Introduction to Stack Sizes

Let's say, for example, that you are dealt a suited set of cards in a Hold 'em game — a Qs-9s, for example. The flop then yields two additional cards to match your suit — a 6s-2s — while the turn leaves you still hanging with an un-suited 10-5 on the table and only the river to go. Now, there may be only you and another player left in the game, and you know from watching her that the player is usually a tight player. In order for her to have stayed in the game this long, she must have a solid hand — either a pair of Kings or Aces — and she's likely looking to bring them against you at the end of the game. You know that to be able to beat her, your only chance is always to pull out a flush on the river and bag the game, however the probability of that happening at this stage in the game is roughly only 4: 1 against you.
So just how do you know whether or not you should proceed? Well, in the event that you and your opponent have sufficient stack sizes and were willing to go head-to-head up to this point, it’s likely that that there is a sufficiently sized pot for the taking that will only grow in the event that you both keep at it. By taking into consideration the probability of your successfully obtaining the nuts on the river of 4: 1 if the pot size is at least 4x larger than what it would simply take for you to call, you could generally consider opting for the flush to be a strong move. A smaller stack size, alternatively, might not yield as much profitability to the action and, as such, it may not be a good notion to follow through with this scheme.
Stack sizes also add a greater element to consider when bluffing against some opponents. Generally, opponents with much more resilient stack sizes will feel more comfortable in calling a bluff against them than those with smaller ones, meaning careful bluff consideration may be needed before attempting a play. Additionally, in tournament games, players may well not want to jeopardize their stack size if they are already in the paying bubble, therefore some more aggressive moves that might threaten their stack could be effectively used against them to steal blinds and moderate sized pots if you make your move right.
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