Poker: Strategies For Playing Micro-Limits.

 

Firstly, we need to define what is meant by micro limit poker, the best definition that we found was "micro limit is anywhere from .1/.2 to .5/.10. I'm pleased to recently discover that Full Tilt will be expanding their .5/.10 games to include some lower limits. You'll hear varying opinions on what micro limit actually is but in the end no matter how small it starts, pots add up" (www.fulltiltpoker.com).

 

Winning money when playing micro limit poker is very easy, but it can also be incredibly frustrating when you find yourself experiencing a series of bad beats. The majority of serious players can easily beat their opponents in micro limit mode, and once they have mastered this stage, they move on.

 

In this article we will be examining the numerous pitfalls that trip up the majority of players. In the first section we will be detailing raise strategies, profitable hands and those that can be expensive, premium hands and the concept of 'setmining'.

 

Notice: the advice in this article relates to strategies that can be employed in shorthanded cash-games, that is, games that have a maximum of 6 players.

 

PLAYING TIGHT IS A WINNING TACTIC:

When playing in micro limit games you will usually only find beginner players, and sometimes a few good players who have lost their bankroll. Beginner players are naturally players who like to call the flops, they are often passive (in that they often call but rarely raise) and are only focused on their own cards, and not there opponents. On the other hand, many players will raise with all hands and play in a very aggressive fashion.

 

In poker you can start from the principle that you want, above all, to win money, bring in the big pots and only lose the small ones. The flop is often the decisive moment in your reflexions of the game, notably the point at which you choose to call, or not, on a medium hand. If you call, you will often pay two more rounds, making expensive decisions at the turn and the river. You will find a great deal of situations in which the decisions are a lot easier to make, and you should not implicate yourself in a round in the hope of winning marginal returns. More than once, you will find that you have folded the winning hand because you allowed yourself to fall for a bluff, but in the long term this type of comportment (tight) will be more profitable in micro limit games.

 

NEVER 'LIMP', ALWAYS RAISE OR CALL A RAISE:

The majority of beginners, who like to see the flop, have a tendency to carry-out numerous 'limps' pre-flop, i.e. to enter into a round simply by satisfying themselves with paying the big blind. For a beginner this seems like a good idea, to be able to see three cards for the minimal price of the big blind. This is the reason why you should always raise when you enter into a round. You play very tight and thus you only play good hands. By raising you avoid, most of the time at any rate, finding yourself in a multi-way pot (i.e. more than two players implied in the round). This is something that you will want to avoid at all costs, and here is why:

 

- Against 3 or 4 opponents there is more of a chance that one of them will find a better hand at the flop.

 

- Both blinds probably entered into the pot and can often have any old cards. With a flop like 2 of diamonds, 8 of clubs, and Ace of spades, you can believe that you are in a strong position with an Ace of diamonds and a King of spades when the big blind has 2 of hearts and 8 of diamonds in hand. I doubt you will fold your hand here.

 

- If you find a really good hand you will find it hard to win a big pot. Your opponents who only paid the blind will easily fold their hands.

- additionally, in a pot of 4 x the big blind you will rarely bet more than 4 x the big blind in one bet, whereas when

- additionally, in a pot of 4 x the big blind you will rarely bet more than 4 x the big blind in one bet, whereas when you are in a pot of 20 x the big blind you can invest 20 x the big blind extra, without counting the turn and the river. There is a golden rule that you should always keep in mind: "never go All-In in a pot that hasn't been raised".

 

A standard raise is usually around 3, 4 or 5 times the big blind (+ 1 x the big blind per player that calls before you). In micro limits I would recommend that you raise 5 x the big blind + 1 x the big blind per player who calls, because of the fact the many players have a tendency to call the more marginal their hands are. Raising 2 x the big blind (a mini-raise) has little effect and the blinds as with the callers will play without reluctance.

 

After the flop you should bet in relation to the size of the pot, and not in relation to your previous bets. A bet at the flop should always amount to between half and all the pot. Betting less is also considered as a mini-bet. The aim of raising is to increase the size of the pot, to win the pot, or to force players to pay their drawing hands. The majority of the time when there is a drawing hand in the round and a bet of 3 x the big blind in a pot of 15 x the big blind, will always give your opponents the sufficient odds to pay, even with a gutshot draw or a third pair.

 

WHICH HANDS WIN THE MOST IN THE LONG-RUN?

