How to Beat Micro Stakes Poker – Strategies to crush micro stakes games

Online poker comes in a wide range of styles, with tournament play often seen as the pinnacle, due to the often-large pots on offer. However, the majority of online poker players are playing something else, with low risk and fast play making it ideal for learners, the most popular option is micro stakes poker.

What are Micro Stakes Poker Games? 

Micro stakes poker refers to poker games that have strict, low limits for bets, so risks are relatively small. Typically, when players talk about micro stakes, they mean cash games where bets have anywhere between 1 cent and 50 cents limits.

These games are very popular and are usually where new players try betting for real money to begin with, because the risks are so low for each game. However, while you are not going to win much on each hand, if you learn to win regularly, you can profit over time, which is why many more experienced players look for ways to beat micro stakes poker.

Importance of proper bankroll management in poker strategy

Although, as we mentioned, risks are low for each hand, it is important to remember proper bankroll management. In fact, with low stakes like these, it is more tempting to throw any bankroll management strategy away, but doing so can leave you in trouble. After all, while your wins add up over time, get it wrong and the losses will too.

Throwing money around on any game you see, because it costs a couple of cents buy-in, is a road to disaster. Yes, its tiny amounts of money, but do it with no plan, and you can soon find your bankroll gone just the same. Bet effectively, remember that your buy-in for a game is 100 big blinds, and keep at least 30 buy ins on hand in your bankroll.

Fundamental Strategies to beat the Micro Stakes game

One of the things that leads players into trouble, especially players with some experience in playing online poker, is a need to overcomplicate things. It can become a compulsion to prove you are a better player than the newbies at your table, but overcomplicating your play is a sure way to lose money and games.

Instead, keep things simple and adopt strategies you know will work.

Playing tight-aggressive (TAG) style

There are two ways to win hands of poker, have the best hand in the showdown, or if your opponents fold. If you don’t have a great hand, taking the initiative allows you to win more because other players will drop out.

Importance of position and how to exploit it

The most profitable position in micro stakes poker is the button, while statistically, players in the blinds have the worst win records. Take advantage of this by being conservative in those early positions, and push aggressively when you are late in the game.

Value betting vs. bluffing at micro stakes

The biggest mistake most new players make is to call too often, so bluffing is not as effective as you may think it will be in this type of game. Focusing on value, not just in terms of cards but position at the table, is the best strategy for long term win rates when playing micro stakes poker.

Preflop Advice – Play like a poker pro

Be smart, keep the game simple and stay tight and aggressive. That is, take advantage when you can, whether that is position or cards, and be aggressive in taking control, otherwise walk away from the hand.

Pre-Flop Strategy – No Fancy Play

Always play big pocket pairs with aggression to exploit the fact that other players tend to call more than they should in these games. That will allow you to extract value from the other players at the table.

Take full advantage of position, so when you are late or last in the hand, play speculative hands such as suited aces. You will find that you can get to a showdown very cheaply and maintain a decent win rate.

Post-Flop Strategy to Improve Your Game

Be aggressive with your strong hands, you will find many players will fold rather than push in the later stages of the hand. People don’t bluff that often, so if a player is being aggressive, there is a good chance they have decent cards, so adopt your strategy to suit.

If you have a good hand, always take the initiative, but also don’t be afraid to walk away from a hand. One of the main trends of new players is that they play more hands than they should do, and by being aggressive when your cards are good, you can quickly take advantage of that.

Adjusting to Opponent Types

Overall, players at micro stakes games tend to call too often, while also staying in too many games rather than walking away. Here, TAG style strategies work extremely well in exploiting their weaknesses, however, there are other types of player too.

Using continuation bets against those who continuously call preflop is a great option, however look out for those who never fold post flop. You cannot bluff them, so only go aggressive if you have a hand to back it up.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

The first mistake to avoid is the game you play. Pick one game, stick with it, learn it and its players, then win. If you get distracted by tournaments, PLOs and so on, you will never find that winning groove.

Keeping your strategies simple is also essential, by overcomplicating things you end up beating yourself, rather than your opponents. Remember, newer players tend to play hands they should not, call too often and bluff very little.

Use tight and aggressive play to take advantage of these traits, be strong when the cards warrant it, be conservative when they do not. Finally, position matters more here than anywhere, don’t try to force games from the blind.

Using Tools and Resources

Ai driven poker bots have proven extremely effective in these micro stakes poker games, and can provide steady and regular wins for you. Similarly, virtual poker assistants that leverage AI to put guidance on your screen to help you make the best move every turn also offer higher win rates here than most other game types.

AI poker bots offer a distinct advantage and can even play games by themselves without your input, a great way to build a side gig income without taking up a lot of your time.

FAQ

What are the key differences between micro stakes poker and higher stakes games?

The obvious difference is the buy in, and how much you can win, or lose, per game. However, there is another difference, and that is the kind of players who will be at your table. In higher stakes games you will be playing against experienced players who have above average stats. In micro stakes games, it is mostly new or poor players.

How important is bankroll management in micro stakes poker, and what is a recommended bankroll?

Bankroll management is essential in maintaining a viable strategy for winning micro stakes games. With buy-ins rated as 100 times the blind, your bankroll should always be a minimum of 30 buy-ins for any game, and 50 buy-ins is quite common.

What is the best playing style to adopt at micro stakes poker tables?

Tight and aggressive, or TAG, strategies offer the best option against the new players you are most likely to encounter in micro stakes games.

What common mistakes should I avoid to succeed in micro stakes poker?

Don’t overcomplicate your play, stick to one game and avoid lots of bluffing, as new players tend to call more than usual.