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How Crucial are the Stack Sizes?

In playing poker, one of the skills that are being learned by players is the ability to peg a certain value to the cards that the opponents are holding. That is, if one knows that the opponent cannot be holding strong cards, and this opponent still calls or bets, then one already knows that this opponent is bluffing. And if one particular opponent raises, and one has already noticed that this opponent raises only when he gets a high full house, then perhaps it will be more prudent to cut ones losses and fold.

Aside from the value of cards, there is one other thing that belongs to the opponents but must be closely monitored.. This is the opponents' stack of chips. Here is one specific situation in a poker game that shows the importance of monitoring the opponents' stack of chips:

At the turn of a $10/20 limit poker game, one decides to check first and then plans to check-raise later in the same betting round. But one of the opponents called an all-in bet with his remaining $19. Another of the opponents called. Since one casino rule states that a bet lower than the full bet must not be raised, then one can no longer implement the original plan of making a check-raise. This is because one is left with only one option to stay in the poker game, and that is to call.

If one knew that opponent has $19 left, then one would have scratched the idea of a check-raise and would have formulated another plan or strategy. And if one knew that the opponent has $21, then one will be sure that his plan of making a check-raise will be carried out In land-based casinos and card rooms, one can only have an estimate of the amount represented by a stack of chips. But in online poker, one will have an exact idea of how much is the stack of chips that can be played by each opponent.

Of course, the opponents, too, will know the exact amount of one's chips. This is why one should be careful with betting. In the example above when one opponent bets all-in ($19), one should just call, so that the next player can only raise the bet up to $20. If one makes a bet of $20, the next player can raise the bet to double its amount, $40. The other players who checked before that one player bets all-in will also have the opportunity to check-raise the $20 bet.