help playing as a big stack

[pgil]

here's my problem. I have become pretty good at playing as a medium stack, and maybe a little better at playing as a short stack, probably because of all of the experience. but i have found myself with a big stack a few times recently, and i feel that i didnt make enough use of it. i would be way ahead of everyone for a while, but i would only make moderate gains, allowing everyone else to catch up significantly. i was wondering if anyone had some good tips on how a big stack should be used.
thanks

[TLR]

Big topic to cover...

I think playing big stack is dependant a bit on the table fabric.

In general you want to play agressively winning pots by forcing people out of them.

On tight tables and in bubble where people are desparate to get ITM this tactic works very nicely.

You want to mainly attack the medium stacks and the short stacks who are not too desparate to call anything. vs the really short stacks play agressively and put them all in even with marginal hands if you think knocking out a player has value for you.

On loose passive tables aggression does not work quite as well, here you want to limp more preflop and attack when you hit your hand

[Fortune 500]

As the big stack, you have the power... and the time to really weild it is the bubble.

On the bubble, you want to pay attention to stack sizes. You don't want to attack the baby stacks. They're actually what gives you your power, as the other players are waiting on them to bust. Once their out of the pot, you can raise anything, nearly. Why? Because the others Don't want to tangle with you. Use that fear to your advantage. Put yourself in their shoes... once you can empathize with their situation, you can manipulate their play. It's too big to cover in a do-this kind of way, but it's about understanding the scenario, and the other players frame of mind. At this point, it's about playing other players fears... your cards are irrelevant.

[pgil]

thanks for the replies, but I was more wondering about the mid stages of a SNG, say like down to 2 tables of a 3-4 tables tourney. since i am usually against a loose passive table, i think i like the idea of limping into more pots, then trying to take them away on the flop.

[Fortune 500]

That can work. I personally tend to actually take the opposite approach. I just play solid aggressive poker when the cards and situation dictate, but don't get too involved, for this reason: Th eplayers have no reason to be ultra cautious here, and someone's gonna gamble with you. The bubble is where you can really utilize it, and maintaining selective aggression in that mid phase can do wonders to help you portray a tight image... so that when you're actually just playing stacks later in the tourney, they'll lend more credibility to the moves you make... at least for a while. And usually, by the time they catch on, it's too late anyhow. Food for thought.

[LeFou]

i like ignoring the cards when stacked. make substantial but not-huge bets into the most patient players, regardless of your holdings.
ideally, they get sick of this and look you up right about the time you catch a hand.
less-ideally, but still pretty good, you drop a small pile of chips when resisted, but
-it's an easy fold 'cause you've got dick
and
-they can't put you on a hand

[Rondavu]

Watch Ripptyde sometime, and know what it is to play table captain.