Tips for playing micro limits

So, about a month and a half ago I got a link to this WONDERFUL website. I took the friend that linked me to this website's advice and deposited 50 dollars to pokerstars.com so I could play the 1/2 penny tables instead of playing play money tables. I've made about 20 dollars off that initial 50, but I find that a lot of strategies I read just don't apply to micro limit games. Does anybody want to give me some strategy/tips/links to information on how to do better in micro limits? At what point should I move up to the 5/10 cent tables? Thanks a ton

Originally Posted by mcpeepants

At what point should I move up to the 5/10 cent tables?

The short answer to this is when you're consistently beating the 1/2 cent competition AND you have the bankroll (read 'rilla's bankroll management thread at the top of the Hold'em Strategies index).

I'd be happy to answer whatever questions you have a micro-limit play (assuming it's no limit...not experienced enough with limit to comment), but I really need specific questions to answer. Otherwise all I have to say is follow the starting hand recommendations on the main page at www.flopturnriver.com, be careful about playing hands too far when you don't have a hand, raise raise raise when you do have the hand, and try to work on reading people and not being easy to read yourself. Specifics on each of those items can (and frequently have) been the subject of individual threads.

The biggest parts of reading people online are: paying attention to betting patterns (how much they bet in a specific type of situation) and paying attention to how long they take to act in a specific situation. You won't know until you see what they do/what they have what a given item here means, but eventually you can and when you do, try to assign it a meaning. Conversely you want to be as consistent as possible with how much you bet if you bet and how long you take to act in order to keep people from reading you. Once you pick up on what different things typically mean for other people, you can even start reversing them to make others think you're playing a certain type of hand when you're actually playing something completely different.

- Jeffrey

I think the best information about small stakes games is in one of the books you'd least expect it. Championship Pot Lmiit and No Limit Hold 'Em by Cloutier and McEvoy. Its a tourney book, but I think it applies to small stakes ring games more than any book written specifically for that topic.

The section on NL is priceless, its a book about tournament strategy but the strategy he expresses for the majority of the tournament is very tight and very aggressive. The average tourney strategy is that you don't want to be out there gambling with the dead money retards when you don't have to, and when you do have a hand you come on strong and let them pay you off. Since most small stakes games have a player base which is identical to early tourneys, playing A2os UTG, this strategy has by far been the most profitable for me.

I didn't even think about recommending books. I'd highly recommend Sklanksy's Small Stakes Hold'em. It's about limit, but many of the concepts apply to NL as well.

- Jeffrey

There are two big issues to consider.

First, lots of people won’t fold. This is good, because you’re big hands will get paid off. This is also bad, because it will give you a warped view of the game. bluffing works better at higher stakes. I’m not saying everyone will call you down, but it’s much tougher to pull off a bluff at lower stakes.

Second, people bet funny. This will also mess up your view of the higher stakes world. Usually when someone has a vulnerable hand, they bet pretty big to protect it, when they have a stronger hand, they can afford to bet a bit less because it’s still in their favor to punish a flush draw for calling out of odds. At micro limits betting patterns are screwy. People won’t bet straights and flushes. Maybe they don’t see them. People will hammer away with a pair of nines but just call you down with pocket aces. Betting patterns are all very situational, but there aren’t very many reliable patterns at low limits.

People make these mistakes at higher limits as well, but it’s a lot less common. Just play tight passive for a couple of orbits while you get a feel for the table. Try to figure out who will fold if they think they are beat, and people who bet when they see weakness you can play poker with them. Everybody else, it’s just showing them the cards.

Good luck.

limit your semi-bluffing to where you really think you can get folds out of it

-sed

World's most profitable and easy to learn rule of thumb for microlimit:

Commit this to memory; maybe put a post it note on your monitor:

Your opponent has an ace.

So you're playing KQs and raise preflop. Flop comes 59Jr and opponent bets. You call and catch a K on the turn. Opponent bets and you raise. Opponent calls. Cool. And the river is an A. Opponent bets.

It's a good time to look at your post it note. Does it make sense that opp would bet an unimproved A (with maybe a 6 kicker) with that board? No. That heshe would then call a raise on that turn with just one overcard? No.

