Key points
- You can leave a ring game whenever you like. In a tournament, losing all your chips eliminates you.
- Measure stack depth in BB, not by its chip value.
- In tournaments, chip counts and finishing-position value are different because of ICM.
01How Ring Games and Tournaments Differ
First, here is a comparison of their usual formats.
| Ring Game | Tournament |
|---|---|
| You can sit down and leave whenever you like | You pay an entry fee, and everyone usually starts with the same number of chips |
| When you leave the table, your chips return to your wallet | Chips cannot be returned to your wallet. You use them to stay in the tournament and finish higher |
| The blinds usually stay the same | The blinds increase over time or after a set number of hands |
Your decision is not determined by the format's name. It depends on your stack, your opponents' stacks, the blinds, and how close you are to a payout position.
02Measure Your Stack in BB
The chip amount alone does not tell you how deep your stack is. Divide your stack by the BB to find how many big blinds you have.
| Stack and Blinds | Stack Depth in BB |
|---|---|
| 15,000, BB 3,000 | 5BB. The number looks large, but even a small raise uses most of your stack |
| 500, BB 10 | 50BB. The number looks small, but you have more plays available |
If you have 50BB and your opponent has 5BB, each of you can put at most 5BB into the pot against the other.
03Deep Stacks and Short Stacks
With a deep stack, you still have chips after the flop. You may have several opportunities to bet or raise.
With a short stack, simply calling a preflop raise can use a large part of your chips. If you enter the pot and later fold, you may have very little left. Look at both the amount you must call and the stack you will have after calling.
Preflop starting hand ranges are covered in Starting Hands with a Short Stack.
04When Losing Means Elimination
You hold 77, and an opponent with only 5BB goes all-in. Calling costs 5BB. Assume their range and position are the same in both cases.
| Your Stack | If You Call and Lose |
|---|---|
| 50BB | You lose 10% of your stack and have 45BB left |
| 5BB | You lose your entire stack. In a tournament, you are eliminated |
In both cases, the amount at risk is the same: 5BB. The expected value measured by the change in chips is also the same. The difference is that losing in a tournament can eliminate you and change your expected payout.
However, that does not mean you should fold simply because you are afraid of elimination. Consider the equity needed to call, your opponent's range, and how close you are to a payout position. The equity needed to call is covered in Pot Odds and Expected Value.
05Chip Count and Finishing Position Have Different Values
Tournament prizes depend on where you finish. Doubling your chips does not necessarily double your expected payout. In some situations, losing chips matters more than gaining the same number of chips.
ICM is a method for estimating expected payouts from every player's stack and the tournament's payout structure.
- Just before the remaining players reach the prize-paying places, avoiding elimination becomes more valuable.
- Just before a pay jump, it may be valuable to wait for a shorter stack to be eliminated first.
- When first place pays much more, building your stack becomes more valuable.
ICM does not change the strength of your cards. Even with the same equity, your play may change when losing would reduce your expected payout by a different amount.
06Common Misconceptions
Ring Games and Tournaments Require Different Hands
Hand rankings and equity do not change with the format's name. What changes is the stack depth, position, opponent action, and proximity to a payout position.
You Should Fold Everything in a Tournament
Survival has value. However, the blinds keep increasing. If you continue folding, your stack becomes shorter in BB, leaving you with fewer plays available.
07Check Your Understanding with 3 Questions
Question 1Your stack is 24,000 and the BB is 4,000. How many BB do you have?
View answer
Divide your stack by the BB. 24,000 ÷ 4,000 equals 6BB.
Question 2Which statement about tournament chips is true?
View answer
Prizes are based on finishing position. The percentage increase in your chips does not necessarily match the percentage increase in your expected payout.
Question 3Why might your decision with the same hole cards differ between a typical tournament and a ring game?
View answer
Hand rankings and the number of board cards are the same. Your decision can change because of stack depth in BB and the effects of ICM.
08Try It in BlackPoker
BlackPoker Ring games have 2–7 players. You can choose from five stakes and select your Buy-in amount. Tournaments have seven players and require an Entry fee. There are no rebuys. The blinds are multiplied by 1.5 every 10 hands, and the top finishers receive prizes.
Advice uses the same principles in Ring games and tournaments, suggesting plays based on your stack and the situation. It does not account for the payout structure or use ICM.
Frequently asked questions
Do hand rankings change between ring games and tournaments?
No. Stack depth and the payout structure can change which action you choose.
How do you compare tournament stacks?
Divide the stack by the current BB and compare the number of BB.
What is ICM?
It is a method for estimating tournament payout value from every player's stack and the payout distribution.
Produced and edited by Predy GamesPublished:Updated:Report an error:Contact
Play ring games and tournaments in BlackPokerBlackPoker is a single-player Texas Hold'em game played without real-money wagering. Ring games have 2–7 players. Tournaments have 7 players, and the blinds rise every 10 hands. You can see how changing stack depth affects decisions with the same hand.
Go to BlackPoker