Poker Starting Stack Calculator
The blind structure calculator lets you create the perfect blind structure for your tournament in just a few clicks Concentrate on your cards Stop running back and forth to the computer, connect as many devices as you want to the tournament and manage everything from the poker table. Get rid of your spreadsheets. After entering data from a structure sheet, the Main Calculator will determine the Vig% (money from buy-in not going to prize pool) and assign S-Points (Structure Points). The more points the better the structure (more starting chips, longer levels, slower blind increases).
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Starting Hand Selection: Chen Formula : Sklansky Starting Hand Groups
The Chen formula is a system for scoring different starting hands in Texas Hold’em. It was created by Bill Chen for use in the book Hold’em Excellence by Lou Krieger. Bill Chen is also the guy that wrote The Mathematics of Poker.
With a 20bb stack in particular, one of the most effective ways to abuse the full stack and mid stack regulars is to 3-bet or shove all in before the flop on them again and again. I discuss the counter-strategy to this for full stacks by the way in my latest poker book, The Micro Stakes Playbook. Poker Stack Sizes Strategy. Stack size plays a very important role in the game of no limit Texas Hold'em.At any point during the game there is the possibility that all of your chips can be put on the line, so it is important that your are not only aware of your own stack size, but the size of your opponents' stacks also.
The process looks a little tricky at first, but it’s really quite straightforward and logical after you have worked through a handful of examples.
The Chen formula.
- Score your highest card only. Do not add any points for your lower card.
- A = 10 points.
- K = 8 points.
- Q = 7 points.
- J = 6 points.
- 10 to 2 = 1/2 of card value. (e.g. a 6 would be worth 3 points)
- Multiply pairs by 2 of one card’s value. However, minimum score for a pair is 5.
- (e.g. KK = 16 points, 77 = 7 points, 22 = 5 points)
- Add 2 points if cards are suited.
- Subtract points if their is a gap between the two cards.
- No gap = -0 points.
- 1 card gap = -1 points.
- 2 card gap = -2 points.
- 3 card gap = -4 points.
- 4 card gap or more = -5 points. (Aces are high this step, so hands like A2, A3 etc. have a 4+ gap.)
- Add 1 point if there is a 0 or 1 card gap and both cards are lower than a Q.(e.g. JT, 75, 32 etc, this bonus point does not apply to pocket pairs)
- Round half point scores up.(e.g. 7.5 rounds up to 8)
For step 5, it’s easier to refer to this extra 1 point as a 'straight bonus' to save confusion between steps 4 and 5. Subtracting 1 point for 1 gap and then adding it back again for lower cards seems a bit awkward I know, but that’s the way it works.
Chen Formula calculator.
Chen formula hand example scores.
- A K
- A = +10 points.
- Suited = +2 points.
- Final score = 12 points.
- T T
- T = 10 x 1/2 = +5 points.
- Pair = multiply by 2.
- Final score = 10 points.
- 5 7
- 7 = 7 x 1/2 = +3.5 points.
- Suited = +2 points.
- 1 card gap = -1 point.
- 0 - 1 card gap, both cards under Q = +1 point.
- Final score = 6 points. (5.5 points rounded up)
- 2 7
- 7 = 7 x 1/2 = +3.5 points.
- 4+ card gap = -5 points.
- Final score = -1 point. (-1.5 points rounded up)
- A A
- A = +10 points.
- Pair = multiply by 2.
- Final score = 20 points.
So now we know how to work out how many points different hands are worth, what can we do with the numbers to help us with starting hand selection?
Using Chen formula hand points.
The main reason behind using the Chen formula for different starting hands was so that you can categorize them based on the Sklansky and Malmuth hand groups table.
That’s all well and good for helping you to compare the strength of different starting hand in Hold’em, but it doesn’t really do much in the way of strategy for starting hand selection. Therefore, I have done a little bit of work and created a starting hand strategy using the Chen formula.
Chen formula starting hand strategy.
- Only ever consider calling a raise with 10 points or more.
- Always raise or reraise with 12 points or more.
