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Advanced Poker Tournament Strategy - Stack Ratios
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Author: Marc Weinberg
You can win poker tournaments without being aware of stack ratios, but if you want to become a consistent winner at the highest level you will need an acute understanding of how the size of your stack relates to both the other stacks in the tournament and to the size of each starting pot (blinds + antes, if applicable). It's a fairly advanced concept, and I wouldn't worry about it if you're playing low-stakes sit and go's. If, however, you take poker seriously it is worth reading on.
A Fascinating Sit And Go At Poker Room
I played in a very interesting sit and go last night at Pokerroom.com. It was almost unique in my online poker experience. We reached Level 5 of the blinds, 50 minutes of play, and remarkably all 10 players were still in! I had a big chip lead - 6200 chips (there were 20000 chips in play as we all started with 2000). The other players were all clustered between 900 and 3000 chips. Taken in isolation the player with 900 chips should have felt like he was still in with a shout. But the problem for him was that his blinds now totalled 300 chips (100/200 blinds). What that meant practically was that his only move, if he wanted to play a hand was to go all-in.
Stack Ratio Comes Into Play
More than that, I came to realize that my own position was by no means secure. There were 5 players with stacks of less than 1500, and all of them were feeling the pinch of the blinds. Although I had over 6000 chips I was one race away from being whittled down to 4500, and two races away from going down to 3000 and struggling. That is in fact precisely what happened. I battled back to finish 2nd in a very good contest, but let's examine my predicament a little more closely.
If you have 6000 chips and the cost of a betting round to you is say 60 chips you are in an excellent position. You have complete betting freedom. But if you have 6000 chips and the blinds and antes for one round of betting total 2000 chips you are up against the wall and barely alive. In a poker tournament the elimination of another player makes your own life that much easier. You should cheer on the fact when a couple of players at your table take commanding chip positions and proceed to knock out your competition. It brings you closer to cashing in, obviously, but it also means that you can fly under the radar until you choose to make a stand.
The problem of bunching together
If there are 8 players left and all 8 have 2500 chips with rising antes that it a very bad situation for all 8 players. It changes your tournament from a contest of skill to a race of luck. It forces all-in moves in order to attain separation. If there are 8 players left and the chip counts are staggered it is a big advantage to strong players. It's a great help when there is even only one aggressive player with lots of chips at your table. He keeps the rest of the players in line and often makes them less aggressive when they play hands amongst themselves.
Size matters, it really does
How does your stack compare to the rest of the table? It's such an important question because it impacts all your decisions in the tournament, especially those marginal, subtle shifts that are the hallmark of top play. If you have 3000 chips and running mid-pack in a tournament and you face an aggressive opponent who also has 3000 chips your attitude must change instantly - you cannot speculate with a hand like KQ suited because the confronation has the potential to cripple you and end your tournament. It's better to lay down a hand that you are confident is best pre-flop for little damage in that situation, simply because of the context.
Focus On Precise Goals
When you play single table online poker tournaments it helps to have the following outlook to the game - Your first goal is to cash by finishing in the Top 3. There are no prizes for leading all the way only to finish 4th thanks to an astounding run of bad beats. No one cares, and your reduced bankroll is the last word on the matter. Secure a top three position because no poker tournament can be won before that moment. Think of that message "welcome to the payout structure" as the start of a brand new tournament. Your second goal, which can only kick in if the first goal is attained, is to win the event. If you comprehend your stack ratio you can in turn work out how aggressive or cautious you need to be in order to achieve those two goals.
Related Poker Articles And News Items:
> Where To Play Sit& Go Tournaments - Part 1 - The Expert View
> The Ultimate Sit&Go Tournament Guide
> Why The NBA Is A Lot Like A Sit N Go
> Managing Your Poker Bankroll
> Finding Weak Poker Players Online At Every Level
> A Poker Secret About Bad Poker Players
> The Value Of A Call In No-Limit Hold'em
> Poker Tournament To Be Held In Middle Earth
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