Watching Stack Sizes

PLAYING $1 AND $2 NO LIMIT CASH GAMES with Sam O’Connor

In the last issue we discussed playing short stacks in wild games and how that can work for us. The conclusion was that, with a short stack in a wild game, we had the mathematical advantage and the advantage of limited play because the tall stacks couldn’t push us around. We also said that we’d better leave the game after winning a couple or a few pots because we could lose it all in the next hand in a bad beat or a bad play. (Some good readers have pointed out the easiest place to pocket the profits and jump to another game is online.)

Today, we discuss the importance of watching stacks. It’s sad when, in the middle of a hand, a player looks up and asks his opponent, “How much do you have in front of you?” The player who asks that question is neither watching the opponents’ stacks nor is he planning the play of his hand from the start. Although, we will acknowledge that sometimes the question is asked in order to gain a psychological edge.

The Duke.
Those who play $1 and $2 blinds, no cap, no limit poker in Las Vegas have probably run across “The Duke of Fremont”. On our honor, we can’t reveal his real name but Duke is well known among the small blinds poker playing locals and many visitors have met him and have enjoyed his company.

Duke approaches the table in sartorial splendor and his many costumes vary from Wild Bill Hickok to Zorro. My favorite from Duke’s closet is a well tailored pen-striped suit, tie and pocket handkerchief, topped by a fine fedora. The Duke is nothing if not affable in his friendly approach. The well calculated shock for the newcomer is watching Duke being seated at the poker table and promptly displaying $30,000, mostly in $100 bills in gold money clips.

No need to be afraid of Duke; he isn’t there to run over the game. Basically, the only time he pushes all-in is when he has the nuts. Players soon learn he just wants to have fun and win a little when the cards are right. Players soon stop thinking of themselves as short stacked against Duke because it quickly becomes apparent he isn’t there to bully the game.

One evening Duke was playing his usual conversational game and was heads up with a quiet middle-aged gentleman. Duke had the best hand after the turn and didn’t want the opponent to see the river card. Duke looked at his opponent and said, “I’ll put you all in.”

The man briefly studied the situation and then calmly replied, “You can’t put me all in.”

The remark prompted Duke to look more closely at the opponent’s money and he then saw the small stack of $5,000 checks the man had brought from the casino pit. A quick count showed the opponent’s total to be about $65,000 and, for the first time in Las Vegas history, the elaborate $30,000 display was at risk.

Duke turned white.

By the way, for those who don’t know, “I’ll put you in” is considered bad form because it is both a personal statement (therefore confrontational) and not really a bet; it is only an announcement of an intention to bet. The more traditional “I’m all-in” serves the situation much better whether the person making the statement has a higher stack or not.

But Duke meant nothing personal, nor would he ever intend such a thing. Duke, who was accustomed to having the most money at the table, had neglected to watch the opponent’s stack.

There was a long silence after the “I’ll put you in” statement which the dealer wrongly interpreted as a bona fide bet. In addition to turning white, Duke developed a lump in his throat. The long, deathly silent interval taken by the opponent to decide whether or not to call the thirty thousand dollar bet seemed a royal eternity to The Duke.

After a suitable time, the gentleman folded his hand and Duke could once again breathe easily.

Yes, friends, it’s a true story and it happened in a $1 and $2 no limit hold’em game.

Just as the short stack isn’t threatened by tall stacks in a wild game because the tall stacks can only bet the amount held by the short stacked player, tall stacked players aren’t usually threatened because the short stacks can’t bet any more than they have in front of them.

Watching the size of stacks is high on every good player’s list of things to constantly track. Even worse than the player who looks up in the middle of a hand to find out how much the opponents have in front of them is the player who makes the bet and then looks up. The amount of the opponents’ stacks should never be a surprise to the player who has made a bet. Many of these players will say, “Oh, if I’d known that’s all you had, I’d have bet all-in on the flop.” Now that is particularly sad.

There are two reasons for knowing before the flop, or even before the hand is dealt, how much the opponents have.

The first reason is to be able to protect a good hand from cheap draws by the opponents before the flop and on every street. The good player knows just what he’ll bet, if he chooses to bet, before he sees the cards and the amount he’ll bet will often depend on the stack sizes of the opponents.

The second reason is to be able to make a sizable bluff for at least the size of the pot which should be at least the size of the opponent’s stack. Making a sizable bluff into a short stacked opponent is no bluff at all. Sometimes the bluff should even be made before the flop, but it should always be made before the bluff amount is so feeble it loses its power.

Watching stacks is important enough that those who aren’t doing it will be losing players almost every time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sam O’Connor is the author of the popular book How to Dominate $1 and $2 No Limit Hold ‘Em. You can contact him at HowToDominate@aol.com

Read more Poker Strategy Articles

Put your new found skills to the test at Doyle's Poker Room where you can earn 33% rakeback with no deductions. Doyle's Room is the only online poker site endorsed by the God Father of Poker - Doyle Brunson.