Nevertheless:

Your opponent has an ace. That's what heshe has. So you can stop wondering about it.

This will save you some heartache I think.

Originally Posted by LeFou

Your opponent has an ace.

HAHAHAHA
rofl

Yes, yes they *always* have an ace.

That's spectacular microlimit advice. That's the best micro advice *ever*.
Post the note right over the call/raise buttons.

Originally Posted by LeFou

World's most profitable and easy to learn rule of thumb for microlimit:

Commit this to memory; maybe put a post it note on your monitor:

Your opponent has an ace.

So you're playing KQs and raise preflop. Flop comes 59Jr and opponent bets. You call and catch a K on the turn. Opponent bets and you raise. Opponent calls. Cool. And the river is an A. Opponent bets.

It's a good time to look at your post it note. Does it make sense that opp would bet an unimproved A (with maybe a 6 kicker) with that board? No. That heshe would then call a raise on that turn with just one overcard? No.

Nevertheless:

Your opponent has an ace. That's what heshe has. So you can stop wondering about it.

This will save you some heartache I think.

Classic. Just classic.

Originally Posted by LeFou

World's most profitable and easy to learn rule of thumb for microlimit:

Commit this to memory; maybe put a post it note on your monitor:

Your opponent has an ace.

So you're playing KQs and raise preflop. Flop comes 59Jr and opponent bets. You call and catch a K on the turn. Opponent bets and you raise. Opponent calls. Cool. And the river is an A. Opponent bets.

It's a good time to look at your post it note. Does it make sense that opp would bet an unimproved A (with maybe a 6 kicker) with that board? No. That heshe would then call a raise on that turn with just one overcard? No.

Nevertheless:

Your opponent has an ace. That's what heshe has. So you can stop wondering about it.

This will save you some heartache I think.

So, So True.

Done and done. It now gets post it note privileges right next to my girlfriend's note.

I already like this guy. He has a Big Lebowski DVD on his shelf. Do you have a rug that really ties the room together?

You know what? I really do.

Now that we've fixed your poker problems, we can start working on your Rubick's cube fetish....

- sed

Originally Posted by sed

Now that we've fixed your poker problems, we can start working on your Rubick's cube fetish....

- sed

Yeah, whats up with 15 rubick's cubes?

Big Lebowski is cool though.

Originally Posted by johnnyawe

Originally Posted by sed

Now that we've fixed your poker problems, we can start working on your Rubick's cube fetish....

- sed

Yeah, whats up with 15 rubick's cubes?

Big Lebowski is cool though.

It's an analogy for life.

Or women.

I can't tell which.

-'rilla

Another quick thought on micro limit: your opponent will probably call. Regardless of the board, what you have, what you think he has, or what you are representing.
Use this to your advantage in:
1 Don't represent the flush against an opponent who might not see the third club on the board.
2 Always bet big if you've got it. I saw a player make 50 bucks in about 2 hours at .25/.50 going all in everytime he had the nuts... and someone called each time.

Originally Posted by Demiparadigm

Another quick thought on micro limit: your opponent will probably call. Regardless of the board, what you have, what you think he has, or what you are representing.
Use this to your advantage in:
1 Don't represent the flush against an opponent who might not see the third club on the board.
2 Always bet big if you've got it. I saw a player make 50 bucks in about 2 hours at .25/.50 going all in everytime he had the nuts... and someone called each time.

,25/.50 NL as Microlimits? Hardly applies... but the advice actual is good. Don't represent a hand against someone that's too dumb to be afraid of it.

I guess the point is, if it works in .25/.50, it should work in .01/.02 also.

Originally Posted by Fortune 500

I already like this guy. He has a Big Lebowski DVD on his shelf.

That's all well and good, but he ALSO has the entire Kubrick collection!!

1123, did you check this?

mcpeepants, your photo made my morning. But is yr avatar legal?

PS: Ditch the Carnegie. It is antithetical to poker success.

not only the big labowski, but full metal jacket too....

mcpeepants, your photo made my morning. But is yr avatar legal?

Legal = Age, or Legal = Allowed on FTR?

avatar's been used on FTR before

only illegal if it's copyrighted