Quick facts by PokerStrategy
- Deep stacks in poker are huge compared to the size of the big blind.
- A stack is typically considered deep if it is over 100 big blinds.
- Pot control is important when stacks are deep.
- Speculative hands become more playable with deep stacks.
What Is a Deep Stack in Poker?
A deep stack in poker is a stack that is significantly larger than the starting stack, or one that is huge compared to the size of the big blind.
What does deep stack mean in poker? Well, there’s no exact number that defines stack depth, but anything over 100 big blinds is considered a deep stack.
When stacks are deep, decision-making and poker strategy become more complex, especially on popular online poker sites, where fast-paced environments test your skill over multiple streets.
With deeper stacks, there’s potential to lose a lot in every pot, yet there’s also more to be gained from getting it right – greater risk, greater reward.
Deep Stack in Cash Games vs Tournaments
In cash games, players will typically buy in for the maximum amount allowed at the table, which is usually either 50 or 100 big blinds. This means stacks are already deep.
As the game continues, some players will inevitably win more chips, making some stacks even deeper, while others will lose chips. Overall, deep-stacked poker is the norm in cash games.
Depending on the structure, players may start with fairly deep stacks of 50-100 big blinds in a poker tournament. However, this will quickly change as the blinds increase and stack depths are dramatically cut.
By the mid-stages, stacks are usually quite shallow. You’ll only have a deep stack in the late stages of a tournament if you manage to accumulate a lot of chips from your opponents. If this happens, you’ll be looking to use your big stack to push around weaker, short-stack players.
Generally, though, stack sizes vary dramatically between players at different stages of the tournament. Overall, stacks are usually shallow in the mid to late stages.
How Deep Stacks Affect Game Strategy
With a short stack of 5-15 big blinds, you’ll often be reduced to either folding or moving all in, with very little room for postflop play.
With medium stack depths of say 20-30 big blinds, more hands will be played postflop, but the pot will often be settled by the flop or turn.
When it comes to knowing how to play deep stack poker, you have to be prepared to play a hand over the course of multiple streets, rather than just stacking off as soon as possible. This requires a lot of skill when it comes to hand reading and choosing your betting lines.
Certain poker strategy concepts also take on new relevance when stacks are deep, such as pot control and implied odds.
Pot Control When Stacks Are Deep
In simple terms, the deeper the stacks, the stronger your hand needs to be to risk your entire stack.
For example, hands such as top pair top kicker are strong enough to play for stacks with a short or medium stack. The aim is to pile the chips in as soon as possible. With deep stacks of 100 big blinds, it’s rarely going to be worth risking the lot with top pair. It’s going to be too costly in the long run when you run into two pair or a set.
The solution to this is pot control, which involves keeping the pot small by checking or flat calling, rather than betting and raising. This allows you to make it to showdown with medium strength hands, or to risk less when you’re unsure.
Pot control doesn’t mean checking every street. You still need to find value when your hand is ahead. By slowing down on one or two streets, though, you can make sure you don’t lose your entire stack to stronger hands, while also keeping weaker hands in the pot.
Implied Odds and Speculative Hands
Implied odds refer to the amount that you could potentially win in a pot when you manage to improve your hand, such as by flopping a set or completing a draw.
For example:
- Player A: 5♣ 5♠
- Player B: A♠ A♣
Player B open-raises from early position with pocket aces, and Player A flat calls on the button with pocket fives. Pocket fives is rarely ahead and does not have the right pot odds to call the bet, but have favourable implied odds, meaning they stand to win a lot when they hit.
If Player A doesn’t hit a set, they can easily fold their hand on the flop and lose very little. If they do hit a set, which happens an average of 12 percent of the time, they can stack off with what is nearly always the best hand.
Implied odds are much more favourable when stacks are deep, because you have more chips to gain for the same initial cost of calling the bet.
Take the example above:
If stack sizes are only ten big blinds deep, Player A has to risk more than a quarter of their chips even to call a small raise of 3bb. If they hit a set, they can only win 10 big blinds. If stack sizes are 100 big blinds, however, Player A still risks 3bb to call, but can now win 100 big blinds when they make a set.
Certain hand combinations have great implied odds, such as small pocket pairs, suited connectors, small suited aces, and even one-gap suited connectors. These are known as speculative hands. The aim of playing speculative hands is to get in cheap, get out when you miss, and stack off when you hit.
You rarely want to play speculative hands when stacks are shallow, as the implied odds are not favourable. When stacks are deep, however, implied odds shoot up and you can play way more speculative hands, especially when you’re in position.
Targeting Weaker Players
In deep stack poker games, there are more chips that can be won or lost in any given situation. Because of this, edges are extrapolated.
If you are less skilled than the competition, you stand to lose more from your mistakes. If you are more skilled, you stand to gain more chips when they make mistakes.
At a typical poker table, you’ll likely have an edge over some players and not others. That’s fine. You can take a relatively simple approach against stronger players when stacks are deep, being careful to use pot control when needed.
When deep stacked against weaker players, you should be looking to really push your edge, forcing opponents to make huge mistakes for hundreds of big blinds. Pay attention during the early stages, as there will be plenty of soft opponents who won’t be able to fold top pair.
Pros and Cons of Playing Deep Stack Poker
Deep stacks favour skilled players who are capable of dealing with the complex decisions that come with postflop strategy and playing out the hand over the course of several streets.
If you’re interested in elements of the game like pot control and implied odds, then deep stack variations, such as cash games or deep stack tournaments, are perfect for you.
Of course, there’s no shame in preferring the relative simplicity and excitement of shallow stack poker, in which shoving and reshoving reign supreme.
Here are the pros and cons of playing deep stack poker.
Pros:
- Hands will often be settled postflop with deep stacks, sometimes over the course of several streets. This favours skilled players.
- Your edge over opponents will be more pronounced when stacks are deep, making it possible to win huge pots from weaker players.
- Deep stacks allow you to play a greater number of speculative hands and see more flops.
Cons:
- Deep stacks make decisions more complex, and there’s more room for error.
- Hands such as top pair become more vulnerable, requiring stronger holdings to play for stacks, and careful pot control.
- Each hand involves more risk when stacks are deep, as you can lose a greater amount if you get it wrong. If opponents are more skilled than you, their edge will be extrapolated.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does deep stack poker strategy differ from short stack strategy?
Short stack poker strategy involves a lot of preflop action, with many hands settled before or on the flop. Deep stack poker strategy is more nuanced, with an emphasis on concepts such as pot control and implied odds.
What are common mistakes in deep stack poker?
New players often struggle with deep-stacked poker because they don’t know how to control the size of the pot when they have medium strength hands, such as top pair, instead of stacking off when vulnerable.
What is considered a deep stack in tournaments?
A deep stack in tournaments is typically seen as anything over 100 big blinds. “Deep stack tournament” can also refer to a type of tournament that has generous starting stacks and a slow structure.
What hands should I play in deep stack poker?
As with any depth of stack, you should always be playing your strong and premium hands. In deep stack poker, you can also play more speculative hands, such as suited connectors and small pairs that have favourable implied odds.