Kevin Fox
Deep Stack tournaments have become the standard in tournament poker. When I first started playing in WSOP events, the starting stack was equal to the tournament buy in. Paying $2,000 to enter a tournament, and starting with only 2K in tournament chips, was crazy. The skill level is not brought to the forefront in short stack structure as you often pick a point early and often to play "BINGO". Your tournament life would depend on too many pre-river card "All-In's".
In the mid 2000's, the Venetian started running Venetian DeepStack tournaments. The popularity of the Venetian DeepStack tournaments caused a big change in tournament structures for the better.
The WSOP changed to twice the buy in starting stack, and today WSOP events have a 3X buy in starting stack.
The key to a Deep Stack tournament is "small ball". Don't put all your chips at risk, and you continue to survive. If you make bluffs, make only calculated bluffs with serious consideration to risk vs reward. The initial stages of a Deep Stack tournament have very little significance. The goal should be to be there at the end.
At a WSOP event years ago, I was seated next to Perry Friedman, a solid pro. I was discussing poker strategy with Perry, and he told me something that has stuck in my brain ever since, and is my primary thought in every tournament:
A poker tournament is a 3 step process:
There were 1405 entrants in this particular World Series event. I finished 13th for $23,235 and Perry finished 3rd for $196,455. Hey... maybe there is something to this survival strategy?
In the mid 2000's, the Venetian started running Venetian DeepStack tournaments. The popularity of the Venetian DeepStack tournaments caused a big change in tournament structures for the better.
The WSOP changed to twice the buy in starting stack, and today WSOP events have a 3X buy in starting stack.
The key to a Deep Stack tournament is "small ball". Don't put all your chips at risk, and you continue to survive. If you make bluffs, make only calculated bluffs with serious consideration to risk vs reward. The initial stages of a Deep Stack tournament have very little significance. The goal should be to be there at the end.
At a WSOP event years ago, I was seated next to Perry Friedman, a solid pro. I was discussing poker strategy with Perry, and he told me something that has stuck in my brain ever since, and is my primary thought in every tournament:
A poker tournament is a 3 step process:
- Do whatever it takes to make it into the money.
- Do whatever it takes to make it to the final table.
- Do whatever it takes to win.
There were 1405 entrants in this particular World Series event. I finished 13th for $23,235 and Perry finished 3rd for $196,455. Hey... maybe there is something to this survival strategy?
Martin Staszko
I linked previously to the Martin Staszko story of this year's (2011) November 9. He is now the official "poster boy" of the above 3 step strategy. Martin is now fully engaged in accomplishing step #3. Do whatever it takes to win.
Jerry Yang 2007 Main Event
Seat 1 - Jon Kalmar - 20.32 million
Seat 2 - Lee Childs - 13.24 million
Seat 3 - Philip Hilm - 22.07 million
Seat 4 - Jerry Yang - 8.45 million
Seat 5 - Raymond Rahme - 16.32 million
Seat 6 - Tuan Lam - 21.315 million
Seat 7 - Alex Kravchenko - 6.57 million
Seat 8 - Lee Watkinson - 9.925 million
Seat 9 - Hevad 'Rain' Khan - 9.205 million
Fortunes can change quickly at the final table of a Deepstack tournament. Look at the starting stacks for the 2007 WSOP final table. Phillip Hilm was the first player eliminated. Jerry Yang won. A swing of fortune such as this is not uncommon in a large poker tournament at the final table. So, if you have a ton of chips, play smart and don't give them away. If you are a short stack, don't give up because your situation can change for the better quickly with large blinds and antes.
One more reason for posting this picture... if you look in the upper left hand corner of the photo, you will see me... I just couldn't quite reach all the cash to make a run for it ;)
Seat 2 - Lee Childs - 13.24 million
Seat 3 - Philip Hilm - 22.07 million
Seat 4 - Jerry Yang - 8.45 million
Seat 5 - Raymond Rahme - 16.32 million
Seat 6 - Tuan Lam - 21.315 million
Seat 7 - Alex Kravchenko - 6.57 million
Seat 8 - Lee Watkinson - 9.925 million
Seat 9 - Hevad 'Rain' Khan - 9.205 million
Fortunes can change quickly at the final table of a Deepstack tournament. Look at the starting stacks for the 2007 WSOP final table. Phillip Hilm was the first player eliminated. Jerry Yang won. A swing of fortune such as this is not uncommon in a large poker tournament at the final table. So, if you have a ton of chips, play smart and don't give them away. If you are a short stack, don't give up because your situation can change for the better quickly with large blinds and antes.
One more reason for posting this picture... if you look in the upper left hand corner of the photo, you will see me... I just couldn't quite reach all the cash to make a run for it ;)