B
boomeranged
Enthusiast
Silver Level
One of the most important but overlooked and less heard strategy topic is Stack protection. I have seen hundreds of stacks which triple up during the first quarter of a tournament but lose it quickly being the bully stack on wrong spots only to lose the chips and try climbing the ladder again. I am sure if you have played in tourneys, you have seen and experienced it a lot yourselves. In all the related points, i have reminded the most important thing to remember again and again which is to protect your chips when the odds are in the opponents favour.
What to do when you have the big stack?
1. The most important tool in buĺlying is position. Try to be in position against all the relatively bigger stacks at all times. Being out of position too with smaller stack will often do the job with c bets. Always, always, always be in position aginst LAG players. Remember, protect your chips when the odds are in the opponents favour.
2. Avoid Tom Dwanish hands totally to actually be a profitable bully. Big stack should just loosnd your range, the rest remains the same. What Dwan and Ivey do involves thousands of dollars and has a higher fold equity. Your 86 off raise will mostly hit your chips bad. Leave the stunts for TV. Remember, protect your chips when the odds are in the opponents favour.
3. Your second best friend after position after position is fold equity. Dont shove and dont call all in's until you have a great holding. Just try to get as many folds possible, that's it. Dont over expand the pot preflop for the same reason. Keep it small otherwise you will have your opponents pot committed before there is a spot to bully them. Remember, protect your chips when the odds are in the opponents favour.
4. Raise amount: The best raise is less than/around ten percent of the opponent's stack preflop and never more than half the pot post flop. Always try to finish the hand by the end of flop by re raising them if raised or two barelling on the turn. If you havent had the opponent folded by now, the pot becomes half of his/her stack by the river and they become pot committed so your third barrel should only come if you have a strong hand or if you have a confirm read on the opponents missed draw or if the board allows you to. Keeping the pot small is the key. Remember, protect your chips when the odds are in the opponents favour.
5. Choosing your spot correctly is very very important. Dont try to bully three people in the pot ever and bluff two opponents only if you have position on them. Save your chips for better spots. Remember, protect your chips when the odds are in the opponents favour.
6. Protect your table image strongly when you are bullying. That means you prefer not to showdown with very weak hands played. You don't want the table to know you are playing low suited connectors too. At the same times, once you are in the bully phase, dont forget to show your premium hands to the table, sometimes intentionally, sometimes deliberately, and sometimes deliberately. It does wonders to tramp peoples confidence in calling your raises. If they start guessing your range, you will be trapped soon.
Hope this was detailed enough. Looking forward
to suggestions and additions by you all. Help me learn more while i share my mind on topics. I am open to new strategies and reasoned criticism, helps learning becomes easier for me with ideas coming from brilliant minds around. Just dont say you practice something because you like practicing it ☺
What to do when you have the big stack?
1. The most important tool in buĺlying is position. Try to be in position against all the relatively bigger stacks at all times. Being out of position too with smaller stack will often do the job with c bets. Always, always, always be in position aginst LAG players. Remember, protect your chips when the odds are in the opponents favour.
2. Avoid Tom Dwanish hands totally to actually be a profitable bully. Big stack should just loosnd your range, the rest remains the same. What Dwan and Ivey do involves thousands of dollars and has a higher fold equity. Your 86 off raise will mostly hit your chips bad. Leave the stunts for TV. Remember, protect your chips when the odds are in the opponents favour.
3. Your second best friend after position after position is fold equity. Dont shove and dont call all in's until you have a great holding. Just try to get as many folds possible, that's it. Dont over expand the pot preflop for the same reason. Keep it small otherwise you will have your opponents pot committed before there is a spot to bully them. Remember, protect your chips when the odds are in the opponents favour.
4. Raise amount: The best raise is less than/around ten percent of the opponent's stack preflop and never more than half the pot post flop. Always try to finish the hand by the end of flop by re raising them if raised or two barelling on the turn. If you havent had the opponent folded by now, the pot becomes half of his/her stack by the river and they become pot committed so your third barrel should only come if you have a strong hand or if you have a confirm read on the opponents missed draw or if the board allows you to. Keeping the pot small is the key. Remember, protect your chips when the odds are in the opponents favour.
5. Choosing your spot correctly is very very important. Dont try to bully three people in the pot ever and bluff two opponents only if you have position on them. Save your chips for better spots. Remember, protect your chips when the odds are in the opponents favour.
6. Protect your table image strongly when you are bullying. That means you prefer not to showdown with very weak hands played. You don't want the table to know you are playing low suited connectors too. At the same times, once you are in the bully phase, dont forget to show your premium hands to the table, sometimes intentionally, sometimes deliberately, and sometimes deliberately. It does wonders to tramp peoples confidence in calling your raises. If they start guessing your range, you will be trapped soon.
Hope this was detailed enough. Looking forward
to suggestions and additions by you all. Help me learn more while i share my mind on topics. I am open to new strategies and reasoned criticism, helps learning becomes easier for me with ideas coming from brilliant minds around. Just dont say you practice something because you like practicing it ☺