Today, we will discuss some exploits you can do when a cash game suddenly becomes deep-stacked.
Let's say you're playing in a home game: $1/$2, $2/$3, $3/$5, etc. You’re playing with someone who normally plays with 50 or 100 big blinds. Now, all of a sudden, they have 170 to 200 big blinds.
Once the stacks creep over 150 big blinds, we enter deep-stacked territory. Deep-stack play is unnatural for many players because they have little practice in this domain.
Watch the video above now for these pro tips, or read on.
Try these exploits
I will share some exploits you can use when facing these opponents.
For one, they're very likely to overvalue one pair, especially over pairs and mediocre two pairs. They do that because if they call off 65+ big blinds with a mediocre two pair, they can usually get away with that. It's not 'that big' of a mistake. If you go broke with one pair, 180 big blinds deep, that's a much bigger mistake.
Let's say you play a suited ace, a suited connector, a suited gapper, a pocket pair, a suited Broadway, or something of that nature that can make flushes, straights, sets, or two pairs. These hands will beat many of your opponent’s mediocre one- and two-pair hands.
When you make one of these large hands, I’d advise you to start betting big. If you bet 70% to 80% pot, this person's on winner's tilt often, and they'll think, ‘Oh, 80% pot. That's not that much relative to my stack.’ They'll pay you off way more than they should if you're betting 80% pot on every street.
Bluffing your deep-stacked opponent
If you did want to go for a bluff deep-stacked, there are some situations where you can put a ton of pressure on someone with 180 big blinds.
I suggest that you focus on boards where there's a flush draw. Your opponent has just checked, has just check/called, or has checked back to you. They most likely would have acted aggressively if they had a set or two pair, or something better to protect and get value from their hand.
The fact that they checked back or just called indicates that they often have just one pair. You may want to start using overbets versus this person in this situation.
When you overbet, your opponent will start doing the math and think, ‘That’s 190 big blinds that could be all-in by the river. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do when I have a mediocre top pair or second pair or even when I have a mediocre overpair in that spot.’
What will happen is you will get many opponents to fold. Obviously, that’s a good thing.
I would begin experimenting with these two exploits when facing someone who is not very experienced with deep-stacked cash play.
Good luck at the tables.
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