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In a single-table tourney, your chip stack (how much cash you have compared to your opponents at any given point) relative to other players is the most significant aspect of the game.

Chip stacks bears a substantial impact on the hands you wish to play and the method you bet those hands after you jump right into the pot.

Your chip stack matters a lot. As you move on through a tourney, two players frequently acquire bigger stacks than other players in the table. Watch any growing giants closely. If they seem to seek to bully people a little, try not to stay in the middle of a hand where there is a head-to-head battle.  You must watch King Kong vs. Godzilla from a safe distance. You shouldn't be running among the civilians of New York getting trampled by those huge feet.

Determining your chip stack

To find the latest standings for the tournament, head to the tourney lobby. (The lobby is likely the place where you previously registered for the poker tournament.).  You can see the list of players registered with the tournament, as well as the blind amounts (during play at any moment), the start time, and the size of stack size owned by each player. Although the info itself is easy to grasp, the way it influences the game is a little more subtle.

To fully understand your chip stack, you should consider a few factors:

• Any big discrepancies between the stacks
• The blind sizes compared to your chip stack and other small stacks
• Your standing compared to any stacks

Pay attention to opponents with big chip leads or those falling quickly behind; both have a moderate tendency to over-bet the hand. If you have a superior hand, you shouldn't be afraid to go up against those desperados; in fact, you need to raise when you have the opportunity to show you are serious about that hand.

Always have a general idea about the number of level big blinds your current stack is equal to. If you have less than ten big blinds worth of chips, you should be ready to swing directly into the “5-to-10” rule, which prescribes that you conserve chips followed by an aggressive stance when you have a good hand.

Leading a single-table tourney in the initial stages does not do much for you, other than the mental comfort that usually comes with knowing you are not losing the game.

If you ever find yourself down after an early knock or two - particularly if an opponent knows that you are bluffing - tighten your playing style considerably and wait for high quality hands. Don’t guard the blind if you have mediocre hands. Once again, you want to conserve your chips to use them only if they can bring you more chips later.