Can't keep a stack

[college kid]

For a while now, I have had a weird thing happening to me. I play on Party NL $25 buy in tables and my dorm game and dorm tourneys. Whether in the tourneys or cash games I have trouble keeping my chips once I double my buy in. It seems like I always dwindle back down and always cash out just a little up or get blinded out of the tourney. I don't know what is causing this and it's not something that I am used to happening.

I have really thought and though but I don't know why. I don't think I get stupid agressive and I think I play just as well as when I was previously building up my stack. Sometimes it's not just double my buy in--but there is always a key point where I just start to dwindle back down. I am fairly sure that it's not just variance--it happens like clockwork. I am only marginally ahead for my tournaments and live games during these periods.

Has this happened to anybody? Is this the right forum for this? Would I get other helpful responses if this was on another forum?

[Ianco15]

The only explanation I can think of is that you change your game style when you get up. You may become more passive and tight because you dont want to lose you profit. Just a thought.

[Al Schoonmaker]

It is literally impossible to analyze your problem without more information.

If you want to solve the problem, you must keep much more detailed records.

If you want intelligent help from us instead of guesses, you have to share those records with us.

Regards,

Al

[dfscott]

As Al says, we really need more information, but I'll share my own experience and maybe you can draw some parallels.

When I first started playing single-table NL tourneys. I'd constantly find myself "resting on my laurels" once I'd built up a big stack and hoping the smaller stacks would knock themselves out with their wild play. I never took into account the fact that a big stack in the beginning (i.e., a double stack) was peanuts nearer the end. And also that the blinds increasing actually favors the smaller stacks.

I found that the key to maintaining/building the larger stack was a hit-and-run approach. Enter most pots with a raise and play agressive until you hit resistance, but be ready to back off so you don't double someone up unnessarily. Don't feel like you have to call just to knock someone out -- make sure that either a) you don't have to put in much to call or b) you have a hand that has a decent shot at winning.

[Cry Me A River]

As dfscott, said, once you have a big(ish) stack you need to consolidate your position and keep building, building, building. In particular as the blinds increase you need to take serious advantage of positional play. In addition, you have to realise that when you are the big stack and playing against bad players, there are two types of players; Those who see you as an opportunity to double up and those who are afraid of you. The former will be happy to gamble against you, the latter will lay down marginal positions like middle pair (which may be the best hand) if you get aggressive on them. (These stereotypes obviously do not apply against good players, particularly TAGs).

So don't try to push the gamblors off hands, but on the other hand they'll pay you off when you have a monster. Weak tighties will often allow you to scoop pots but if they play back at you watch out! And if you want weak tighties to pay you off for a big hand, you're going to have to be tricky (slowplay).

As play continues (particularly in a tourney) you will find the weak tighties tend to outnumber the gamblors considerably, but the gamblors who survive will often have the bigger stacks. At this point you should be able to steal frequently, against the tight players, both PF and on the flop particularly when you raise PF in LP and bet out on raggedy flops (or scary flops which get checked through) against weak tighties. Just beware of overcommiting yourself on these bluffs/steals and semi-bluffs.

Remember,

Just because he's a maniac, doesn't mean he can't have a big hand.

Just because he's a small stack, doesn't mean he can't have a big hand.


It's often said that bad players don't really notice how other players play, this is true except they do tend to notice the big (and particularly huge) stacks. You need to taylor your play based on your opponents. If you're playing against a bunch of maniacs, then you want to be perceived as someone who's willing to gambol too (so you'll get action on your big hands) but in reality you want to avoid spraying chips their way. Against weak-tighties, you want to be seen as "scary", they're not apt to gamble anyway so you want to be able to steal, steal, steal from them.