Benefits of being the Chip Leader?

I'm aware that benefits exist for the chip leader of a table, but I'm not sure what they are exactly. Can someone help me out?

You have more chips than anyone else.

But seriously, it means you have lots of room to manuver. You can push around the short stacks and med stacks and play looser or tighter depending on you style.

It cam also be dangerous as I've seen the big stack being played back at a lot.

Ok the chip leader on a tble has the massive advantage of knowing he can never be busted therefore can loosen up and try to build a monster stack for later on in the tpourny when he is going to need the chips more.

Stefanicov said:

Ok the chip leader on a tble has the massive advantage of knowing he can never be busted therefore can loosen up and try to build a monster stack for later on in the tpourny when he is going to need the chips more.

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Not too loose though

reply

You can bluff more effectively
See more flops
Earn respect from table members - they will fear you and sometimes fold

A big raise that would cripple, but not kill an opponent becomes much more powerful.

Pkerexp said:

You can bluff more effectively
See more flops
Earn respect from table members - they will fear you and sometimes fold

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Are these not counter productive. If you see more flops people are not going to respect your raises. You will get more play when you do hit a hand but not more respect.

Why I like the big stack.
1) You will not get busted out on any call. You are not risking your tournament life by placing a big bet. You may get pot committed but not for your tournament life. You get that 1 mistake for free that will not bust you out of the tourament.

2) You can put pressure on any other player for the simple fact that you can put them all-in at any moment.

3) With a big stack you can start to raise more than 3BB to make it more expensive to play and get marginal hands out of the pot easier without risking a higher percentage of your chips. Example: Blinds are 100/200 and the average stack is 4k and you have 10k. Standard bet is 600 but if you raised to 1k you are risking only 10% of your chips but for anyone to call they are risking about 25%. If you get reraised and fold you still have 9k and are still above average stack.

4) A cold streak of cards is not going to jepardize you tournament life and make you a short stacked and push with marginal hands.

5) Marginal hands are easier to play. You can let them go with a raise in front of you. Folded to you on the button with K10. Do you want to risk 50% of your stack with this marginal hand? You raise with it and plead with the poker gods to let everyone fold and steal the blinds. With a big stack you can do it with position and not fear a raise or reraise since you have a comfortable stack compaired to the blinds.