Top pair/top kicker:

Known under the abbreviation of 'TPTK', the maximum pair on the board with the highest kicker is one of the hands that comes up often and this is a hand that will often allow you to win the pot. However, remain vigilant; if the pot grows quickly and there has been a lot of action, your TPTK will not necessarily be the top hand. Be wary of loose players who could have called the pre-flop with a 4 of spades and a 4 of clubs or a 5 of diamonds and a 6 of diamonds, against your Ace of spades and King of spades, that seems like a winner of a flop of 4 of diamonds, 7 of diamonds and ace of clubs. Study the betting patterns of your opponents, for example, a number of passive players only ever re-raise when they have a monster hand, whereas some aggressive players are capable of making a check-raise with a draw hand.

 

Two Pairs

You can win a good number of pots with two pairs at the flop, especially if your opponent gets a top pair, and more so in a micro limit game.

 

Three-of-a-kind (set):

By 'set' we mean three-of-a-kind from a pair dealt in the first round, as opposed to 'trips' where two of the three-of-a-kind cards are made up of the community cards on the board. A pair of twos does not hold much weight pre-flop, but this little pair can remain profitable. Not so much in the role of a pair, but in the chance that you find a 'set' at the flop. The probabilities of this situation occurring are around 11.75%. You should therefore be betting between 5 and 10 % of your stack to pay or raise pre-flop, but you should be sure that this figure represents 5 to 10% of your opponents stack as well.

 

If your stack if $3 and the stack belonging to your first opponent is $8 and your second opponent is $0.36, then you can allow yourself to pay the following amounts:

 

- You= 5%-10% of $3=$0.15- $0.30

- Opponent 1= 5-10% of $8= $0.40- $0.80

- Opponent 2= 5-10% of $0.36= $0.01- $0.03.

 

Against opponent 1 you can pay up to $0.30 as this represents 10% of your stack. Against opponent 2 you can pay only 10% of his stack, as this represents only $0.03 and you do not have the odds to pay.

 

You should start from the principle that if you manage to get your 'set', you will recover the greatest proportion if it is not integral to your opponents stack. The more your opponent raises pre-flop, the less chance there is of getting a good hand (in other words, there range is greater). If your opponent only has a marginal hand, he will find it harder to put a lot of chips into the pot. This means that it can be less profitable to follow the set-mining route against an aggressive player. In contrast, against a tighter player this way of playing can be very profitable.

 

BETWEEN 5 AND 10%?

In general, I follow the rule that: in position I will call up to 10% of the time, and out of position 5% of the time. This is because you can win the pot more often if you are in position and do not touch your 'set' when your opponent speaks. Out of position it is never easy, especially if there is a superior card to your pair at the flop.

 

PLAYING FOR THE SETVALUE:

Trying to find three-of-a-kind in micro limit game can often be more effective because you will be able to bet up to 250 big blinds. A number of players will consequently have stacks of more than 100 x the big blind, which allows you to pay even in the case of a re-raise. Another advantage is that players do not often fold their good hands and will pay you even with a marginal hand.

 

AA & KK

Many beginners have a tendency to under play their monster hands, in particular when they have a pair of Aces; this is normally because they doubt that the other players will fold pre-flop. On the contrary, it is important to raise, or even re-raise. With a high pair, the last thing that you want is to end up in a multi-way pot, and you will hope, in contrast, to see the flop against one, or at most two, opponents. With Ace-Ace or King-King you will put a maximum amount of money in the pot and do it as quickly as possible. You are the favourite in 80% of any pairs, but only BEFORE the flop. So, if a player raises pre-flop, you should always re-raise this player.

 

If you can make the pot grow in significant way pre-flop, it will be quite difficult to see your opponent fold after having invested such a massive amount in the pot. If for example your opponent holds a pair of Jacks, and the flop shows Queen of spades, King of Diamonds and 4 of Diamonds, it will be easy to beat him, thus make sure that you put as much money in the pot as you can pre-flop.

 

Losing with Aces or Kings pre-flop can make you really mad, but this is just part of the game. In general, play a pair of kings as if they were a pair of Aces.

MAX COLOUR DRAWS IN MULTI-WAY POTS:

A good max colour draw (high Aces) can cost you a lot of money head-to-head, because you will rarely have the odds to pay. If you need to pay $0.10 in a pot of $0.12 then you will pay too much to your opponent. In a multi-way pot, i.e. pots implicating three or more players, the parameters change and you can easily pay against two players even if they have a better game at the flop. Against a single player you pay $0.10 in a pot of $0.22, but against three players you pay the same $0.10 in a pot of $0.52.

 

Be careful not to pay too much for your colour draw simply in order to chance you luck at the river. Always calculate your outs and your odds. A colour draw with a King or and Ace is always more valuable than, for example, a colour draw of 9, because you can add to your outs the cards that can give you a top pair.

 

I will leave you to digest this information, it may be a little hard to understand, but it will help your bankroll if you decide to play micro limit games.

 

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