Reading the other stacks
From All_Aces WSOP recap,
I had 80K or so. Here's my problem: I'm not great at counting other people's stacks. I play a lot of online poker, where the player's chip counts are always right there in front of you. Live, I have a problem ballparking it. The bottom line is that I thought I was on a much shorter stack, comparatively, than I actually was. The other guys looked like they had monster stacks. And in a way, they did, but my 80K was not as hopeless as I thought it was at the time.
I have the same problem, as I'm sure alot of online players do when they play live games, and it cost me money at a recent small tourney I was in. Is there an easy way to train yourself for this or is it just practice and experience, practice and experience?
I've actually thought about randomly placing stacks of chips at the other end of my kitchen table when I make my morning coffee and then glancing up while reading the paper to read the stacks as a practice routine but it seems alittle obsessive for a casual player like myself.
I had 80K or so. Here's my problem: I'm not great at counting other people's stacks. I play a lot of online poker, where the player's chip counts are always right there in front of you. Live, I have a problem ballparking it. The bottom line is that I thought I was on a much shorter stack, comparatively, than I actually was. The other guys looked like they had monster stacks. And in a way, they did, but my 80K was not as hopeless as I thought it was at the time.
I have the same problem, as I'm sure alot of online players do when they play live games, and it cost me money at a recent small tourney I was in. Is there an easy way to train yourself for this or is it just practice and experience, practice and experience?
I've actually thought about randomly placing stacks of chips at the other end of my kitchen table when I make my morning coffee and then glancing up while reading the paper to read the stacks as a practice routine but it seems alittle obsessive for a casual player like myself.
Comments
(1) I recount my own stack A LOT. I always know where I am.
(2) I normally ask to see the other guys stack. A good long look will usually give you a pretty close idea.
Nothing more magic than that, though. You have the right to ask, "How deep are you?" Or, you may prefer my question, "How much will I win if I bust you?"
Again, however, don't get in the habit of only asking when you are facing a tough decision. I often ask the big blinds stack size before i look at my cards.