The Eternal Poker Dilemma

Every poker player has faced it: should you grind your way through steady small pots, or swing for the fences with fewer but larger wins? It’s the equivalent of deciding whether to snack your way through the night or wait for one giant buffet: both strategies can fill you up, but the journey (and the risks!) are worlds apart.

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What “Small Pots” and “Big Pots” Really Mean

In simple terms, winning small pots is the grinder’s approach: you play a controlled game, scoop up blinds, continuation bets, and modest showdowns. It’s less glamorous, but it keeps your chip stack alive and breathing.

On the other hand, winning big pots is about patience and boldness: you wait for premium hands or carefully timed bluffs and build towers of chips in a single swing. In other words, it’s cinematic, but also volatile.

The Grinder’s Path: Many Small Pots

Small pots are the bread and butter of professional tournament players, since they don’t often double their stack in a single hand but instead they accumulate, like drops filling a bucket. The advantages are clear: reduced variance, steady momentum, and a table image of consistency.

But grinders must beware: opponents catch on, and if you only ever win small pots, aggressive players will punish you in bigger confrontations. In cash games, this style can feel like clocking into a job. It's profitable, but demanding.

The Big Swing: Few Large Pots

There’s a certain thrill in waiting for the monster hand or pulling off the perfectly timed bluff that creates a massive pot, that's for sure. These victories change the entire trajectory of your session! In tournaments, one double-up can catapult you from short stack to contender.

The downside? Variance. If you live by the big pot, you risk dying by it too: waiting too long can blind you out in a tournament or bleed you dry in cash games. Chasing the cinematic moment makes for good stories, but spells poor bankroll management.

The Math and Psychology Behind It

Poker math teaches us that expected value (EV) matters more than the size of any single pot. Ten small profitable situations might outweigh one flashy double-up. Still, psychology is part of the game: small wins project control, while big pots build fear in your opponents: how your table sees you is as important as the chips in your stack. Let's see Cash Games vs Tournaments:

In cash games, where stacks refresh endlessly, grinding small pots is often king. Profit comes from exploiting edges repeatedly, and not by risking your bankroll on coin flips.

In tournaments, the dynamic shifts. Sometimes you must risk it all in a big confrontation, because survival is as valuable as chip accumulation. Small pots keep you afloat, but the final table is often reached through bold plays.

The Real Answer: Balance

So, is it better to win many small pots or few big ones? The honest answer: both. A well-rounded player scoops up the small opportunities while knowing when to pounce for a stack-changing pot. Too cautious, and you fade into mediocrity, Too reckless, and variance will chew you up.

The great players master the art of balance: collecting crumbs when the buffet isn’t open, and grabbing the whole cake when it’s on the table. The balance between the two strategies of course changes when it comes to cash games vs tournaments, as in the first case there is no need to take risks in monster pot if you're unsure, while in the other the position you'd gain from a win may justify a moderately reckless call.

Ok, so?

Poker is not just math, nor just psychology. It’s a dance between patience and boldness, between steady drops and tidal waves. Whether you prefer the grind or the gamble, remember this: you don’t need to choose one forever. The real skill lies in knowing which approach the table, and the moment, demands. So, next time someone goes in a juicy all in, consider carefully the situation. It might be the moment for a hero call that skyrockets you into 1st position in a tournament, or the one where you bust your poker bankroll and your poker career for a while.