Having just started a bankroll afresh, I've found myself at a fishy site playing 50NL. I thought I'd got rid of a particular leak, but obviously not. This is a strategy post I'm making in an attempt to fix that leak.


My proposition: When in doubt, muck 'em.

You raise preflop with two big cards and get a caller. You hit top pair and a weak kicker. You bet, and your opponent raises - fold 'em.

You 3bet preflop with QQ, an ok-ish TAG 4bets small. You call but if you don't get your set, fold 'em.

You raise preflop with 55 and the flop comes 248 rainbow. You cbet, your opponent raises. You've been raising pre and cbetting a lot, so he could definitely be playing back at you - fold 'em.


I'm sure you know it all too well - you get into a tough spot, think of a couple of hands your opponent might have that you can beat, and "call to re-evaluate". It's stupid.

Most of the time, calling to re-evaluate is absolute bullshit out of position and pretty crappy in position.



Let me give you the poker theory behind this:

1: Commitment. This is so so so important. How many times have you called to re-evaluate and found a third of your stack in the middle with shitty cards? The less money in your stack compared to the pot, the harder it is to fold. I regularly stack bad players by getting them to put too much of their money in the pot whilst they're still not sure whether they have the best hand - before they know it they're too potfucked to fold.

2: Equity vs. range. Who cares if you can beat XX and YY? AA-LL are all possible holdings for your opponent and they have you crushed.


"But what if my opponent turns out to be one of those maniacs after I've folded!?"

Go tell someone who cares. You don't moan when you fold 62o UTG and the flop is 345. (If you do then you should set aside an amount to lose at poker per month as you would with slots) It's more likely than not that he's raising a good hand.

Of course, if he turns out to be a maniac, this post doesn't apply. If a good player is raising your cbets all the time, learn to play back or move tables.


But, the vast majority of microstakes players are awful and hopefully this post will improve your winrate a bit. Remember: when in doubt, muck 'em!



(Feel free to take this to pieces!)

-A