Post-Flop Strategy in Micro Stakes Cash Games

Does anyone have any tips on playing post flop in microstake cash games. I seem to play well pre-flop based on my range and stats, however I am losing money while playing. I was just wondering what intermediate tips could help a good live cash game player turn into a good online cash game player. Thanks.

Hello I did not play many cash games but what I can say is that a continuation bet on the flop and turn do the job but best weapon is bluffing on the river course you have to know when to do them and this happens to a lot of practice.:drunken_s:drunken_s:drunken_s

Hamp Morris said:

Does anyone have any tips on playing post flop in microstake cash games. I seem to play well pre-flop based on my range and stats, however I am losing money while playing. I was just wondering what intermediate tips could help a good live cash game player turn into a good online cash game player. Thanks.

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Man, I am having the exact same issue. There has to be somewhere we can get some specific help.

I'll post here on this thread if I find anything.

I think most of the time in the micros people play too loose and bluff too much, take good notes and try to value bet the calling stations, you can even adjust your bet sizing bigger for value and the fish probably wont even notice.

people in small money events bluff too much and call very marginal hands out of position. did it myself starting off

I must say from my experience, do not try to bluff much, if at all. In micros, people tend to call with absolutely anything.

The grinder's manual book offers a detailed explanation of how to play every street, what are the things you should be thinking about.

A general rule of thumb in the micros is to avoid bluffing the river, but in the long run you will want to add a few bluffs, just a very few, don't tr to play balanced, but this is only when you have experience and have learned your opponents.

On the flop you should be planing ahead, considering how many streets you want to bet, this again is explained in detail in the grinders manual, but a good guideline is considering how likely you are to get paid with worse or make your opponent fold better. I f this is the case, bet.

Fold more. Raise with better cards pre-flop. Value bet. Avoid bluffing too much, especially out of position. Also, a lot of micro stakes players will call you with three streets with middle pair. So, avoid triple barrel bluffing.

Many times micro stakes players can be read simply by their bet and bet sizing.

Remember, your job isn’t to outsmart them through tricky moves. In the micros focus on making less mistakes and value betting. You’ll win more often.

Also, look at your bet sizing to deny pot odds for villain.

Do not bother playing online micro cash game. Why? because:
-The rake is revenue based it takes away from revenues not profit.
- High rake.
-The rake is high frequency with same money getting raked multiple times.
-The rake is split pot loss.
-There are bots because bots are not illegal and can be regenerated quickly. The Bots get sharper and sharper as they get more refined by their masters.
-It is a waste of effort where it is impossible to win a lot of money.
-Making profit is a long slow grind.
- Losing money happens very quickly.
- The game is creepy predatory with games quickly forming around fish and donks.
-Super skilled poker fanatics play cash and shun the MTT structure. These guys grind up to 18 hours a hand often from poor population countries.
- HUD are refined and used. If don't know what VPIP% or TAP means stay away.
-No guarantee value or overlay value
-No socialism value like in MTTs.
-Quantitative skill structure with no opportunity because the fanatics have already optimized their money making techniques.
-The rake is percentage based (usually) with no way to lose for the house.

Only good thing is you can pick your opponents....and if there are no people making obvious mistakes like playing Q6off or similar, 3 betting OOP, calling all ins light etc. then play a big guarantee MTT. All this to overcome before you make a profit...the most important thing is cash is a highly skilled structure where other people already have exploited and took the value out of NLH.

Good day! Now I'm interested in microstakes. I found an interesting book. Maybe it will be useful for you - Crushing The Microstakes. Nathan Williams.

I only play with strong hands preflop. bluff is everywhere

Don't bluff play your hand range

First off don't bluff these people playing call everything. play your hand when it hits when you don't fold get out of the hand. Best to have top pair or better. Again don't bluff these people are not good enough to understand bluffing. They will call you every time. if you didn't hit by the turn get out of the hand. you will need at least to pair or second pair. watch how these guys play you can learn a lot from watching them. Don't have videos or tv or any person distracting you. Just be playing Good Fundamental poker don't get fancy because it will back fire on you. If you don't have get out of the hand. Just that simple when playing micro stakes poker. When i follow this advice i win when i don't i loose money

Balance is key. If you do any one thing too often you become predictable and exploitable You will always raise your big hand pre but do you do the same with your suited connectors? showing up with an unexpected hand can be very profitable.

Cash mirco are nits if you made it to river they have big don't bluff.

But every where else you can add bluffs without going all in. Try and play a balance game

If you are losing a lot of chips in the same situation over and over, then the first thing you can do is fold a lot, or just try to keep the pot low, until you start running good again, then you can step it up again, when you have a good stack to work with.

At microstakes you shouldn't bluff often. If you have good combination you should to make big bet if you play vs calling stations.

