If you’ve ever played poker, you know that the goal is accumulating chips and building up a big stack. But what do you do when your stack becomes so large that it intimidates other players, or you are afraid to lose them? That’s where defending your big stacks comes in.

Defending your big stacks requires a different approach than most poker strategies. This is because now you need to be wary of other players trying to take advantage of the size of your stack. You have more at stake in each hand and, thus, more to lose if things don’t go according to plan.ย 

Fortunately, some simple strategies can help protect your chip lead while allowing for aggressive play. This article will explore strategies to keep your chip lead safe during an intense poker game.

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Increase Betting Sizes to Add Pressure

The best poker strategy to use at the beginning is to raise your pre-flop wager sizing. If your standard opening is 2.5-3x the big blind (BB), increase up to 4-5 times the BB. Send a clear message to the other players at the table right away that joining you in a pot will cost them dearly. A strong continuation bet (c-bet) of half the pot is necessary if you hit the flop or don’t, as long as your opponent also missed it.

When in the late position, raising your bet size will be advantageous. Players who must take action before you will be aware that if you join the hand, you will probably increase their initial bet. They will tighten up since they don’t want to give away chips, realizing you will re-raise. This will allow you to gather blinds and antes using pre-flop aggression.

Play With Precaution When up Against Other Big Stack Players

Most players believe avoiding other big stack players is a must. This ranks right up there in the pantheon of terrible poker advice. Players with large stacks are the type of players you want to engage in hands with since they can provide you with a considerable chip upgrade. Just be a little bit more cautious.

For example, you are the table chip leader in the late stages of the tournament. One player has 80% stacks as yours, and the rest has less than 40%. Most will recommend avoiding the player with stacks similar to yours. This is because they can damage your stack, but this is untrue.

It’s not that you should avoid this player but avoid players who use the Big Stack Bully strategy. If facing this type of player, don’t bluff, re-raise pre-flop, or fire c-bet unless you have a strong hand. The best approach is to play your usual poker tactics to avoid losing your chips.

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Play Tight

Although most players with big stacks play aggressively, there are times that you should consider a tight play. If you are playing big stack for the first time, consider playing a tight game. Play tight in regard to your calling ranges. 

Being in the big stack means you have the power to put pressure on your opponents with the threat of busting them. Therefore, use your big stack position wisely by running the show and not calling bets because you have many chips.

Expand Ranges When Necessary

Open up your range if your effective stack size is much larger than most other players. You can usually be a tight player with an opening range of A-J or better, a suited connector of J-10 or better, and all broadway and pocket pairs of 9 or better. If you have a large stack, you can play a higher suit ace, place your bet on a lower pocket pair, and play smaller connected cards. 

Expanding your ranges with a large stack will notify other players that you are playing wider than usual. With a strong hand, this poker tournament strategy will get you paid. This is because your opponents will be less likely to fold their hands, thinking you are at the bottom of your expected range or bluffing.

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Target Medium-Stacked Players

Sitting on a big stack gives you the power to attack a player with a medium stack. These are players with 25-30 big blinds. If a middle-stack player has a strong hand, they go all-in. And many players will fold if they don’t have enough stacks.

Usually, a big stack player thinks they should aim for a small stack player. But you’re mistaken. If you go after small stacks, you will find yourself calling 8 BB here or 12 BB there, resulting in you losing half of your stacks. So, go after medium-stacked players by pressuring them with your big stack since they will play tighter than small stacks.

Try to Open Lots of Pots

This situation is where your power comes in, but once you face aggression or hand weak hand, do not call your opponent’s re-raises just because you have a lot of chips. But, if you think another raise will get them out of the pot, do it. Use your large stack in that manner, but avoid putting yourself on the defensive. The value of your stack dramatically drops once you start defending them. In that instance, your opponents dictate the play, and you are just attempting to get lucky against them.

Protect Post-flop 

Even if you have the advantage of expanding your pre-flop ranges, there is a possibility that other players can get involved. They can have stronger ranges that lead to stronger post-flop ranges. Therefore, make sure to protect your post-flop by being defensive. This means you need to do more calling and checking but less poker betting strategy and check-raising. These strategies can be valuable, especially when up against an aggressive opponent.

Conclusion

Playing with big stacks can be fun, and you can play with more aggression over small and medium-stacked players. However, you still need to be careful with your strategies. If you do not make adjustments, you’ll begin losing your chips. Therefore, make smart decisions on the table to navigate confidently, pressure your opponents, and add more to your stack.