Big stack strategy

Poker is one of the favourite card gambling games in many countries. And any beginner trying to figure out the peculiarities of the game is searching for strategies, just as a more experienced player is looking for new options. And for the latter category, one of the most well-known and commonly used is the BSS big stack strategy.  It is known as a basic strategy. Even so, it is virtually beyond the reach of the novice poker player, so more experienced players employ it and use it well.

BSS is based on high-limit play and requires at least lots of experience, but also a lot of capital. Learning the ins and outs would be very difficult, because there is no push-fold tactic, you do not get involved in the first hands, you use psychological and time-tested tricks to bluff your opponent, and do it very skillfully.  And in order to succeed, you need a certain skill and the ability to make the right decision even in a difficult situation.

Advantages and disadvantages of the strategy

The basis of BSS is to use the maximum possible stack size, allowing one to draw more goodies when playing a strong hand.

 One of the peculiarities of this approach is that it has a high variance and requires a big initial investment.  As for potential win rate, it would be considerably higher than other options, such as a small stack strategy.  But here there is a disadvantage because it is difficult to determine the appropriate behavior model for the strategy as well as for the game in general. That is, in addition to the advantages, there are some disadvantages, which are always worth considering. And at any stage, any player can face problems and have to make difficult decisions, so a smart approach and experience are needed.

So, the main advantages of the strategy are:

1. With a win, the pot increases in many ways.
2. This strategy increases the player’s level, as difficult decisions must always be made.
3. In many ways the reputation of the player increases.

As for the disadvantages, there are:

1. A significant loss of finances in case of failure.
2. It takes an impressive investment to use the BSS strategy.
3. There is no possibility to develop in a certain direction, as every situation is unique in its own way, and requires a certain algorithm of actions.

Which styles are appropriate?

A big stack strategy will yield the best results with a titov-aggressive style of play, which is based on the basic factors:

1. tit-for-tat play. Care must be taken when choosing a starting hand to play, as a large portion of the stack can be saved.  In the case of big bets, it is necessary to immediately assess the hand and understand what can happen. In other words, when analyzing the process it is necessary to carefully assess risks and unnecessary waste.
2. aggressive play. This approach is needed in order to influence the opponent psychologically. And being under pressure, he will simply err and make bad decisions more often. In the game, it is better to stick to the betting and upside rule than to agree to your opponent’s terms.
3. positional play.  A player will always have an advantage over his opponent in a later position, as he makes a later decision. And by analyzing your opponent’s actions, you can immediately understand how strong his hand is there. So you can always adjust your own actions as well.