playing a big stack

So you find yourself with one of the biggest stacks fairly early in the tournament. How do you balance your desire to protect your stack with the desire to pressure the smaller stacks and be a bully

Amanda A said:

So you find yourself with one of the biggest stacks fairly early in the tournament. How do you balance your desire to protect your stack with the desire to pressure the smaller stacks and be a bully

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Apply pressure - but as soon as you hit resistance proceed cautiously.

I think having a big stack later in tournaments is more advantageous than early. Once you're near the bubble, people will overfold so you can raise more often for 2x-2.5x(you will also have to raise-fold to jams against nits if people catch on), but this is when you can truly bully people.

When I have a big stack early, I might 3-bet lighter than normal against super aggressive players. I will also Iso-raise a tad bigger against limps to really put pressure on passive players.

I found it interesting and I also have difficulties with stacks bigger than 70 blinds out of position, does anyone have some tips or related articles?

Amanda A said:

So you find yourself with one of the biggest stacks fairly early in the tournament. How do you balance your desire to protect your stack with the desire to pressure the smaller stacks and be a bully

Click to expand...

I like to put pressure on the smaller stacks, but I'm always cautious, especially in the early stages of a tournament. I gradually get more aggressive as I get closer to the money bubble. That will also give me more time to read the players at my tables. Take care

I always try not to get involved with the big stacks of the msea I try to play hands where he does not get involved and so I can put pressure on those who have short stacks:reddy:

There is a Big Stack Strategy "BSS" and is simple to follow, the problem is to get the "Big Stack".

I learn about it in Intellipoker, from pokerstars, they also have the Small Stack Strategy, Nowadays I think is Poker School.

Amanda A said:

So you find yourself with one of the biggest stacks fairly early in the tournament. How do you balance your desire to protect your stack with the desire to pressure the smaller stacks and be a bully

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First off one of the biggest problems I have seen with people building a stack early on is they feel they can open their range or bully the tournament. Your strategy that got you to that point should stay the same. (Unless you don't have a solid strategy and luck got you there) Their is no "Protect your stack" only making the best decision each action. Pressuring smaller stacks isn't THAT relevant early in a tournament because even the "shorter" stacks still have plenty of big blinds. What you should be worried about early in the tournament is getting max value.

Amanda A said:

So you find yourself with one of the biggest stacks fairly early in the tournament. How do you balance your desire to protect your stack with the desire to pressure the smaller stacks and be a bully

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In general, applying pressure with a big stack is the optimal play against small stacks. However, in early stages of the tournaments, small stacks aren't really small and are worth 50-100BB depending how deep the tournament was to start with. That being said, your aggressiveness should only start in middle-late stages of the tournament, when small stacks have around 20BB.

I would advise playing the same way in early stage regardless of having a big stack or not, so just standard poker, nothing fancy, don't risk your advantage by playing potentially huge pots with smallER but not small stacks.

Great advice, thanks!!!!

I wouldn't be much more aggressive preflop when you are deep stacked. It depends on your opponent but a lot of times you just get called and miss the flop with a weaker holding in a 3bet pot. Then you feel the need to make an extravagant bluff that probably isn't as good as you think it is. Instead I'd try to see slightly more flops in position, if you don't expect to get squeezed.

Amanda A said:

So you find yourself with one of the biggest stacks fairly early in the tournament. How do you balance your desire to protect your stack with the desire to pressure the smaller stacks and be a bully

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Of course you must be a buly if you are a big stack,so keep presure smaller stack,on every stage on tournament,if you earn a big stack and start play like a rock you lose all of those chips and you just jump in money but no win for you than......

I usually play big stack early Cautiously, but not to tight. Not really protecting but not dumping either. I dont even know if that makes sense?..lol

Loosen a little

I loosen my hand range a little when I am an early big stack. But, I don't get real aggressive and risk my stack on marginal hands.

Mid to late in a tourney you can bully/steal the blinds/antes. Early on when most people are still deep (25+ BB) I try not to let it change the way I'm playing.

no all ins they just wanting your chips so fold all in preflops!!

when I have big stack I try to play aggressive but I also proceed very cautiously, it is not worth risking the chips unnecessarily

Amanda A said:

So you find yourself with one of the biggest stacks fairly early in the tournament. How do you balance your desire to protect your stack with the desire to pressure the smaller stacks and be a bully

Click to expand...

Contrary to everything reported, I found that reducing the opening range often leads to a steadily growing stack, while expanding the range increases variance.
Obiously, as soon as you've got someting (or guess the small stack missed the flop) use your stack to 'convince' the others to fold.

Whenever I am fortunate enough to get a giant stack early in a tournament, I tighten up significantly in order to preserve that advantage. Save the bluffs and steals for later in the tournament when the blinds are bigger. It is unwise to risk your stack just to pick up a small pot when you already have a giant stack.

You can certainly call behind limps with a wide range in position in order to see cheap flops and stack more opponents when you flop a monster.

When you are a big stack, you can play more aggressive, and put pressure on other players, but you should always be careful not to risk too much, and always play the best you can.

Amanda A said:

So you find yourself with one of the biggest stacks fairly early in the tournament. How do you balance your desire to protect your stack with the desire to pressure the smaller stacks and be a bully

Click to expand...

it's better to make pressure to the smaller stacks

Continuation bets with big stack

I believe you need to be aggressive with a big stack. 3 or 4 bet before flop and make sure to add your continuation bet after the flop.

I'd put pressure by raising the blind 3.5x 4x with antes from late position. Donk all in scare no one....also "tha pressure" is nessecary but bluffing is an advanced move.

playing a bigstack

i always push all in with my bigstack it gets other poker players to fold