Skills required to beat micro stakes

Throughout my poker "career" I have always struggled with information overload. I play well for a week or two decide that if I studied more I would be crushing the stakes I am at. It doesn't work out this way though. What usually happens is I go on information overload and end up missing the obvious while working my way though what is probably unnecessary information.

My question to the community is what are the minimum skills required to beat the micro limits?

in on this one so I can see replies... I feel the same way sometimes, although I do not think you will get the answer you are looking for. I don't believe there are any "minium" skills to beating the game period. Only attempting to master them all

I may have mis-worded my question allow me to clarify.

What skills are essential to master to beat the micro stakes?

Here's what you need to know:

-How to value bet
-How to fold when a passive player shows aggression.

Next you just assume that everyone is passive until proven otherwise, and you should be able to beat everything up till 50NL at least

Originally Posted by ledfut

I may have mis-worded my question allow me to clarify.

What skills are essential to master to beat the micro stakes?

a pulse

Originally Posted by reDZill4

a pulse

that would explain my 4.5ptBB/100 over 4k hands, but I know I'm losing value somewhere.

knowing how to find the fold button

managing tilt

value betting

positional awareness

putting people on a range

Play straight forward. I have the same problem where I get an overload of information, then try to apply it and fail. But the bottom line is many microstakes players especially 2/5nl are not thinking logically. They are making decisions based upon subconscious thoughts and feelings. So if you over complicate things you are going to fuck yourself over. Just ask yourself why you are betting, calling, raising, folding, shoving etc. If you can do all above posted things, you should certainly be able to beat microstakes.

Value bet.

is it fair to say that tighter is better at micro? i think my biggest problem is i am very aggressive at live $1/$2... but when i apply that to micro stakes it usually backfires. I have tightened up my game alot! i was like 41/17 and am now 31/13 which i know is still high but it's dropping pretty fast.

I like these tips and this is pretty much what i've been doing for the most part lately:

knowing how to find the fold button

managing tilt

value betting

positional awareness

putting people on a range

If you're playing FR 31/13 is pretty lolbad. You should try to run something like a 'standard TAG' would run, i.e. 11/9-13/10 or wutever. If its 6m, its still not the greatest stats to be running, but if its winning its winning.

Originally Posted by EasyPoker

knowing how to find the fold button

managing tilt

value betting

positional awareness

putting people on a range

+ Good table selection if you play 6max

Originally Posted by dranger7070

If you're playing FR 31/13 is pretty lolbad. You should try to run something like a 'standard TAG' would run, i.e. 11/9-13/10 or wutever. If its 6m, its still not the greatest stats to be running, but if its winning its winning.

Well when i first started playing it was 6m. I've been playing since 2007 but like I said, when I first started I was LOOSE... It has dropped 41 - 31 in only one month so this should tell how much I've tightened up. And no it wasn't winning, lol... Until I found this site and others and started to read and learn how to play the game. I'm still negative right now due to previous losses, but I've gone from -$5xx to only -$1xx this past month playing FR $25nl

I assume by the end of this month my stat should be down to about 21/10 and hopefully I will be back in the positive

Right then here is my two cents worth :-

I am currently running on average 17/15 playing 20$ NLHE. Here are some of my tips for crushing this stake.

Play a very tight range from the blinds and UTG (+1) - Play a wider range in later positions worst hand ATo.

C-bet missed flops with players that are lower than 40% VPIP otherwise they will call down with overs or any shite !!!!

Raise / Re-raise big pairs i.e. AA - JJ - Any low PP call a raise if villian is deep stacked and you suspect they have a monster - 1 rule no set no bet....

AK - This is a hand played so badly in micro stakes. Basically RR pf with the aim of taking the pot down there and then if not then c bet a missed flop but if called check fold turn. Also if you AK does hit then fold to a re-raise as your top pair / kick is now prob behind to a set / two pair etc...

any draws only bet if have 12+ outs other wise pot bet flop and check fold if does not arrive by turn...

Finally do not shove PF with AKo / AKs as this play is shocking - You are so far behind it is not funny to decent TAG players at this stake.

Will add more notes later...

Originally Posted by djnemesis

Right then here is my two cents worth :-

I am currently running on average 17/15 playing 20$ NLHE. Here are some of my tips for crushing this stake.

Play a very tight range from the blinds and UTG (+1) - Play a wider range in later positions worst hand ATo.

C-bet missed flops with players that are lower than 40% VPIP otherwise they will call down with overs or any shite !!!!

Raise / Re-raise big pairs i.e. AA - JJ - Any low PP call a raise if villian is deep stacked and you suspect they have a monster - 1 rule no set no bet....

AK - This is a hand played so badly in micro stakes. Basically RR pf with the aim of taking the pot down there and then if not then c bet a missed flop but if called check fold turn. Also if you AK does hit then fold to a re-raise as your top pair / kick is now prob behind to a set / two pair etc...

any draws only bet if have 12+ outs other wise pot bet flop and check fold if does not arrive by turn...

Finally do not shove PF with AKo / AKs as this play is shocking - You are so far behind it is not funny to decent TAG players at this stake.

Will add more notes later...

Man, where were you last month!! lol... i've lost $150+ with this hand before i finally took note of what was going on. Now I have this jotted in my poker book, exactly what you stated. too bad i only figured it out a few weeks ago.

oh I have a question to along these lines... how do you feel about calling a re-raise preflop with suited connectors? for example...

