Deep Stack Poker Strategy
Deep stack play calls for an entirely different set of skills
than what you would normally implement in a 100 bb or even 150
bb game. The dynamics of every deep stack game will allow
players to get involved in more pots, make trickier plays
post-flop, and will generally leave more room for
maneuverability. Some players will find that they are best
suited for deeper stacked games, while others are going to learn
that the game just isn’t what they are cut out for. Of course,
if you want to be a top winning player, you’ll need to learn
how to win in both deep stacked and shorter games.
The changes between deep stacked and normal games start at
the
pre-flop action. You’ll need to carefully think out each
decision that you make, because every pot could potentially represent
an up or down swing of a handful of buy ins. Because of this, the
first thing that’s required for deep stack play is an ample
bankroll. You shouldn’t be playing in a deep stacked game based
on 100 bb gamebankroll requirements.
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. Deep Stack Tournament Strategy Because deep stack tournaments run differently to regular online tournaments you need to slow down your game The first thing noticeable in deep stack tournaments. Deep Stack Poker Tournament Strategy. Deep stack tournaments allow for the most actual play of all forms of poker, with the exception of no blind increase events. The entire premise of a deep stack tournament is for players to really let their skills do the talking and to eliminate as much luck as possible.
For example, if you normally play 2/5 NLHE and the max buy in is $500, $10,000 will
generally be enough to carry in your bankroll (using live
figures as an example). If you then join a 2/5 NLHE game where
the max buy in is $1000, however, you are going to be in awfully
dangerous territory. Players often times make the mistake of
counting realistic bankroll sizes based on the limit of the game
instead of the buy in, but this is most definitely the wrong
approach. Once you have your bankroll taken care of, the next
step is to consider the various elements of actual game play at
deep stacked tables.
Pre-Flop Deep Stack Adjustments
In deep stacked games, you’ll have a lot more freedom in
the plays that you can effectively make. Where calling big 3
bets with suited connectors would be a terrible idea in most
games, a deep stack will give you the opportunity to put more at
risk pre-flop for the potential to win a massive pot post-flop.
Position is important no matter what type of game you are
playing, but its importance is magnified when you are playing
with several hundred big blinds. A good player will be looking
to play in as many big pots as possible when they have a
speculative hand at a deep stacked table. In fact, the more
abstract (yet playable) your hand is, the more likely that you
are to win a big pot with it. Hands that are normally huge, like
pocket kings or AK, won’t have nearly as much value in deep
stack games. The reason for this is that you need a large
portion of the money to go in pre-flop in order to really make a
lot of money with big starting hands.
Because you’ll be playing with hundreds of
big blinds, however, this will be all but impossible barring
a set up hand or your opponent attempting to make a play. Of
course, you still want to play these hands, and you should be
working even harder to get as much money in pre-flop as
possible. At a deep stacked table, getting a player to pot
commit to any hand will be far from easy, so don’t feel like
your opponents are as attached to a hand as you might be.
Post-Flop Deep Stack Adjustments
Post-flop adjustments are virtually unending in deep stacked
games, but some areas of concern are more pertinent than others.
For example, draw type hands are going to come up an awful lot
in these games, especially when you are looking to play more
pots pre-flop with speculative hands than you normally would. As
a result of this, you’ll need to be prepared to maneuver your
way through many tricky spots with draws, which often times will
mean a lot of money is on the line.
Passive play is generally less optimal in a deep stacked game
than it is in a regular game. The reason for this is that you’ll have the ability and the chips required to push your
opponents off their hand. Many players tend to become more
apprehensive when they begin to compile a big stack. They don’t
want to make a false step and wind up losing what amounts to a
handful of buy ins. Because of this, the best strategy is to
constantly apply pressure. This is an approach that is valuable
in just about any NLHE game, but more big blinds means that you’ll have more firing power.
There are three primary types of hands that you’ll flop: a
strong made hand, a draw, or nothing at all. Since mediocre
hands tend to play themselves, they are being discounted in this
discussion. Now, in deep stack play, think about what you want
to do when you manage to flop a big hand. It’s impossible to
generalize the single best strategy since there are so many
variables involved, but there’s one thing that you should be
doing each and every time.
Planning ahead is absolutely critical
to your success in deep stack games. Often times when you are
facing an aggressive opponent, you’ll be able to let them bet
into you and manage to win their stack. In deep stacked games,
however, you will need to figure out a way to get them to put in
more chips, since three bets usually won’t mean all of their
money. This is a very broad strategy, but don’t be overly
passive in games where you are sitting with a big hand and
several hundred big blinds. You’ll win some big pots, but you
will also be sacrificing an awful lot of money in the process.
