Chip stack and respective play should always be considered especially when you’re playing in tournaments. The role of chip stack is less influential in a cash game than it is in tournaments because in a lot of tournaments once you’re out of chips you’re out of the tournament, unless they have the option to re-buy-in. This can often drastically change the way you look at a hand and will certainly almost force your table image to change regardless if you want it to. The only thing you can do is play this image to the best of your ability.
Most players instantly on becoming the small stack tighten up their play and that is perhaps the best way to go about it because it increases your survivability guaranteed. If you are getting down farther and farther it should force you to get tighter and tighter on your game play. There’s really no way around it and it should force you to play your only very best hands until you get back to your feet.
What you have to be wary of is that you don’t tilt (become frustrated and toss your chips out the window with bad calls) because it won’t help you get back in the game and in safe chip position. And if you’re in a situation of do or die, then choose your next best hand and try to double up. Your best way of avoiding this situation is to really just play smart and conservatively throughout the game but regardless we will all end up there and when you do: just play your best and don’t waste your chips on sub-par hands.
There is also always that great feeling of being the large stack and even being chip leader in a tournament, and when you are in that position it can be played similarly to small stack strategies, or very differently. There are two schools of thought on being chip leader one is to bully and play aggressive which definitely makes money and proves to be eventful and often times a fun game play. Then there is a completely different one and that is to play more conservatively, whichever school of thought you subscribe to will probably be whichever you feel most comfortable. Playing any stack conservatively is always a good choice, a relatively safe choice but won’t win you the money that aggressive riskier behavior might win you. The arguments for this tighter play in a position of greater leverage is first to maintain that lead and advantage, and secondly because more players may play looser against you in attempt to try to lure you into a situation that would double them up. Especially as chip leader there will be some fear on your side inspired by your stacks but you need to take into account those players that will target you as well. Everyone wants to take down a giant and be THAT guy but you need to keep your cool and your head about you regardless of the chips you can ‘afford’ to sacrifice because remember no chip should be ‘sacrificed’ and you can’t ‘afford’ to lose any.
Either way you go keep in mind chip stack is as much a tool as is anything else that can inspire psychological effects on your opponent that can also stack up to help you overthrow him or her. You need to play it to the advantage that it can lend you but also be aware of the possible negative effects it can have and be prepared to deal with them when they arise.
