, our sole aim at this point should be to figure out how to get as much money in the middle as possible. Often when you are out of position as the preflop caller, the best way to do this is with a check-raise.
We do in fact check-raise the flop here, and our opponent goes ahead and makes the call as he rightly should with a wide range in this situation.
When the turn comes with a blank, I like the decision to simply bet out. That said, versus a really aggressive player another check/raise can be okay here sometimes as well. When our opponent calls again on the turn, I think we need to narrow his range considerably to mid-pocket pairs, trips, and overpairs.
Now to the river which is the real fun part of the hand. We bet out (as we should), and our opponent shoves close to 300 big blinds over the top. What now?
Well, like I mentioned off the top, our stack off range needs to be tighter when the stacks get this deep and we have the sixth nuts in this spot. We are also up against what appears to be a completely normal micro stakes regular and therefore the chances of him going crazy here with a bluff are slim-to-none.
I also do not expect a player like this to play a hand like trips this way. That's what a rec player would do instead. So this leaves monster hands like K-K, J-J and K-J only. From my millions of hands of experience at these stakes, I believe that if we call here, he is going to flip over one of these hands a large majority of the time.
So I actually agree with the decision to fold in this hand. This shows a strong understanding of deep-stacked poker.
I want to know what you think, though. How do you play deep-stacked poker? Would you make the call in this hand or would you make the tough lay down? Let me know in the comments below!
Links mentioned in the video:
Nathan 'BlackRain79' Williams is the author of the popular micro stakes strategy books Crushing the Microstakes, Modern Small Stakes, and The Microstakes Playbook. He also blogs regularly about all things related to the micros over at www.blackrain79.com.
The Stars Group owns a majority share in iBus Media.
Deep Stack Poker Tournament
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What is Deep Stack Poker?
Deep Stack Poker Room
Deep stack poker means having a big stack relative to the big blind, typically around 150-200 bb or more. In tournaments that you start with a deep stack, celled deep stack tournaments, deep stack poker strategy also applies.
What changes in strategy in Deep Stack Poker?
When you are playing deep stack poker, there is room for more betting rounds, notably on the turn and river. Rarely, will you commit most of your chips on the flop, so you have to be prepared to play all the way through.
Also, as the bet sizes gradually increase, if the hand is bet all the way through, you will have to face huge bets and make big decisions by the turn or river.
Playing with a Deep Stack is tricky
When you play with an average stack, you will often be facing all-in bets on the flop or turn. Deciding how to respond is a relatively simple exercise of putting your opponent on a range and comparing the pot odds to your hand’s equity against that range.
However, when facing a big bet on the flop, with a deep stack allowing for two or three more bets, decisions are much more difficult. You now have to consider implied odds, protecting your hand.
So, it is best for beginner players to avoid playing with a deep stack until they gain some experience to allow them to navigate through difficult decisions.
As the decisions you get to face when you are playing deep stack poker are more complex, having a good position becomes even more critical. When you have to decide for 100bb or more, you want to have the maximum amount of information, and position can give you just that. This is the opposite of short stack poker where decisions are more trivial, and position is not a big concern.
What hands should you play?
Remember the saying, “small hand small pot, big hand big pot”? Well, with a deep stack, the pot can potentially become very big!
As simple as it may seem, this aspect changes the dynamics and value of starting hands drastically.
Hands that play well short stack, like AJ or KQ, go down in value in deep stack poker. These hands can make a lot of top pair, top kicker type of hands, and win many small pots. However, in deep stack poker, there is the risk that the betting gets out of hands and ends up too big for only a top pair. So, you can win a few small pots but potentially lose some big ones!
When you play these hands, be sure to try to control the betting and not let the pot get out of hand.
On the contrary, drawing hands, like suited aces, suited connectors, and one-gappers, and small pairs, become more valuable. These hands can make strong hands that are somehow concealed and win big pots. You want to make hands like a set, a flush, or a straight, that you can value bet with all the way through!
To sum up, big broadway hands can win many small pots, and speculative hands can win a few huge pots. In a way, when the stacks are deep, hand value normalizes.
This means that you should play them both, and keep your opponents guessing. With top-pair type of hands, you should exercise pot control.
In deep stack poker, there is also more room for creative plays, like floating or three barrelling bluffs.
An example
You have an effective stack of 200bb and open-raise under the gun with A♥Q♠. You get called by a player in middle position and by the button. The flop comes A♣J♦7♠. There are about 10bb in the pot. You decide to make a c-bet of 7.5bb and the first player calls, while the button folds.
The turn is a blank, the 4♣, and with 25bb in the pot, you decide to bet 20bb. Your opponent raises you to 60bb. What should you do?
Well, you got yourself into a mess! Playing AQo type of hands out of position in deep stack poker is tricky and requires careful play and pot control.
In this scenario, your flop bet is ok, but your turn c-bet is questionable, as you start building a big pot. If you call in this spot, the pot will be 145bb, and you will possibly face a bet on the river for the remaining of your chips, not a good situation for just a pair!
Unless you have a read on your opponent, fold and cut your losses to a minimum.
An example
You are on the button with T♥8♥ and a deep stack. A player raises from early position and gets called by a player in middle position and the cutoff. You decide to play by calling.
The flop comes A♥J♦7♦. Your opponent makes a standard c-bet. The first player folds, the cutoff calls, and with an inside straight draw and a backdoor flush draw, you also call.
The turn is the 9♣, and you make your straight! The first player bets again, and the cutoff folds. You raise, and your opponent calls.
The river is a blank, the 4♣, and your opponent checks. There are about 150 bb in the pot, and you have 150bb more. What should you do?
You have the nuts, so there is no question whether you should bet or not. As your opponent has shown strength, this is an excellent spot to go all-in. You have position, and he may well put you on a missed diamond flush draw.
You go all-in and your opponent calls, showing AJ for top two pair.
Deep Stack Poker Tournament
This example demonstrates how with position and a deceptive hand, you picked-up a huge pot.
Keep in mind that you should not stick to optimal betting patterns, but mix in some bluffs or thin value bets to keep your opponents guessing.
In a nutshell
In deep stack poker, there is room for a lot of betting. Deep stack strategy requires adjusting your starting hands, valuing position, and employing pot control.
Venetian Deep Stack 2020
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Deep Stack Poker Definition
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