Part 1 of 6
Micro Limit Hold 'em poker is really anything under $1/$2 blinds.
Don't fear, you play what your bankroll will allow you and your here to get info to help you with that, and that is what this lesson is about.
Fish Swim in Big Ponds
How often have you looked at your cards, to find something like
A♣ Q♣ and you raise 4 times the big blind, and everyone seems to call. Low Limit poker seems to draw the "call" so often, its not always because these players are bad, trust me, even higher up blinds have there share of fish too.
People call to see the flop cause the limits are low, that's how it is, that's how it will be.
- generally 50% will see the flop
- often you will find players play Aces to the river
- any suited or connectors looks like gold
- middle pair often gets played to a showdown
That is a few examples of things you often see on Micro Limit Hold 'Em tables.
Player Types
Remember, many players start in the lower limits to learn or to build a bankroll, but there are players that actually just play for the fun. Hard to believe I know, but those are the player types you run into at that level.
Loose Aggressive or Tight Aggressive?
Many tight players often start off tight at table, but will loosen up as the game goes on, they are trying to learn peoples patterns and exploit them after doing so. The Loose Aggressive player is there to try and score big in a few hands by scaring people out of pots with maniac raises.
Pre Flop
What kind of hands should you be playing? Well, it really depends on the style of play you want to have. Of course I teach tight aggressive but still throw in the 'maniac' variation with it. In general you want to play premium hands, A-T, K-T, suited and connectors and pocket pairs. You want drawing hands when there are many players to see the flop. Often times, it is the right call to see a flop with 72o just because everyone is seeing the flop too, never know you may get lucky and flop three 7's.
So how about playing real strong pre flop hands? Well, how often when you raise it doesn't seem to matter, there are still 40-50% seeing the flop? See, that is table dependent on how to play strong hole cards. If the table is very loose, you are most likely to be playing ABC poker and if you hit the flop its small bets and small calls. If you run into a strong hand, you should be raising of course, but don't be to crazy that you scare everyone out, lowering the field to 30% is good odds.
Blinds, give them up if your cards are weak, there is no value in protecting blinds at low limit poker.
On the Flop
There are a few things that must be learned to take advantage of low limit poker, and that is the flop. Far to often people are scared of flops cause they don't understand them, or they don't calculate proper odds of the flop to their hole cards.
- Check Raise
The check raise is when you hit the flop, and you check hoping someone else will bet, and then you can raise back and push out the field and drawing hands. This probably the most important skill to learn at this level - Draws
Know what a draw hand is. If you need two cards (turn and river) to make your straight or flush, known as runner-runner or back door draws, the odds are really against you and being a call train to bets is going to deplete your bankroll real fast. - Slow Play
Ah yes, you have the nutz on the flop, now what? Don't scare anyone out of a pot by going all in, you have the winning hand, so make it worth their while to stay in. Make pot odd bets, allow them to hit the turn or river, you never know they may re raise you trying to bluff, or possibly think they have the best hand. - Small Pocket Pairs
Learn to chuck them when the price is not right. Don't fall in love with them and hope to catch something on the turn or river. - Everyone Checks
This doesn't mean no one has anything, or it means someone is to scared to bet, chances are if you didn't hit the flop, and everyone checks, someone is slow playing something. That should be your first sign when the turn comes and someone bets when what looks to be a nothing card on the turn. - Be Aggressive
When your cards hit the flop, and their is potential draw action. Raises it up to push the odds up. It will only hurt you more to place small bets into a top pair with draw potential, as that allows them to see turns cheap, they will call small bets to see it, so make them pay for that action. - Know when to Fold'em
Learn to let go of 2 pair and trips. With so many seeing the flop, it is just so easy that someone could make a straight or flush draw, or even worse for you, the full house. Protect your bankroll for the time being and see another deal, by letting go of those hands, you will be surprised how much it saves you in the long run. They say the average winning hand in Hold 'Em is 2 pair, that is far stretched in low limit with the amount of callers to see flops.
Bluffing
Not the smartest thing to do in low limit. FPS ( Fancy Play Syndrome ) usually hurts you more then them. Specially when you get caught bluffing. It only leads to being called more often, and in fact the best thing you can do after being called on your bluff is to leave the table.