Micro stakes poker strategy guide - conclusion. Beating the micro stakes, or preferably beating the majority of the micro stakes players, will be a matter of following a somewhat weak/tight poker strategy which revolves around getting great value from your biggest hands and slowing down in or even avoiding marginal situations. However, if you decide to learn poker at the micro-stakes tables at online poker sites, you'll save a ton of money. At a $0.01/$0.02 NL Hold'em table, the standard buy-in is only a dollar or two. Most poker sites have a minimum deposit of $10 or $20, so you can use your credit card to make a minimum deposit, then play at the small stakes tables. This is a discussion on Definition of stakes: micro, low, medium and high within the online poker forums, in the Cash Games section; Can someone please tell me what the definitions of each stake. Micro Stakes Tournaments – Part 1 Micro stakes tournaments are filled with inexperienced and poor players. Recreational players abound, tossing their hat into the ring for some fun and cards. The massive fields and peculiarly wild plays that are the norm in the low buyin tournaments can be frustrating for the aspiring poker student.

The micro stakes and the small stakes might seem distinctive, but the truth is that they are one of, if not the most immense jumps in online poker. Next to going from mid stakes to high stakes games, this is the biggest transition that almost any player will face. At 100NL (.50/1) is upon where the micro stakes end and the small stakes begin.

The most indisputable difference between these two limits is the number of regulars at each table. The density of regulars vs. fish starts to shrink more and more as you move up in limits. Along with this, the average skill level will rise tremendously. You are going to be facing a lot smarter and a lot more aggressive players in the small stakes arena. If you aren’t comfortable with some increased variance in your bankroll, the small stakes are not for you. The games truly do end once you step out of the micro stakes.

There is no denying that playing styles between micro stakes and small stakes games vary greatly. With that in mind, however, you should not be anticipating a complete shifty in your strategy when you move up a limit. One of the worst things that you can do is attempt to revamp your game completely, whether you are moving up or down in limits. The chances are that a winning skill set in the micro stakes will also do just fine in the small stakes. Plus, who knows, maybe you will do even better. Players know that the odds are that they will need to make some tweaks to their game before they find success at the small stakes, but you shouldn’t make changes until they are proven necessary.

Pre-Flop Differences

The pre-flop differences between the highest micro stakes games and the lowest small stakes games are not incredibly noticeable. The one thing that you will notice, at least over time, is an increased amount of aggression. There will be very few players who limp into pots and fewer still who will make min raises. You may also notice that the opening raises and re-raises will be a bit smaller than you were accustomed to in the micro stakes. While this is not going to always hold true at 200NL (1/2), you will certainly notice it in the 2/4 and 3/6 games.

The real increase in aggression levels at the small stakes is evidenced by the increase in players who are ready and willing to 3 bet at every opportunity. Position becomes one of the biggest advantages imaginable in these games as it means that players can steal, re-steal, and re-re-steal pots over and over again. You shouldn’t be all that shocked to see some players get all of their money in the middle with very random hands from time to time. Players will attempt to make moves that fail and will have no choice but to call off the remainder of their stack. This is where the variance begins to come into play, but that is discussed in further detail below.

In addition to increased overall aggression pre-flop, you are also going to find that the general play can seem somewhat illogical. Players are going to get involved with hands that you would not ever see at the micro stakes tables. The true profitability of most all winning poker players comes from an ability to manipulate the opponent post-flop. As a result, players in the mid stakes can get away with playing weak hands as an instrument to take down pots after the flop. Be careful, though, there is much more to this than may meet the eye. A skilled small stakes player will know exactly what they are doing when they re-raise with 3h Kh. If you don’t have a specific game plan for post-flop execution, it would be a mistake to jump into pots with seemingly random hands just because you see other people doing it.

Post-Flop Differences

Post-flop differences fall in line with the same general differences that you will notice pre-flop. Aggression as a whole is on the rise and odd lines are almost the regular. Players in these games know when to check raise for value, check raise as a bluff, or how to make money off of middle pair. To put it into context, there are plenty of small stakes online players who are better than the lower tier “pros” that you see on shows like High Stakes Poker on TV.

Do not underestimate the ability of a small stakes player to sniff out your bluff with nothing more than bottom pair, ace high, or even king high. Players in these games are very good at hand reading. If you are showing up with nothing, there is a good chance that they will make you pay for it. On that same note, winning small stakes players will ensure that they have earned every penny possible from you when they have a made hand. These games, particularly post-flop, are not for the type of player who is even remotely inexperienced. You should have a beyond complete understanding of pre and post-flop dynamics if you want any shot at posting a win rate in the small stakes.

