Would you rather have skill edge or a big stack near the bubble?

anbu210 · Jun 1, 2026

Navin Sarabjeet · Jun 1, 2026

Put me up for big stack near the bubble

dreamer13 · Jun 1, 2026

Having a skill advantage will always result in more profits over the long term. However, in the short term, especially on the bubble, tournament math and stack protection guarantee a higher return on investment.

moraeskvmi · Jun 1, 2026

Near the bubble, having more chips is always better.

machinm19 · Jun 1, 2026

Give me the big stack please, the amount of times I'm short stacked on the bubble has got to be a national record.

akmost · Jun 2, 2026

Nice question, I guess for one time I would prefer the big stack , for arriving many times with a big stack near bubble I would go with the skill

eetenor · Jun 2, 2026

The goal of MTT poker strategy is to build stacks to carry you to FT. The answer becomes always big stack at bubble because I used my skill edge to get it.

Rosemaryyy · Wednesday at 8:28 AM

anbu210 said:
Would you rather have skill edge or a big stack near the bubble?

If I had to choose one, I'd take the big stack near the bubble. A large stack gives you immediate leverage over the table, especially when other players are trying to survive and make the money. You can apply pressure, steal blinds, and force tough ICM decisions on shorter stacks.
That said, the ideal situation is having both. A skill edge can generate value throughout the tournament, while a big stack creates opportunities that even great players can't always manufacture. Near the bubble, though, chip advantage can be incredibly powerful because everyone else is feeling the pressure.
It's an interesting question because a world-class player with a short stack still has limited options, while an average player with a huge stack can sometimes dominate simply through position and pressure." ♠️🏆🃏

Marcos1315 · Wednesday at 12:29 PM

If you have a very high skill advantage, and your stack isn't too low, I believe it's a skill advantage. When you have a significant advantage, you'll know how to exploit certain situations to put yourself in a better position. And when you're better, you need less to be among the top 3. You'll have opportunities to get there by surviving or by doubling your stack with a good hand. With less skill, you'll need a deep stack, which is rare, and play well until the end. Fewer opportunities, and when they arise, nothing is guaranteed. One bad hand and goodbye stack.

GLAVI65 · Wednesday at 1:05 PM

Chips closer to the bubble

anbu210 said:
¿Prefieres tener ventaja por habilidad o una gran pila de fichas cerca de la burbuja?

10gerka · Wednesday at 1:21 PM

The skill of playing poker will make you earn more money in the long run. You might have a big stack on the bubble, but if you don't know how to play well, you can lose it in two hands. On the other hand, if you study and perfect that skill, you will go far in tournaments where the biggest prizes are at the top.

SergioV · Wednesday at 5:54 PM

I'd rather have the skill edge. A big stack is great, but if you don't know how to use it, you can lose it quickly.

Marshmalo1994 · Thursday at 1:59 PM

Big stack please.
That would almost be like guaranteed ITM every time.

Flyer35 · Thursday at 7:33 PM

100% big stack!

flamenkit154 · Friday at 12:49 PM

Put me down for the big stack near the bubble. A skill edge is great for the long run, but a massive stack at the bubble gives you absolute ICM leverage to bully everyone and lock up an even bigger stack for the final table

TeUnit · Friday at 2:22 PM

Thats a hard question, you would need to know the format and the chip stacks and how much of an edge.

The big stack near the bubble is often more valuable than the general icm would say, because you basically force people to fold their good hands to avoid bubbling.

If you want to see this scenario in action run some hands through sngwiz and adjust the edge.

my_world_myway9 · Friday at 4:15 PM

I would want skill because i will find myself with a big stack near the bubble more often using skill to get there more often than without it! knowing what to do with the big stack is also essential to making it to the other side!

Rmi · Friday at 4:42 PM

It's always better to be in good shape

ratbat615 · Friday at 5:33 PM

Near the bubble I will take the big stack every time if I am able to knock out some small stacks along the way I will be happy, skill edge is good but that can get you knocked out because you are bullying the weaker players they may wake up with a hand.

pltelles · Friday at 5:37 PM

In my case, it's about having a good number of chips, to put pressure on those with few chips and avoid being easily pressured by the table's chip leader.

Pabloro10321 · Friday at 5:39 PM

In the long term, skill; in the short term, chips.

orchidra · Friday at 8:31 PM

This thread reminds me of a quote by Jesse May.
"Poker is a combination of luck and skill. People think mastering the skill part is hard, but they're wrong. The trick to poker is mastering the luck."

So with Jesse's quote still fresh in my mind and no more information to help with my decision, I'll go with the majority of posters so far.
"a big stack near the bubble".

SPANKYSN · Saturday at 10:12 AM

anbu210 said:
Would you rather have skill edge or a big stack near the bubble?

Skill…big stacks can disappear quickly if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Would you rather have skill edge or a big stack near the bubble?

anbu210

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