In texas hold'em poker tournaments gaining chips is the goal, and achieving a large chip stack is the pinnacle of that goal. What most players overlook is that as much as having a large chip stack is an asset it is also equally a liability. It is true that having a large chip stack is advantageous. It allows you to apply pressure on smaller stacked players without having to commit as large of a proportion of your stack. For example if you have $5000 in chips and the average chip stack in the poker tournament is $1000 then by committing only 20% of your chip stack you can put most players in the poker tournament all in. This doesn't only give you the advantage when putting players all in, but just by having a large chip stack there is an intimidation factor. Players know ahead of time when getting into a hand with you that you can put them all in with only a portion of your stack. So aggressive play is much more effective. Conversely having a large chip stack is a liability. You may be saying to yourself "how could having a dominant position in chips in a poker tournament be a bad thing"? Actually having a large chip stack is bad in a few ways. This is not to say that having a large chip stack in a poker tournament is a bad thing. In my opinion the advantages to having a large chip stack greatly outweigh the disadvantages; never the less, knowing the potential pitfalls can help you avoid them and so retain your dominant chip stack. First of all if you are on top people will always want to knock you down. This is a primal human impulse. Darwinism exists at the texas hold'em poker table, and it is survival of the fittest. When a player has a chip stack larger than others he becomes the focus of attacks. Players will make plays to lure the player with the large stack into hands in hopes they can take his chips. This is for a number of reasons. An example of a few of these are: * Perhaps a player with a larger chip stack will call larger bets
* Perhaps a player with a larger chip stack will be a looser player
* Perhaps a player with a larger chip stack will be trying to bully people with bluffs
* A player with a large chip stack has more to give Knowing people are both intimidated and tempted by a large chip stack can work both ways often times. You have to be extra diligent about what starting hands you choose to play with, and be aware of the mood of the table always. Look at it like you have a big sign on your back that says "double up here" because that is what many players will see. Beware of the out of the ordinary all in plays. Many times lesser players when given good pocket cards will act in this way, or an out of character large bet. These types of plays are of course all a part of texas hold'em strategy so you have to know how to tell them apart. This only comes will careful observation and time. Finally don't think because you have a large chip stack that it is your job to bust people out of the poker tournament. If a short stack goes all in and no one wants to call; don't call with pocket cards of low starting hand strength thinking "even if you loose it won't be that many of your chips, and if you win it will be one less player out of your way". This type of thinking leads to one thing. Doubling up the short stacks so that players who where nearly out of the poker tournament now have a much better chance, and next time you will have to call at least twice as much. A large chip stack in a texas hold'em poker tournament is definitely a huge advantage, but don't think it somehow ensures you a place in the money. It certainly doesn't. If there is one thing that is true about texas hold'em poker tournaments it's that things can and often do change drastically in an instant. The person who was in first place is now in last place and vice versa all in one hand. It happens all the time. Play wisely and judiciously with your chip stack so that you cautiously protect it and at the same time wield it as the awesome weapon that it is. Striking the balance and the right situations is what will determine your effectiveness with a large chip stack and weather or not you will keep it for very long. Hopefully knowing what to look out for will help you make the right choices at the right time. |