Short-handed strategy. (6 players)
Early position.
- Raise = 9 points or more.
- Fold = 8 points or less.
Mid position.
- Raise = 8 points or more.
- Fold = 7 points or less.
Late position.
- Raise = 7 points or more.
- Fold = 6 points or less.
Full-ring strategy. (10 players)
Early position.
- Raise = 10 points or more.
- Fold = 9 points or less.
Mid position.
- Raise = 9 points or more.
- Fold = 8 points or less.
Late position.
- Raise = 7 points or more.
- Fold = 6 points or less.
'Raise' = Raise if there have been no raises or calls before you.
'Fold' = Fold regardless if there has been a raise before you or not. Just fold.
About my Chen formula starting hand strategy.
As with any set of rules or guidelines in poker, this Chen formula starting hand strategy isn’t perfect and will have it’s flaws. However, I like to think that this is an easy-to-use and solid preflop strategy using the Chen formula.
Most of the strategy involves either raising or folding preflop, which is a solid approach to take as a new player and a style that you will grow accustomed to as your game progresses. The starting hand requirements are also a little tight, but that’s only to be expected if you’re using a guide and you haven’t quite found your feet when it comes to starting hand selection yet.
I took inspiration from the Chen formula article at SimplyHoldem.com (no longer active) to create this starting hand strategy. I decided to develop my own because I believe that the guidelines at Simply Holdem were flawed because:
- It does not distinguish between short and full ring games.
- Just calling the big blind is not a profitable way to play NL Hold’em for the most part.
Chen formula evaluation.
The Chen formula is never going to be a complete substitute for proper preflop starting hand strategy. It will also take a little getting used to if you want to work hand scores out on the fly. However, this is as good a formula as you are going to find for working out preflop starting hand strengths in NL Hold’em.
The starting hand strategy I worked out will also have its own flaws, but again this is as good as a simple guideline is going to get for those preflop decisions.
Go back to the awesome Texas Hold'em Strategy.
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The Size Of Chip Stacks Is A Vitally Important Concept Defining Your Poker Tournament Strategy – The Lowdown Here.
Awareness of poker chip stack sizes - and how these affect both hand ranges and wider poker strategy - is a skill which separates the great players from the merely good. This article introduces some of the key concepts used when adjusting your strategy due to stack size considerations, presenting these in a format that you can profit from straight away.
We start with looking at how to objectively define your stack size using some common methods. Next we consider various sizes and note how these affect your plays, this covers open shoving, stealing, restealing and even 4-betting – depending on the depth of your stack. Finally we look at how you might judge whether your opponents understand these concepts, allowing you to spot times when they are being used against you.
Stack Size Strategy Adjustments In Poker Tournaments – How To Measure Your Chip Stack
There are several methods of measuring your stack size for the purposes of adjusting your strategy. While we acknowledge such methods as your ‘Chip Stack Index’ and ‘Cost Per Round’ this article will focus on the two most widely used – ‘M’ and ‘Big Blinds’.
The first was made popular by Dan Harrington and is known as your ‘M’ score (see our dedicated article on Harrington’s M for more). This shows a number based on the cost in blinds and antes per orbit of the table adjusted for the number of players. Your ‘M’ score then puts you in one of several ‘zones’ which dictate your strategy constraints.
Since you will usually be at a full (or almost full) table in the tournament setting, we prefer the simple method of working in Big Blinds. This provides us with useful ranges without requiring any calculations. Where antes are also in play you can make a small adjustment by adding half of the ante total on each hand to the big blind total.
The number of big blinds, or ‘M’ score, of your own stack is only part of the picture. For example, if your stack is twice as large as those of opponents left in the hand then the maximum that can be won / lost is based on their stacks and not yours. In this case your calculation should be based on theeffective stack sizes (largest of your remaining opponent’s stacks) rather than your own.
Stack Size Strategy Adjustments In Poker Tournaments – Strategy Overview
This section looks at the moves it is profitable to make with different stack sizes – we also include an estimate of the ‘M’ scores which correspond to each. When reading this we would suggest that your observations of opponents adjust too. For example, if you spot an opponent who often raise / folds with 11 Big Blinds then you have information that he is less likely to be aware of stack size considerations.
