Poker Techniques: Big Stack Bluffing
When you’re the big stack, you’ve got a huge psychological advantage over the other online poker players, especially when it’s late in the tournament and everyone’s trying to finish in the money. When you’re the big stack, you usually can put people all in without risking a major part of your stack, so everyone else will be trying to avoid you and stay in the tournament.
If you’re in position, you can raise pre-flop, double, triple the blinds, whatever. When you’re in a good spot, it’s great to make the other players fold pre-flop. The exasperation on their faces just serves to let you when they’re ready to start going on tilt.
Big stack intimidation is especially effective against players who are habitually tight poker players. Use your stack to put them in for more chips than they’re comfortable with, and get ready to collect their blinds.
As with any aggressive strategy, use discretion. It won’t do you any good to lose half your stack to reckless raises. Pay attention to the others and figure out what they’re holding as best you can. Watch their betting patterns and mannerisms and get out if you put them on a good hand, but the second that you discern weakness, put them up for their poker chips and watch them fold to you.
