Stack
The total number of chips a player has in front of them.
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What Is Stack?
A player's stack determines how much they can bet or lose in a hand and is often expressed in big blinds for easier comparison across different stake levels, especially in tournaments. Managing stack size relative to the blinds and to opponents' stacks is central to nearly every strategic decision in poker.
Examples
A player sitting down with a $500 stack at a $2/$5 cash game.
A tournament chip leader with a stack of 150,000 while the average stack is 40,000.
Strategy Tips
Always track your stack size in big blinds rather than raw chip counts, since this makes comparisons across stakes and stages of a tournament meaningful. Consider effective stack size relative to each individual opponent, since that -- not your total stack -- determines how much is actually at risk in a hand. In cash games, evaluate whether to top up your stack to the maximum buy-in to maximize your implied odds and leverage. In tournaments, adjust your overall strategy significantly as your stack transitions between deep, medium, and short relative to the blinds.