Small Stacks: 10 Or Less Big Blinds / “M” = <5.
Poker Strategy is pretty simple with this size of stack. Any raise you make will commit you to the pot (since the pot-odds to call a reraise will be too good to turn down). Your strategy is thus to push all-in with any hand you intend to play. While you do not have any fold-equity if an opponent raises, you may be able to get one or more limpers to fold, depending on your image and the player(s) involved.
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Medium-Small Stacks: 11 to 17 Big Blinds / “M” <8
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Here your stack is in the range where you should rarely be raising with the intention of folding to a re-raise, since the percentage of your chips at risk is too big in proportion to your potential reward (usually stealing the blinds). Your stack is also getting too large to open push all-in, again the risk is too large compared to the gains.
A stack of this size has the inherent advantage that it is very effective for re-stealing after another player has entered the pot for a raise. Pushing all-in for 15 big blinds after an opponent raises 3 times the blind puts pressure onto your opponent to make a big decision in the hand. Aggressive opponents who would be crippled if they lost the pot are ideal targets – since there is a wide gap between the hands they would open raise with and those hands which are strong enough to call an all-in.
Medium Stacks: 18 to 25 Big Blinds / “M” <12
Now you are in a better position to raise and then fold to a re-raise with far less damage, whether you do this will depend on your opponents of course. Note that if you get re-raised you can not usually force a fold by 4-betting all in. For example if you have a 2000 chip stack at BB100 and raise to 300, a reraise from an opponent to 900 means that your final raise would be only 800 more – with a pot of 2250 (including the blinds) your opponent will have an easy call based on the pot-odds alone.
Restealing is still a viable option with a medium stack, though since the number of chips you risk are greater you should seek to have some insurance against being called in the form of a hand with some value.
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Medium-Large Stacks: 26 to 35 Big Blinds / “M” <16
Here the flexibility of your stack is allowing you to make some moves (based on your opponent’ ranges and stack sizes) that shorter stacks can not make. For example, with 32 big blinds you can re-raise an initial raiser with the intention of folding if your opponent moves all-in with a 4th raise. You might also be able to force a fold by 4-betting all-in yourself (be careful that your opponent is capable of laying down their hand here – some are not!). Open raising with a wide range of hands in late position becomes possible, since opponents with those medium-small stacks who might have re-raised can see that you can call without risking too big a proportion of your chips if you judge yourself ahead of their range.
Large Stacks: 36+ Big Blinds / “M” >20
Here we have the maximum flexibility, it is this very flexibility which makes it worthwhile keeping your focus on accumulating chips – after all, it would be a shame to lose the ability to 4-bet bluff or 5-bet all-in.
Poker Starting Stack Calculator For Dummies
Stack Size Strategy Adjustments In Poker Tournaments – Adjusting To Your Opponents
We already mentioned the obvious example of an opponent raise-folding with <10 blinds. However this is far from being the only method of using information on stack sizes to help you make the right decisions against various opponent types.
While there are no ‘hard and fast’ rules when it comes to stack sizes, we expect competent players to be aware of the constraints that stack sizes place you under. If you see a regular winner make certain moves then the number of chips they hold can greatly help you assess their range of holdings.
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For example, a player who has shown stack size awareness with a stack of 12 times the blind raises 2.75 times from early middle position – do not expect this player to fold to a reraise, this is likely a strong holding. However, if this same player pushes all-in from late position after a raiser then we can assign a wider range, he will be aware of the pressure he is putting on the initial raiser.
Players who are not aware of stack sizes are another matter, however making the correct adjustments against them will show a profit over time. Unaware players will often telegraph holding a monster hand by making small raises (or re-raises) with these hands and overly large raises with vulnerable holdings and draws.
Noting the tendencies of specific opponents though the tournament will give you an idea of how they are adjusting to the stacks in play. Once you know this the remaining challenge is to adjust your own strategy to beat them.
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