WSOP Deep Stack Mistake #2: Overestimating Implied Odds
When you’re used to playing 20-30 BB’s deep, 75 BB’s can feel like a monster stack. The truth, however, is that with 75 BB effective stacks, calling a standard raise of 3-4 BB’s with a small pocket pair for set value alone is a marginal play. Not only do you need to hit your set, which is about 8 ½ to 1 against, but your opponent needs to make a hand that’s big enough to be worth his stack but not big enough to beat your set.
It’s even tougher to play more speculative hands like suited connectors and one-gappers. The perfect flop is not going to come around often enough, so you need to have deeper stacks or a few more tricks up your sleeve before you start calling with these. When you have a very good feel for your opponent such that you’ll be able to bluff, value bet, and even fold with a high degree of accuracy, these become more playable. But many players overestimate how well they can be pull off such plays, especially when out of position. Which brings us to the next point…