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Strategy

Stack depth in poker

How many big blinds you have in front of you, which changes which hands are worth playing.

Stack depth is measured in big blinds, not currency, because it is the ratio that matters. A $200 stack at $1/$2 and a $2,000 stack at $10/$20 are both 100 big blinds and play identically.

Depth decides how much hands can win. At 100 big blinds a small pocket pair has room to flop a set and win an opponent's whole stack, so it is worth calling raises with. At 40 big blinds there is not enough behind for that payoff, so the same hand loses value and the strategy shifts towards raising or folding.

Learn GTO's charts carry both depths: 100 big blinds for cash games, 40 for tournaments.

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