Deep Stacked Play - Part 1

The majority of online cash games are capped with a 100bb buyin - thus you rarely find yourself in deep stacked situations (200bb+) unless you and another villain have been sitting together and built up your stacks. Always be aware of a villain's stack size relative to yours...it can dictate both pre and post flop strategy.

Personally I feel as if most online players (including myself) do not have that much experience playing deep stacked poker and thus may shy away from tough/marginal spots out of position. The game dynamic changes quite a bit when deep stacked...implied odds go up and both position/EV of decisions on individual streets is accentuated because players may often have enough money to play the hand out to the river without having to go all in. Recently made it a point to put pressure on opponents when I have position with deep stacks. Check out the HH below from a recent deep stacked game.

Full Tilt Poker, $2/$4 NL Hold'em Cash Game, 9 Players
LeggoPoker.com - Hand History Converter

CO: $89
Hero (BTN): $986.40
SB: $1,648
BB: $452.90
UTG: $96
UTG+1: $337.60
UTG+2: $888
MP1: $410
MP2: $483.10

Pre-Flop: dealt to Hero (BTN)
2 folds, UTG+2 raises to $14, 3 folds, Hero raises to $50, SB calls $48, 2 folds

Flop: ($118) (2 Players)
SB checks, Hero bets $100, SB raises to $256, Hero calls $156

Turn: ($630) [ ] (2 Players)
SB bets $1,342 and is All-In, Hero calls $680.40 and is All-In

River: ($1,990.80) [ ] (2 Players - 1 is All-In)

Results: $1,990.80 Pot ($3 Rake)
Hero showed (a Royal Flush) and WON $1,987.80 (+$1,001.40 NET)
SB showed (three of a kind, Queens) and LOST (-$986.40 NET)


Preflop Analysis - The UTG+2 is actually a relatively tight player, but I decided to put some pressure on him with deep stacks and see how he would react. Much to my suprise, the SB (loose passive player) flat calls and UTG+2 folds. Didn't have much of a read on SB, his range here is a pocket pair...maybe 99-QQ?

Flop Analysis - Not a bad flop for me here, a OESFD. Not exactly sure I can ever fold J high in this spot. I get checked raised small and am CERTAIN the SB has a Q. Probably a KQ or QJ type hand. I eliminated QT from his range because I just do not see him CR'ing with a boat. RIght now I am confident that my all of my OESD and FD cards are live. Playing 100bb's deep I usually would just jam here, but we are deep and he is never folding a Q to a shove. I have position, so let's see a turn card.

Turn Analysis - not a bad turn card...turning a straight frushhhhhh! Before I am able to devise a plan to put all the money in over two streets he insta ships it!!!

River Analysis - how about adding some insult to injury, maybe my 3rd ROYAL FRUSH in 500k hands. It sure is nice getting paid with it!

SB's play here PF and on the turn is just TERRRRIBLE. Calling OOP to someone who has 3b a UTG+2 PFR with a one gapper is definitely questionble. The CR on the flop was fine, but he didn't price me out of ANYTHING - gave me 3-1! The turn SHOVE was pretty silly, it is a spot where he is likely ONLY going to get called by a boat or a flush (both of which have him beat).

BRACKCHIPS

Sorid post. Rike it. For those of you looking for the Cliff's Notes version of Brackchips's Guide to Deep-Stacked Play:

Problem: Playing deep-stacked is difficult, most regulars aren't good at it.
Solution: Turn the stone-cold nuts vs. a donkey with trips!!!

FWIW, I'm steadfastly against the call of the check-raise on the flop. I think 'eliminating' hands from a player's range and assuming he would NEVER do something with a certain hand (in this case, a flopped boat) is a bad idea. Furthermore, even if he does have just a Q, you don't know what his kicker is, which means that you could end up shipping in a whore rot of money drawing dead. For instance, what if the turn here is the Ac, and he shoves? Or the Kh? He could also have a bigger draw than you, like AcKc.

BRUECHIPS