1- Never do a donkbet.
2- Dont stack with top pair.
3-Dont bluff catch.
Basically if you follow this 3 thinks you will be ok at pos flop.

I think you can get away with playing exploitably tight in micro stakes, because the players aren't good enough to know how to exploit that playstyle.

kkonicke said:

I think you can get away with playing exploitably tight in micro stakes, because the players aren't good enough to know how to exploit that playstyle.

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A lot are really tight just sitting there waiting for an loose fish to come along. And either winning or losing with coolers AA vs KK ect

for me with micro stakes I play basic A,B,C style poker maybe bluff 5% of the time post flop my play can vary depending on how much info I have on my opponent or what his/her playing style has been at the table so then I can adjust my play on how I play them but with me usually at micro stakes I am going to only have the nuts when I put it all in or bet big you will get called off more often then you think ,as far as losing abit here or there that happens its poker and its just bad luck eventually if you play your style and your way the variance will even itself out and you will win good luck mate

playinggameswithu said:

Do not bother playing online micro cash game. Why? because:
-The rake is revenue based it takes away from revenues not profit.
- High rake.
-The rake is high frequency with same money getting raked multiple times.
-The rake is split pot loss.
-There are bots because bots are not illegal and can be regenerated quickly. The Bots get sharper and sharper as they get more refined by their masters.
-It is a waste of effort where it is impossible to win a lot of money.
-Making profit is a long slow grind.
- Losing money happens very quickly.
- The game is creepy predatory with games quickly forming around fish and donks.
-Super skilled poker fanatics play cash and shun the MTT structure. These guys grind up to 18 hours a hand often from poor population countries.
- HUD are refined and used. If don't know what VPIP% or TAP means stay away.
-No guarantee value or overlay value
-No socialism value like in MTTs.
-Quantitative skill structure with no opportunity because the fanatics have already optimized their money making techniques.
-The rake is percentage based (usually) with no way to lose for the house.

Only good thing is you can pick your opponents....and if there are no people making obvious mistakes like playing Q6off or similar, 3 betting OOP, calling all ins light etc. then play a big guarantee MTT. All this to overcome before you make a profit...the most important thing is cash is a highly skilled structure where other people already have exploited and took the value out of NLH.

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I 100% DISAGREE with this post!

First thing OP expresses is that they're having difficulty with postflop play (& we're talking in the MICROS here)... so your solution for that is "it's not worth it.. move up in stakes & go for a one hit wonder in MTT's? If they're having difficulty in the lowest stakes cash game, why would moving to MTT help them with that? And why would they move up in stakes?

I think OP is making a wise choice. Micro stakes cash game, 100bb deep is an excellent training ground. You can get in a fair bit of learning experience for CHEAP! (I don't believe it's about 'making 'worthwhile' money' at this stage for OP.... I'm guessing it's more about trying to improve).

Losing money happens very quickly????
It's micro stakes. If he's playing 2nl, he's losing what... maybe $10.00 in a session? (and once he learns how to play, he could be winning $10 as well). It's a cheap way to work on one's game.

The game is creepy predatory with games quickly forming around fish and donks.

Huh? At the 2nl tables? I think you're referring to 25nl, 50nl, 100nl + tables (maybe you find a bit of this on some 10nl tables too... if there's a bunch of good players on them and if you're playing at the wrong time of the day when there's a higher perecentage of regs. vs. fish on the tables)

-Super skilled poker fanatics play cash and shun the MTT structure.

Again, not necessarily true. At 2nl & 5nl tables (& even higher) you're going to get a good number of weak, bad, spewy players. Same goes for MTT's. There are LOTS of regs. in the MTT's as well as cash tables.... it's just that MTT's definitely seem to draw in a larger number of bad players (partly because they're not good enough to earn a profit on the cash tables because they're outclassed but also because of the draw of the big score with one small'ish' investment).
Trust me, there's a TON of super skilled MTT players who are grinding all day, almost every day!!!


HUD are refined and used. If don't know what VPIP% or TAP means stay away.
HUD's are not necessary.... especially at micros. So are you suggesting there's no place for OP to learn how to play? I mean if the lowest limit cash tables are something they should stay away from if they don't already have a HUD or know what some abbreviations mean.

-No socialism value like in MTTs.

Pretty much most of the chat has ceased on all tables since ~2011. Sure back in 2005-2010 there was lots of chat on the tables. Today..... no. So I really dont' see how this is relevant at all. In fact I see just the opposite. Playing cash tables affords OP to be able to stand up at any time, to answer the phone, answer the door... hang with the wife, etc. etc. MUCH more flexible time commitment allowing for SOCIAL activities away from the tables.... without having to set aside an 8 to 10hr. time commitment for a donkament.

Do you play more 6 or 9max tables? 6 max may have more variance, right? I'm currently playing at 9 max so I have more time to learn something from their other players after the blinds hits me over and over