We’ve discussed the ethics and practicalities of using the clock to your advantage in parts 1 and 2 of this series, now we’ll put an example under the microscope. While stalling in MTTs is fairly normal and straightforward, manipulating the clock in Sit & Go’s can be much more crucial. Obviously, it only comes into play when you are one of the short stacks and the blinds are so high that you and the other short stacks have close to five big blinds.
For example, you could be in a spot where both you and another short-stacked player have 1,000 chips on the bubble with the blinds at 100/200, and you can stall in the small blind so that the blinds increase to the next level of 150/300. The cumulative increase will have a devastating effect on your opponent since he now has no fold equity and will be pot-committed when the big blind gets to him. This effectively allows you to wait and see if he gets knocked out before you are forced to make a move.
Putting your foot down
This kind of stalling is typical in Sit & Go’s, as it has such a huge effect on the outcome of the game, but there are still situations where you might deviate. For example, in the above situation if you were in the big blind and the opponent with 1,000 was on your direct left, it would be better to stall so that you pay the increased small blind of 150 but he pays the increased big blind of 300, since this does him more damage than you.
Of course you should also be aware of other players who are likely to do this to you and try to outfox them by thinking a few hands or minutes ahead. Always make a note of such players in your notes – it may get confusing but it can become a fascinating strategy subtext to your regular game!
Just remember that stalling can be a controversial subject, so you shouldn’t use it too much, or to the extent that it is obvious and will cause other players to try to do the same back to you more in future. Nevertheless, it still has legitimate and important uses in poker tournaments and Sit & Go’s, so make sure you always keep an eye on your cards, opponents and the clock. It’s just another part of the balancing act that is poker!