Variance

Variance is one of the unfortunate realities that comes along with higher limit games. As you move higher and higher up in limits, the competition becomes more and more fierce. The product of this competition is a clash in skill levels. In other words, players are so evenly matched that often times there won’t be anyone at the table who has a significant advantage. In these games, players tend to trade more money around than they actually make. The best way to reduce your variance as you move up to small stakes games is to table select very well. The players who can find the best games will have the fewest tough opponents to deal with.

Regulars

Regulars, also known as regs, are another common staple of the small stakes online games. If you open up four tables of $3/$6 in the middle of a week day at any given poker site, the odds are that you will see each table is occupied with the same sets of names. The only time that you can really see who the “fish” are is at nights and on the weekends. A lot of players will try to take advantage of this by playing exclusively at night and/or on the weekends. If you are not looking to make poker a full time job, or anything close to it, playing at these times of the day and week will be the closest thing to great table selecting in the small stakes.

The reality is that the games are just so flooded with professionals and winning players that it can be quite tough to find anything that would be considered a “good” game One good line to remember, especially when you are new to small stakes games, is that “If you can’t spot the fish, you probably are the fish.”

Micro stakes poker tournaments are the tip of the beginning of a poker player’s cash journey. While some of us might take this stage lightly or as a means of an experiment, micro stakes poker is actually where you need to create a good game practice if you wish to go beyond this limit and create an upward graph in future.

With the help of a few simple online poker strategy tips, new players like you will be able to beat this scene and fast track your run towards bigger profits in the sport.

Play Loose-Aggressive

We know what you are thinking when we say this out loud. Most players would advise to play tight and aggressive at this stage, however, you must know, this is what every player is doing.

So, if you wish to make profits in micro stakes online poker tournaments, you need to profile your opponents and play loose and exploit their weaknesses when they are being too cautious and shy. The idea is to fight for it till the end even with a decent hand until your opponent gives up. One should always aim to pick his/her fair share of wins from these small pots to get ahead in the game.

Value-Bet your Good hands

Thankfully, micro stakes poker tournaments do not go much beyond level 1 strategy. So, keep your game simple and value bet your strong hands with at least 4-bet or more. With medium strength hands, discover the leaks of your opponents and make small bets often to do the job. The idea is to play fearlessly and not make the game too complicated or you will eventually lose your way.

Steal the Blinds

Stealing the blinds is an excellent micro stakes online poker strategy to raise your profits especially when you are playing against tight-aggressive players. This strategy can be applied in micro stakes poker when you opponents have checked and you are in late position so that you can make big bets to force your opponents to fold.

For example, if two or more players fold on the button and there are two more tight players left to act in the blinds, feel free to raise big with medium to top hands.

Exploit the Fish

Micro stakes online poker tournaments are filled with fish. These are amateurs who are likely to call any hand or chase any draw. In short, they play way too many hands and make huge fundamental mistakes.

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As a result, they end up losing money a lot quicker which is why you need to play against these guys as often as possible to max your profits. It is important you tag these players, maybe even with the help of an HUD, however, more than often, they stick out like a sore thumb. So, yes, chasing the bad ones can be highly profitable in the long run.

Bluff High Value Cards

Bluffing is an online poker strategy that can be very effective in micro stakes poker tournaments and even in cash games of poker. This is a part of the loose aggressive strategy we have been talking about and it works best with scare cards like A K and Q. and also a flush or a straight filler.

For instance, let’s say you have a medium strength hand like a 6,6 or 8,9and your opponent (tight player) checks on the flop. A King or an Ace reveals itself on the turn, you should continue to bet. Your opponent calls and then on the river comes a King. You bet again.

This makes it a very intimidating board for a tight player to make a smart decision. The key is to apply constant pressure to force him to fold on the river without showdown. Good players often steal the pot without showdown.

Take these micro stakes online poker strategy tips to the tables and you shall see visible changes in your next poker tournament. In fact, the timing has been great as Indian poker portal, PokerBaazi has announced the 1^st ever India’s biggest ever micro poker series for players looking to forge their path in this fascinating mind sport.

PokerBaazi’s Indian Micro Poker Series (1.5Crore GTD)

India’s Licensed and Most Trusted Poker Website, PokerBaazi recently announced a brand new series for micro stakers with excellent opportunities to inflate their bankroll at extremely minimal cost. Here, check it out.

IMPS Highlights: (13^th-26^th July)

• 14 days, 120 online micro stakes poker tournaments, 1.5 Crore Guaranteed
• Buy-in directly for INR 100 onwards or join the satellites at a big discount for just INR 10
• 50 more tickets will be given away as part of social media contests on Facebook and Instagram
• Additional Leaderboard prizes worth 10LAC
• Join the Prime Time Specials for bigger guarantees but micro buy-ins

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These are the latest updates we have so far on this amazing 14 day poker tournament series. For more details and satellite schedules, visit the PokerBaazi official website. So, buckle up to bring your A game to the felts of online poker and carve your road to poker glory.