Using bankroll to your advantage

Reef · #1 10-19-2004, 02:10 AM

The game is limit anything. As a +EV player, you have a bankroll of 400-600 BB. Do you think it is of any psychological advantage to put your whole bankroll out on the one table you play at?

CrisBrown · #2 10-19-2004, 02:24 AM

Hi Reef,

[ QUOTE ]
The game is limit anything. As a +EV player, you have a bankroll of 400-600 BB. Do you think it is of any psychological advantage to put your whole bankroll out on the one table you play at?

[/ QUOTE ]

I've always wondered why anyone would see an advantage in this. I love having big stacks at the table. After all, I can't win more money than my opponents put in play. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

Cris

Bluffoon · #3 10-19-2004, 10:03 AM

Why alert other players to the fact that you are a successful player? I would much rather have my opponents view me as a short-bankrolled loser than a well-funded winning player. I never put out any more than the buy in and I dont add to it until I am in jeopardy of going all-in.

Sidekick · #4 10-19-2004, 11:48 AM

I have a little different, but similar take on this from Cris.

I am with Cris in that I love to see someone sit down at the table with 300+ times the table BB. Why? Past experience indicates that the person is generally only an average player at best and is trying to intimidate the other players at the table through their chip stack size. As an example, the most you can put in on a single hand in a limit hold'em game is 12 BB, then all those extra chips aren't really doing anything except trying to intimidate your opponents.

The bad side to putting a large stack of chips on the table is that I do feel that it intimidates newer players. When you intimidate them, they begin to play more cautiously. As a general rule though, you want them to play recklessly! So why would you want to intimidate the people you want putting their chips into the pot?

So yes I feel it does provide a psychological advantage against new and weak players, but the people it intimidates are the ones that you want feeling relaxed and confident against you.

KowCiller · #5 10-19-2004, 12:24 PM

There's a guy who I've played with and seen a few times who does this, to an extreme. He seems to be a decent player (although not as good as he thinks he is) and he brings every chip he's ever won in a backpack with him to the casino (in mostly $1 and $5 chips, from what I've seen).

A "friend" of his told me he has upwards of $3-4k+ in his backpack, and regularly pulls out 300+ BBs to sit at the table with him in a low limit game (4-8 or so, with stacks and stacks of $1 and $5 chips).

Personally I think he's very foolish for carrying around so many chips in a backpack into a casino. I'm not sure if it's some sort of ego complex that drives him to do it or what. The casino is just a few blocks from the ghetto, and for a frail looking white dude, I don't think he'd put up much of a fight if someone decided they want his backpack.

So in summary, I think it's definitely -EV in a low limit game to bring such a roll to the table in chips. Any intimidation factor is only going to hurt you in these games. A Jolly gamboool it up attitude is much more profitable. It's super -EV if one of the local gang bangers decides that his losses at the craps table can be easily made up by taking such candy from a baby.

Just my thoughts.

KoW

Bez · #6 10-19-2004, 11:48 PM

People just think you are a dick for plonking down a huge amount. They'll probably try to play their best to take your money.

steamboatin · #7 10-20-2004, 08:02 AM

I find myself wanting to color up and keep my stack small. On those rare occasions when stack size is an issue.

TomCollins · #8 10-20-2004, 09:40 AM

There are basically 4 stack sizes I would consider when someone buys in.

1) The minimum. Someone who has no clue what they have gotten themselves into. This person will lose his money, rebuy, then lose that. Total fish.

2) An average amount (15-30BB). Someone who has at least played before, is somewhat competent, or might even be very good. No real tell here. This person is at least comfortable.

3) Bigger stack (30-100BB). Usually someone who is either there to gamble and doesn't care about losing money, running well and winning, or a pretty solid player. It is pretty easy to distinguish the two.

4) The showoff (100BB+). This player is obviously trying to impress and intimidate. If he was so good, he would be playing a bigger game (maybe he is waiting for a bigger game). Generally suffers from Josh Arieh syndrome "you called me with the best hand??? How dare you!". Usually not as good as he thinks he is, or has a huge ego.