I just watched the PrimordialAA Archive Video 1 - Heads Up SNG From Scratch 1 and don't understand what I can do with knowing the effective stack sizes.
Let's say I have 2250 chips and my opponent has 750 chips at 25/50. Effective stacks are therefore 15bb correct?. I'm unsure of how to apply this "knowledge" during the game. What can I do with knowing this?
I really don't understand what advantage i get from knowing this? =)
Is it correct that I should raise 2xBB because the effective stack is 15bb? Now lets say the blinds are still 25/50 and my stack is still 2250 and my opponent has 1500 which equals to an effective stack size of 30bb, so I should raise 2.5bb?
One other example if my opponent has 10bb left so the effective stack size is 10bb? So I can push all in with ATC first to act since the effective stack size is "only" 10bb.
So I the effective stack size just tells you how much you have to raise?
Thank you so much!
You basically got it right yourself. Effective stacksize will help you to plan your play better.
Your example, imagine the villain only has 500 chips left and you 2500, so he has 10bb effective stack. If you raise your hand here 3bb standard you give the villain many profitable spots to shove over your opening raise. So in that spot you would probably play less hands or minbet more.
The effective stacksize should always give you an idea to raise 3, 2.5 or 2bb to make sue you have room to play postflop.
For the pushing ranges or calling ranges:
http://www.holdemresources.net/hr/sngs/hune.html
The numbers are the effictive stacksize.
The raise sizes based on effective stacks are generally guildeines.
Effective stacks, rather than chip stack numbers, are a way to measure the depth of the stacks (basically, how many BBs you can win in the pot, if you're at 15bb effective stacks, you can only win 15bbs from your opponent during the hand).
Now, what can you do with this information?
First hand, you're 75bb deep, on the button. You raise 3x. Sounds standard, but think about why you are raising 3x the bb.
1) Position is more important when you're at deeper stacks. Why? Because you naturally have an advantage by acting last postflop, and that advantage increases when you have more potential BBs to win vs your opponent, as there are more full streets with many more options for you in position.
If you're only 5bb deep, your opponent limps and you check, the pot is now 2bb and you have 4bbs left. No matter who is in position, a bet means you're putting 2/3 of your chips into the pot, and a minraise on that bet puts all your chips in. You don't really have many options, no check raise, lead the turn, no check call, check call, no check, check, call his OOP turn lead, then cbet when he checks the river. When you're deep stacked, you have a full array of options to use to your advantage in position.
2) Since you're deeper stacked, you'll want to build a bigger pot. Why? Because you want every opportunity to put your opponent's chips at risk postflop, where you have positional advantage. It's not very easy to build a huge pot if you minraise 75bb deep, then cbet a standard 2/3-34, then fire a turn bet. When you're 15bb deep, you can minarise preflop (flop pot 4bb), cbet for 3bb or so (turn pot is now 10bb) which leaves you with 10bbs in your stack in a pot of 10bb on the turn. You can check back a turn and still put all your chips in the pot, and any bet your opponent makes basically commits them to the pot. If you take the same type of line (minraise, cbet) 75bb deep, the pot isn't too large compared to your stacks and you will struggle to put many more chips into the pot.
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So you can use the effective stacks as a measuring tool to setup your preflop raises as well as your postflop bets. It also helps you recall specific spots that you've experienced before and helps you determine the best line in a much more efficient fashion.
For example, if you've played player before that opens a wide range of hands and won't get his stack in without a decent hand, you may have realized that it is very profitable to shove a wide range of hands over his 3bb open raise when effective stacks are 15bb. Maybe it was the 50-100 level and you each had 1500 chips (15bb effective stacks).
Well, say you're in real time, playing another opponent that opens a wide range of hands and won't commit his stack without a decent hand. He's opening 3x the bb but you have 750 chips and he has 2250 chips in the 25-50 level. This basically the same situation as the previous one because you are 15bb deep yet again. Without using effective stacks as a measuring tool you might never realize that you've been in this spot before and knew how to exploit your opponent.
It would especially be helpful if you had reviewed your play during the first situation and found the correct answer to a few hand questions (when should I have shoved when he was opening?) Without using effective stacks as a measuring tool you probably won't have any idea that the two situations are basically identical, aside from the fact that a player is opening a wide range preflop for 3x the bb.
Moving forward, I'd suggest rewatching Primo's video, almost everybody, myself included, tend to understand and apply the concepts in videos the more we watch them.
Also, look towards watching more Primo videos, as well as some HokieGreg videos. Some of my earlier videos may help as well, as everybody I just mentioned tends to talk about effective stacks in most of their videos.
Hope that helps.
Very informative perfect answer, thank you.
wow thank you a lot!
- Stevenrh1
I haven't seen all of Primordial's vids yet but I watched all of HokieGreg's and wow, I learned a lot about effective stack sizes. So try checking those out too!
He really lays it out for you with spread sheets and explains why your preflop raising sizes should be what they are vs the effective stack to BB, and when you can exploit your opponent for not understanding these concepts.
I can't tell you how many guys I've exploited who still raise 3x BB with only 20 BB's.
- Stevenrh1