Draw heavy hands are where you’ll encounter a lot of swings
in deep stack play. You’ll be forced to make some plays that
are quite risky, but this is really the only way to do it. You
can’t be afraid to put pressure on your opponents. There’s no
time that you’ll be able to squeeze out more fold equity with
drawing hands than when you are playing deep. Be aggressive,
make moves, and don’t be afraid to get your entire stack in the
middle. With this in mind, you should always make sure that you
aren’t being reckless with your chips, because there’s a very thin
line between maniacal play and genius play.
When you totally brick a flop in a deep stacked game, you’ll still have multiple opportunities to take down the pot.
Just as you can make more plays and raises with draws, missed
hands too will allow for room to steal pots away. The one thing
to consider when you try to steal a pot, however, is that you
are potentially walking into a big mess should you end up going
to the turn.
If you felt you could steal away the pot on the
flop, that’s perfectly fine, but this doesn’t mean that you
need to continue firing away on the turn and river as well. Be
aggressive and very precautious at the same time when you have
nothing and are trying to make a play. In shorter stacked games,
making plays is something that should involve minimal risk (at
least on the flop), but in deeper stacked games there’s almost
always more inherent risk involved simply due to how much money
is in play.
Most online poker tournaments and SNGs, as well as many low-stakes cash games, have shallow stack sizes compared to the blind levels. Meaning the play is often fast and furious, with relatively simple decisions to make. Deep stack poker refers to when your stack size is high compared to the blinds.
For example, if starting stacks are 10,000 chips and the blind levels are 25/50, then you have a total of 200BB — this is considered a deep stack poker game. Some cash games and specific poker tournaments are deep stacked.
Complex Situations
In deep stack games, pre-flop, all-in confrontations are not often the way to go. The situations are more intricate and challenging, with an increased opportunity to lose your entire stack and exploit opponents for theirs. In deep stack games, you will probably have to play all three streets of betting, following a profitable line of action from start to finish.
You will also have to be familiar and well-practiced when it comes to certain poker techniques, such as 3-betting wide in position and 4-betting as a bluff, or semi-bluff against aggressive opponents. Opponent tendencies become critical so that you know which opponents it will be profitable to bluff and 3-bet. You will have to “level” opponents by working out what they can do and coming over the top of them.
To be a decent deep stack player, you must learn a lot of poker concepts, and then practice them by playing in tournaments. For example, Full Tilt has a “play” money deep stack tournament with starting stacks as deep as the buy-ins, among others. It’s an excellent place to start, as you won’t be risking loads of your bankroll.
Hand Values Change
A-K and A-Q may be premium hands with 20BB stacks, but they are not so strong when blinds are at the 200BB level. You don’t want to lose your entire stack with a flopped pair of aces. It’s even more relevant when it comes to weak aces and K-T type hands, which are practically worthless in a deep stack tournament.
The hands that are stronger in a deep stack game are those with high “implied odds.” These include pocket pairs for set mining and suited connector-type hands that can hit a straight or a flush. The idea is you will have a strong and safe (and often hidden) hand in which to value bet an opponent and play for stacks.
Position is Key
Given that you will be in more complicated situations, the position is even more important than ever in deep stack poker. As always, being in position will make your decisions simpler and your opponent’s decision harder. You will have the final say on whether to raise, call or fold. Also, this means you must guess and will be in a strong position to exploit opponents. Not only can you control of the pot through a marginal hand but also buff up the betting when you have the best of it.
Put it All Together
So, you need to be aware of the increased hand values of suited connectors and set-mining hands and the decreased value of top-pair-type hands. You must play positionally and take complicated betting lines over three streets. Here’s how it fits together.
Deep Stack Poker Tournament Strategy
- Control Pot Size– Do this when you are out of position unless you have the nuts or are sure you have the best hand. You should also control the pot whenever you have a marginal hand like a top pair, whether in position or out of position. When out of position, you can exercise pot control by check-calling to the opponent(s). In position, you can take a line such as checking back the flop and betting/calling the turn and river.
- Inflate Pot Size– When you are holding the nuts, or you are in position and are quite certain that you have the best hand, you are in the opposite situation to the above. Now is the time to build a pot by making big bets and re-raises. Such especially applies when you have a nut-flush, top-straight and top-set hands where your only priority is to get as many chips as possible out of the other players.
Deep Stack Poker Room
Deep stack poker is more mentally taxing and more complicated. Weaker players are likely to suffer worse in the long run, and stronger players can take advantage of multiple streets of post-flop betting to gain the maximum value and outplay the herd. Without the option of resorting to shove and fold tactics, deep stacks force you to up your game, but it’s well worth the effort!