Poker players use a variety of skills and strategies to maximize their odds of winning. One of the most effective tactics is using poker stack size strategically — a form of resource management in which every chip on the table is constantly taken into account.

No matter which format you’re playing, whether it’s online poker, at brick-and-mortar tables, or a casual game at home, awareness of how stack size impacts the flow of the game is extremely useful and applies to all betting strategies. Although it’s not a complex concept, many players underestimate its strategic versatility. It’s at once one of the most useful and uncommon poker tips for improving your game.

Stack size is always considered in relation to the blinds involved. Stack depth is usually measured by dividing your current chips by the big blind. In other words, a large stack in one game can be a short stack in another; it all depends on the ratio between the buy-in and big blinds. For example, a $2,000 stack may seem significant on its own, but it’s relatively small if your big blinds are $100 or more. 

Defining Stack Size in Poker

So, what is a stack, and how are stack sizes categorized? Most poker cash games have upper and lower limits to how much you can bring to the table, with the minimum (min stack) and maximum (max stack) usually being 10 big blinds and 100 big blinds, respectively. The aim of stack sizing and working with and against different stack sizes is to turn these limits into tools that inform your decisions.

In poker tournaments, each player begins play with the same stack size, but as the tournament progresses, stack sizes will vary, as will poker bet sizing. Strategies must adapt as the action moves forward.

Stack sizes are generally divided into four categories and referenced in terms of types of big blinds (BB): small (up to 40 BB), medium (41–99 BB), large (100–199 BB), and deep (200+ BB). These groupings refer to the maximum number of big blinds per buy-in. So, using the earlier example, a $2,000 stack would be small with $100 blinds, medium with $25 blinds, and deep with $10 blinds.

When you play online poker for real money, even though the maximum is usually 100 big blinds, that only applies to the start of the game. Larger stacks become more common as the game progresses, with each knocked-out player “feeding” the stacks of those remaining.

As you can see, poker stack size is a dynamic element of gameplay. It affects every hand from preflop to the river. 

Keeping a watchful eye on your opponents’ stacks and quickly translating them into poker blinds is as important as monitoring your own. Additionally, differences in stack size drive players’ decision-making. It’s important to keep in mind how other players act depending on the amount of chips that they have.

How Stack Sizes Affect Decisions

Having an effective stack size in poker is less about how much you have than what you do with it. Smaller stacks tend to limit your moves and push you to play cautiously, while larger stacks expand your options and allow riskier plays.

Having more chips to work with certainly gives you more room to maneuver in any given round. You can be aggressive and force passive players to fold early with a big-stack poker strategy, though bold plays can still backfire. 

On the other hand, smaller stacks may reduce your playmaking potential. Because mistakes are far more costly, your short stack poker strategy should focus on betting on hands that have a high chance of winning. This kind of push-fold strategy forces you to wait for good hands and shove when you have them, as doubling up is the best way to get back into the game.

Whichever poker strategy you choose, remember that the same restrictions limit your opponents. Poker bet sizing applies to your own stack and those of the others at your table. If other players have smaller stacks than you, they’re less likely to pull off elaborate plays. Similarly, a small-stack player going all-in can make you consider folding, even if you have a deep stack and a fairly strong hand.

How to Play a Medium Stack Size

Big and small stack sizes were briefly covered above, but you’ll also face medium stack sizes in cash games and poker tournaments. So how does something like this affect how you should approach the game? 

Unfortunately, they leave little room for preflop creativity, making hand selection and preflop range analysis essential for success. The stack is small enough that you can’t rely on implied odds here, and it becomes tougher to know when to play tight and when to shove.

Drawing hands aren’t very useful at this level, so you should consider playing big pocket pairs or top pair hands, and other premium poker hand selections. These will generally stand as good when they hit the flop. With this kind of stack, you could have a preflop raise, a flop bet, and a turn bet.

Plan your bet sizes across the remaining streets. Larger earlier bets may leave little behind for the river, while smaller bets can preserve room for another decision.

Tips for Stack Growth

Even when using unconventional poker tips, poker has no guaranteed outcomes. Still, by using implied odds and stack size, you’re improving your chances of walking away the winner. Always play your hand relative to the rest of the table, keep the stack-to-pot ratio in mind, and avoid unnecessary risks with a shorter stack. This applies to poker tournaments and cash game strategy applications.

Play conservatively at first — don’t worry too much if you miss a hand now and then. Once a few opponents have smaller stacks than you, you can make more ambitious plays and see out more rounds. After all, the aim is to be the last one standing in a tournament or leave the cash game with racks to cash in, and you can’t do that with a shrinking stack.

Once you can assess the average stack size after every move, you’ll always have an idea of where you stand relative to other players. You want to be at (or above) the average at any given point in the game. Of course, that’s easier said than done in a game involving chance.

Combining traditional poker theory with the fundamentals of stack size will make you a better player and help your overall poker bankroll management, provided you’re willing to gain experience and learn from your mistakes. Tracking stack sizes can help you interpret opponents’ decisions. And knowing how to adjust from playing a deep-stack poker strategy to a short-stack poker strategy quickly will help you stay on top of the game.

Join BetMGM Poker to Hone Your Stack Size Strategy

If you want to test your skills, develop your strategies, and play poker online, register with BetMGM for an extensive selection of games. There’s a wide range of tables and buy-ins to choose from, with daily tournaments and BetMGM Rewards. And speaking of rewards, use BetMGM’s exclusive online poker bonus to make the most of your first deposit.