Going Deep
Texas Hold ‘Em tournaments are sometimes formatted for long play, and feature deep starting stacks and long blind intervals. The classic example of this is the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event, which had starting stacks of 30,000 chips, and blind levels lasting two hours.
A deep stack format gives players wider margin for error early in the contest. It can almost be approached like a cash game because the blinds start out small compared to your stack. You risk a very small percentage of your stack by calling the blind or a small bet. In deep stack poker online, you can play more hands in a looser style in the early stages of the tournament.
When you’re playing with a deep stack, you can use your chips to gain information by making a small value bet. It is correct to use your chips to gain useful information about the other players’ styles and use that knowledge later on in the tournament when the betting is larger.
Deep stack tournaments let you play more speculative hands, like medium suited connectors, than sit-n-go and small tournaments.
You must still use some selectivity, and not just throw your chips away. There should be a purpose for every chip you put into the pot, whether it’s to scare off players or just to gain insight into another player’s style. Keep this in mind when you play poker online.
