Calculating stack size with BB ante
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,135
Strangely, I couldn't find any solid theory articles about this online, only old thread discussions where nobody seemed to know the answer. Simple question:
MTT, blind level is 200/500 with a 500 bb ante. Your stack is 10k. You have 20bb, but effectively half that since you also pay the bb ante on your bb. For the purpose of opening/jamming ranges and strategy, do you treat your stack as if it were 20bb, or 10bb?
I know Dan Harrington famously thinks about 'M' instead, which would be ~8 in this situation: 10k / (500+200+500)
should be called sevenfour
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 74,718
Well it wouldn't be 10bb, that's for sure
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 16,229
M = Stack/(Blinds + Antes)
BB ante doesn't change that, except that you pay all the antes for the orbit at once, which should have strategic implications as you get closer to the blinds.
So, in your example, assuming you have folded preflop every hand between your button and UTG, your M for all those hands was 10000/1200 or 8.3, in the BB, your M becomes 9000/1200 or 7.5.
In terms of BBs, UTG you have 10 BB 20k/500, in the BB, you have 18 (9k/500)
The only thing that changes with the BB ante is when your antes for the orbit are collected.
