In the last Card Player magazine one of my favorite poker writers, Bob Ciafone, is writing about no-limit games with very deep stacks. I thought I would elaborate a bit on this interesting subject.
I often find myself at a no-limit table online with somewhere between 2-4 buyins when I have a good session. When this happens it is important to make some adjustments, because if there are other deep stacks at the table there is a lot more at stake all of a sudden.

So how do you adjust when you are up against other very deep stacks? I tend to play strong hands (like high pockets) more aggressively preflop. If someone wants to see the flop with a speculative hand, I make sure to charge him a substantial amount for it. Forget the standard raise of 3-4 times bb, I raise closer to 10 times bb with my premium hands. And always proceed carefully when I get called. To get commit your entire stack with pocket aces or kings when someone flops a set is a very costly mistake when the stacks are deep.

When I have position against the other big stacks I like to see a lot of flops. I often call raises with medium suited connectors and middle pocket pairs. The implied odds are a lot better than usual and when you flop hard you have the chance to win yourself a very big pot. But be careful with low pockets, even though set against set is rare, it will prove very costly when it happens.

Position is more important in no-limit poker than in limit poker, and when the stacks are deep the importance of position is even greater. My starting hand requirements are very strict when I am in early position and the stacks are deep. I avoid drawing hands and play only the very best starting hands when I am UTG or in the blinds.

Don’t forget that when you have a very large stack the other players tend to give you respect. Use this fact, a flop bet will a lot of the time give you the pot when your opponents have missed their hands.

Read more about deep stacks in Bob Ciafone’s column here.