Free to use Instant feedback No login Local study tool

Stack and SPR advisor

See how stack depth and SPR change a PLO hand.

Enter four hole cards, choose a position, and set the effective stack plus the pot size in big blinds. The advisor shows whether the hand wants shallow, balanced, or deep stacks, then explains how the same shape changes as SPR moves.

Check a hand Open the evaluator Open the hand coach

Starting hands Opening ranges Common mistakes Opening checker Hand comparison

Stack view Ready to assess

Best depth Enter cards and stack size.

SPR lens Pot size changes the real pressure on the hand.

Position fit Position changes how much depth you can realize.

Main risk The warning text appears here.

Interactive tool

Check whether the hand wants shallow, balanced, or deep stacks.

Use standard card codes like Ah, Ks, Td, or 7c. The advisor uses hand shape and position to tell you whether the stack depth helps or hurts the spot.

Card and stack entry

Hole cards

Enter four distinct cards. Example: As, Ks, Qd, Jd.

Enter four distinct hole cards to activate the advisor.

Effective stack

Use the stack in big blinds. Deeper stacks give speculative hands more room to realize equity.

The same hand can move from mixed to strong as the stack gets deeper.

Pot size

Enter the pot before the next decision, in big blinds. Pot size changes the true pressure on the hand.

A deeper stack with a bigger pot can still play like a short SPR spot.

Position

Pick the seat you are in before the action reaches you.

Later position usually realizes depth better because you see more information before committing chips.

Quick examples

Use the presets to see how stack depth changes the same card structure.

Live read

Enter a hand to see the stack depth fit.

The advisor will explain which depth band the hand prefers and why.

Depth band --

Position fit --

SPR --

Stack score --

Action bias --

Enter cards and stack size to see the fit meter move.

Why this depth fits

The explanation appears here after a complete hand is entered.

Next study Starting-hand evaluator

Use the free evaluator to compare this shape against other hands before you commit chips.

Pot pressure

Pot size matters because two identical stacks can create very different SPRs and different commit points.

Stack depth rules of thumb Practical PLO guidance

Shallow

Value hands and high pairs realize more of their equity when the stack is short.

Balanced

Hands that can both make and redraw well stay flexible when the stack sits in the middle.

Deep

Connected, double-suited hands gain value because the extra chips let more nut paths matter.

Examples

Common stack shapes you can recognize fast.

These are practical checkpoints, not solver outputs. They help you see when a hand wants to avoid shallow spots, when it stays fine across the middle stack band, and when deeper stacks unlock the best version of the hand.

Deep rundown

Double-suited connected hands usually improve as stacks get deeper because they keep nut flush and straight paths alive on more runouts.

Shallow pair

High pairs and made-hand value hold up better when the stack is shorter, because they need less runway to realize their equity.

Balanced broadway

Broadway-heavy hands often sit in the middle band. They can work in many stacks, but they become more fragile when the hand lacks suits or clean connectivity.

Study notes

Use stack depth as a filter, not an excuse.

Depth changes the value of the same four cards, but it does not rescue a hand with no nut routes. The best PLO hands gain flexibility from both structure and depth.

Short stacks compress speculative value and favor hands that can realize quickly.
Deep stacks reward nut potential, redraws, and hands that can keep action on more boards.
Position matters because it changes how much of the stack you can actually realize.
If the hand is close, compare it against a cleaner shape before you add chips.
Use the evaluator or hand coach when stack depth alone does not settle the spot.