In chapter 13 of The Course, Ed Miller explains Skill #9—Playing Deep—focusing on what really changes (and what doesn’t) when 5-10 games allow stacks of 300 big blinds or more.
How 5-10 Stack Depth Differs From 1-2 and 2-5
Miller notes that smaller games usually have firm buy-in caps, while 5-10 is often capped much higher or even uncapped. That means you’ll regularly face opponents with $3,000–$10,000+ stacks, which changes incentives and pressure—especially on later streets.
Myth-Busting: “Big Stacks Will Bully My Short Stack”
Miller strongly rejects the idea that you’re automatically disadvantaged if you sit with less money than everyone else.
Because live cash is table stakes, the effective stack between two players is limited by the smaller stack. A giant stack cannot force you to play for more than you have in front of you. In that sense, buying in shorter can actually protect you while you learn—and can even create strategic problems for deep-stacked opponents who are calibrated for much bigger pots.
Why Buying In Short Can Be Smart (Especially When New)
Miller recommends shorter buy-ins for players moving up, for a few reasons:
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Loss control: it reduces the chance that one huge mistake wrecks your session (or confidence).
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Forces clarity: you always know what you’re playing for; opponents must constantly adjust.
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Punishes loose-deep habits: deep players often enter too many pots and rely on big-stack leverage later. A shorter stack removes much of their ability to apply multi-street pressure and makes their speculative calls and fancy bluffs less effective.
He also points out that regulars may dislike short-stacking precisely because it can be profitable against their style.
“Not a Totally Different Game,” But One Extra Bet Matters
Miller argues that going from ~200bb to ~400–500bb usually adds roughly one extra pot-sized decision to many hands—but that single extra street has real consequences:
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Position becomes more valuable: in-position players can profitably continue with more hands; out-of-position players should tighten slightly.
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Early-street bluffing gains value: there’s one more potential barrel available, which changes how pressure works.
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Stack-off standards tighten: you should be more selective about which hands you’re willing to play for massive amounts.
Deep Stacks in Practice: Adjust Based on How Opponents “Dump Junk”
Miller ties deep play back to his recurring framework: players enter too many hands pre-flop, then get rid of the extras by:
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Folding: If they fold to turn pressure anyway, stack depth often doesn’t matter much—you can play a familiar strategy.
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Calling down: You keep using disciplined folds when you’re beat, but you also aim to win bigger when you truly have near-nut hands because the extra money is available.
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Bluffing: This is the tricky one. Deeper stacks encourage more aggressive bluffing lines, especially from players in position who can threaten huge river bets.
If You Choose to Play Deep, You Must Be Comfortable Getting Stacked
A major point: you shouldn’t play very deep if you’re scared of losing a stack. Fear shows up in your decisions, and good opponents will sense it and pressure you into exactly the mistakes they’re hoping for.
If you’re going to sit deep, Miller recommends leaning into:
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staying looser in position early in hands (not getting pushed off too easily),
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and accepting that losing a full stack occasionally is part of the environment.
What Actually Wins Deep-Staked 5-10
Miller’s takeaway is blunt: winning deep usually comes down to being better at poker than the opposition, especially in areas that scale with stack size:
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Board texture understanding: deep-stack bluffs and calls get expensive; many opponents misjudge which boards support which stories.
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Live reads: as pot sizes grow, the value of accurate reads (and the cost of bad ones) explodes.
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Emotional control: deep stacks magnify tilt and ego battles; patience and steadiness let opponents make stack-sized mistakes.
He also suggests that if deep-stacked results feel disappointing, a common reason is an information gap: opponents are picking up live-read data from you that you’re not collecting from them.
Final Key Reminders
Miller closes with several practical conclusions:
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You’re not obligated to match the table’s stack depth.
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Don’t sit deep unless you’re ready—emotionally and strategically—to play for stacks.
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Deep games can look wild without necessarily being “soft.”
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Even though depth loosens some situations, most players still over-loosen pre-flop.
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If you’re patient and sharper in texture/reads/mental game, aggressive recreational players will eventually make very expensive errors—and that’s where your profit comes from.