89 suited on the button. action is folded to you and you raise here primarily for blind steal and because you have position. The SB folds but the BB re-raises another $.75 to your .$75 raise. Is this still a good spot to call on most occasions? It worked out well for me the other night but I didn't feel comfortable doing it. I was lucky to catch the draw on the flop and was only c-bet half pot. With the outs I called and hit on the turn. It ended up being an all-in bet cause he had QQ and must have thought I missed bad when I re-raised his turn bet.
But I know this will not happen every hand... if you do call the re-raise do you just auto fold the c-bet on the missed flop? or fold pre?

Originally Posted by Santo2True

oh I have a question to along these lines... how do you feel about calling a re-raise preflop with suited connectors? for example...

89 suited on the button. action is folded to you and you raise here primarily for blind steal and because you have position. The SB folds but the BB re-raises another $.75 to your .$75 raise. Is this still a good spot to call on most occasions? It worked out well for me the other night but I didn't feel comfortable doing it. I was lucky to catch the draw on the flop and was only c-bet half pot. With the outs I called and hit on the turn. It ended up being an all-in bet cause he had QQ and must have thought I missed bad when I re-raised his turn bet.
But I know this will not happen every hand... if you do call the re-raise do you just auto fold the c-bet on the missed flop? or fold pre?

It depends how many are in the pot - 89s multiway I will play all day long - If you do no like the flop fold

Beat microstakes by learning thought processes behind what you are doing below post is somewhat ineffective in my opinion.

Do not c bet every missed flop against tags. Know why you should c bet and this answer should generally either be "to get value from X in his range" or "to fold out Y part of his range". If neither of above is true you probably shouldnt bet.

AK - Ok generalizing how to play AK against all opponents seems very very dumb in my mind. As for not getting AI with it, analyze your play with stove to determine the correct plays for yourself, if you are 3 betting someone alot and they decide to finally 4bet, AK is great to go with. It all just depends on what range you think the villain at your table will go broke with. As far as your loss of money with AK, getting all in with AK is often a close call. When you have close calls for lots of money you get high variance so dont stop what you are doing based on some guys advice in forum, or because of a small down swing with them. Stop using them because you did the math and in the situations you were using them you now feel they are not profitable.

Draws thing is random. Double barreling with draws is often profitable. Its all villain dependent.

Originally Posted by djnemesis

Right then here is my two cents worth :-

I am currently running on average 17/15 playing 20$ NLHE. Here are some of my tips for crushing this stake.

Play a very tight range from the blinds and UTG (+1) - Play a wider range in later positions worst hand ATo.

C-bet missed flops with players that are lower than 40% VPIP otherwise they will call down with overs or any shite !!!!

Raise / Re-raise big pairs i.e. AA - JJ - Any low PP call a raise if villian is deep stacked and you suspect they have a monster - 1 rule no set no bet....

AK - This is a hand played so badly in micro stakes. Basically RR pf with the aim of taking the pot down there and then if not then c bet a missed flop but if called check fold turn. Also if you AK does hit then fold to a re-raise as your top pair / kick is now prob behind to a set / two pair etc...

any draws only bet if have 12+ outs other wise pot bet flop and check fold if does not arrive by turn...

Finally do not shove PF with AKo / AKs as this play is shocking - You are so far behind it is not funny to decent TAG players at this stake.

Will add more notes later...

Originally Posted by Donkafelts

AK - Ok generalizing how to play AK against all opponents seems very very dumb in my mind. As for not getting AI with it, analyze your play with stove to determine the correct plays for yourself, if you are 3 betting someone alot and they decide to finally 4bet, AK is great to go with. It all just depends on what range you think the villain at your table will go broke with. As far as your loss of money with AK, getting all in with AK is often a close call. When you have close calls for lots of money you get high variance so dont stop what you are doing based on some guys advice in forum, or because of a small down swing with them. Stop using them because you did the math and in the situations you were using them you now feel they are not profitable.

that's more along the lines of what i was saying, i'm just paying way more attention to this hand (well all my hands) and the situation at the time.

I've just stopped playing AK like it's QQ-AA...

Originally Posted by djnemesis

Finally do not shove PF with AKo / AKs as this play is shocking.

orly?

iPoker No-Limit Hold'em, $0.04 BB (6 handed) - iPoker Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

SB ($2.77)
Hero (BB) ($6.89)
UTG ($0.41)
MP ($0.67)
CO ($0.77)
Button ($3.73)

Preflop: Hero is BB with A, K
UTG bets $0.41 (All-In), MP raises to $0.67 (All-In), 1 fold, Button calls $0.67, 1 fold, Hero raises to $6.89 (All-In), Button calls $3.06 (All-In)

Flop: ($8.56) 3, 4, 5 (4 players, 4 all-in)

Turn: ($8.56) 7 (4 players, 4 all-in)

River: ($8.56) 9 (4 players, 4 all-in)

Total pot: $8.56 | Rake: $0.57
Main pot: $1.66 between Hero, UTG, MP and Button, won by Button
Side pot 1: $0.78 between Hero, MP and Button, won by Button
Side pot 2: $6.12 between Hero and Button, won by Button

Results:
Button had 9, 8 (one pair, nines).
Hero had A, K (high card, Ace).
UTG had 5, A (one pair, fives).
MP had 10, K (high card, King).
Outcome: Button won $7.99