How To Stack Poker Chips Like A Pro

I know another guy who just uses racks to stack his chips when he's deep. I don't like that method because racks get in the way and you can't always be sure that they don't have bigger chips hidden in there. Some poker rooms discourage or don't allow playing with racks on the table outside of limit Holden anyway. Poker Tournament Chip Values. If you decide to play a poker tournament and want to be able to play more than 5 or 6 blind levels, then you will need at least 4 chip colors. Most chip sets now come with at least red, white, green, and black. Here is a simple and flexible chip value system commonly used in live poker tournaments: Red – $25.

You can learn a lot about your opponents starting with the size of their poker chip stack. You will usually find that the good poker players have the large chip stacks and the weaker players have the smaller chip stacks. There are a couple of reasons for this.

The better players generally win, so they tend to have a large bankroll.

The weaker players generally lose, so it is natural that their bankrolls are often small.

A common mistake that many weak players make is that they play at limits that are either too high for their bankroll or play at a higher limit where the competition is too tough for them.

Of course this isn’t always 100% accurate. There will be times when a good player is on a losing streak and bad player gets on a bit of a winning streak but it does serve as a pretty good indicator of whether you are up against a good player or a weak player. You can get an indication about new opponents by looking at their stack size when you first sit down at the table. This is especially true at the higher limits, which requires a larger bankroll to play. The size of your opponents stack is going to be your first impression. When the cards are dealt you’ll begin acquiring additional information about your opponent which may or may not change that first impression.

A player with a small stack usually falls into one of two categories – The first is someone who plays a lot of hands, which is probably why his stack is so low. The other type of player is one who just moved up from a lower limit game. This player probably is playing very tight since he is scared of losing a lot of money. With either type of player, you can use this information to your advantage. Play aggressively against the scared player and don’t try to bluff the loose player.

An exception to this rule is when the players stack becomes so low that they will go broke with just a few more bets. In this case, both types of players generally tighten up a lot waiting for that big hand. This is a great time to play aggressively against them both before and on the flop. Attempting to steal the blinds on them can be very effective as they tighten up.

On the flop, try to be the aggressor and then back off if your opponent either bets first or raises. Since he is playing survival poker, it is doubtful that he is bluffing. Playing aggressively is usually very profitable against opponents with small stacks and since there is not much risk to you, you can back off if your opponent shows any signs of strength.

When it comes to your own chip stack you want to be playing with a stack large enough so that you can play a hand effectively. For example, say if you are playing in a $5-$10 game of hold ’em and you have about $50 in chips. With a few big bets/calls you can easily run out of chips during a hand. If you are playing a tight-aggressive strategy which is the style that I recommend, you definitely don’t want this to happen. Be sure to buy more chips so that you are playing with a large enough stack for the limits that you are at.

I would recommend that at minimum your chip stack be 10 times the big bet. So in a $5-$10 game of hold ’em, you need at least $100 in your stack before any given hand. I personally like to have at least 25-30 times the big bet for a stack of about $250 to $300. This way if I feel I have the best hand and am up against an opponent who keeps raising and re-raising me I can play the hand how I want to and not worry about running out of chips.

Stacking poker chips in uniform towers of 20 with the higher denominations clearly visible to opponents may be the standard, but that standard will be forever boring once you take a look at the chip stacking creativity of CzechRaiseCharles in a recent YouTube video.

Charles Michna may not be adhering to the Poker Tournament Directors Association guideline that calls for allowing other players the ability to make a 'reasonable estimation' of your chip stack, but no matter. These outrageous stacks are things of beauty and are a must see for players of all skill levels.

From Legos to Poker Chips

Even better is that CzechRaiseCharles gives a brief tutorial on how to build poker chip towers of your own, passing on secrets and skills honed from a youth spent playing with Legos. That youth was not misspent, as Michna clearly developed expertise at creating structures that are a marvel to behold.

CzechRaiseCharles stated:

'There's a lot of different things you can make once you get the basic concept down.'

Name Your Towers

Totally cool are stacks that have a small foundation and then get wider as they creep upwards toward the sky. Or the 'Rocketship' that comes complete with a spiral and walkways and a swirl design on top that was difficult to keep from toppling over.

The Aria Casino was the venue that found Charles and his pal Kendall building the 'Pagoda' and 'Android Man.' Another incredible chip tower was constructed at Lucky Chances Casino, with Charles choosing that structure as the one for viewers to recreate in his Chip Stacking 101 tutorial.

Maiden Drone Flying Voyage

Overshadowed by his chip stack castles was the beginning of Charles' vlog in which he and some buddies went up on a rooftop and flew a drone over San Francisco. Michna's first drone flying experience looked to be a success as viewers saw a wonderful birds-eye view of the City by the Bay.

How To Stack Poker Chips Like A Professional

It's likely that CzechRaiseCharles' first attempt at creating poker chip towers wasn't nearly as successful, but he has since mastered the art.