No Limit Texas Holdem Stack Size and Betting
Stack size matters in poker games, but especially in No Limit Texas Holdem. It is not that being small-stacked means you're doomed. On the contrary, you can easily catch up and grab that big pile of chips in one hand like you can't do in Limit Holdem. But stack size does influence the game and how it is played.
Stack Size Matters
Stack size refers to the number of chips each player has. When players have big or small stacks, it has a direct impact on the poker game. Stack size can be measured as small, medium and large.
Small Stacks - 10-40 times or less than the big blind - A small-stacked player in a full table is going to be very tight. Their last remaining chips are precious to them, so they will not play just any hand. The table is full, meaning they do not have to post the blinds often; they can afford to wait. If they get a hand they want, they will play it aggressively to make the most of it. If they are in the blinds, they will defend it with even a marginal hand.
It is easy to bluff a small-stacked player. Just bet the size of their stack when you have a good read on them. On the flipside, they may go all-in since they haven't much to lose (having lost almost everything already).
Medium Stacks - 40-80 times the big blind - Medium-stacked players can also be bluffed. With more chips available, you can expect to be able to raise more money for your drawing hands and great hands that you want to slow play. A drawing hand is a nice but incomplete hand, such as if you flopped three cards to a straight. You need to keep the play going and you want more bets in the pot in case you do hit the hand. Clearly, it is easier to induce bets when there are more chips.
Large Stacks - Over 80 times the big blind - These are the bullies of every table. But large stacks are more vulnerable in No Limit Holdem. While players with medium-large stacks can be bluffed, a player with a *very* large chip stack is dangerous to play with. They can easily call your bluff if they just want to prove you're bluffing. In poker, you really should pick on somebody your own (stack) size. An exception is if the big-stacked player is a loose player who just got lucky.
In summary, some chip stacks are easier to bluff than others. Some make chasing a drawing hand worth the effort, and others don't because there's little to win.
Finally, a note on buy ins. Most live casinos put a limit on buy ins. That means you can't buy in with 2,000 times the big blind when everyone else has only 50 times the BB. In online casinos, you'll have better luck, perhaps up to 100 times. To be safe, buy in as much as you can afford.
