Question about Crushing the Microstakes

icecold24k

icecold24k

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So I am thinking of purchasing the book Crushing the Microstakes today by blackrain79. I was reading somewhere online though were they were saying this book is outdated and no longer relevant. I was just wondering if anyone has read this and can give me some insight before I drop the money for this book.

I must say though however I did watch several of his YouTube videos about Crushing the Microstakes and this has helped my game tremendously. Since watching all the videos and following the strategy and thought process I have been on a pretty sick profitable run. Also if anyone can point me in the right direction for Microstakes MTT and Microstakes SNG strategy.
 
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Gypsy

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Blackrain ROCKS

I realize I have written a great deal about how much I LOVE and appreciate BlackRain79 and all of the information he has to impart.

He has updated his "Crushing the Microstakes" and personally I would be pretty wary of anyone who harshed him. He is a winning and financially successful Micro Stakes player AND a Micro Stakes "Specialist."

If it were not for him I think I would not be running in a profit on one site and down a lot more on the other site.

There are two books to consider and I am buying the second book for 10NL and above. (My goal is to start 10NL in 4-6 Weeks time)

This is posted on his site.

Intended Audience


Crushing the Microstakes is primarily targeted at NL2, NL4 and NL5 full ring and 6max cash games, both Zoom and regular tables.


It was written for beginners and people who are struggling at these stakes in general. Crushing the Microstakes provides a solid foundation for higher stakes as well but does not represent a complete guide for those games.

My other book "Modern Small Stakes" is targeted at NL10, NL25 and NL50 full ring and 6max cash games, Zoom and regular tables. If you play in these games and breezed through the NL2-NL5 levels, then you would be better served to start there."

You will not regret the purchase.

Oh, I am in NO WAY financially affiliated with BlackRain79 and receive no financial gain regarding his work.

This is sincerely an expression of my gratitude and opinion of him.

Regards,

GypsyChik:)
 
icecold24k

icecold24k

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I realize I have written a great deal about how much I LOVE and appreciate BlackRain79 and all of the information he has to impart.

He has updated his "Crushing the Microstakes" and personally I would be pretty wary of anyone who harshed him. He is a winning and financially successful Micro Stakes player AND a Micro Stakes "Specialist."

If it were not for him I think I would not be running in a profit on one site and down a lot more on the other site.

There are two books to consider and I am buying the second book for 10NL and above. (My goal is to start 10NL in 4-6 Weeks time)

This is posted on his site.

Intended Audience


Crushing the Microstakes is primarily targeted at NL2, NL4 and NL5 full ring and 6max cash games, both Zoom and regular tables.


It was written for beginners and people who are struggling at these stakes in general. Crushing the Microstakes provides a solid foundation for higher stakes as well but does not represent a complete guide for those games.

My other book "Modern Small Stakes" is targeted at NL10, NL25 and NL50 full ring and 6max cash games, Zoom and regular tables. If you play in these games and breezed through the NL2-NL5 levels, then you would be better served to start there."

You will not regret the purchase.

Oh, I am in NO WAY financially affiliated with BlackRain79 and receive no financial gain regarding his work.

This is sincerely an expression of my gratitude and opinion of him.

Regards,

GypsyChik:)

Thank you a bunch for this information.. This is exactly what I am looking for..:)
 
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Frozrbyte

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I did read his book crushing the microstakes quite a long time ago and it was really helpful. I've just restarted playing poker again recently starting and I think that what you read about his book being irrelevant is because even though microstakes players are still bad, the players at this stakes have improved when compared to the years before. They don't make fishes as they use to anymore. Well, not as much anyways but there's definitely still some. However I still think that many of his concepts are still applicable and profitable so it will definitely still be worth the read.

I have yet to read the updated version that Gypsy mentioned of but now that I know about it, I'm definitely going to check it out
 
IPlay

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Crushing the micros is still a good book but maybe it could be called "Beating the Micros" in todays game because it will not make you a crusher but should help you atleast become a winner. I would for sure follow it up with Modern Small Stakes which combined, can make you crush the micros.
 
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Glad I was able to help!:)

It is really worth it to sign up at his site and he will send "Massive Profits at the MicroStakes" for free. This is a good read.

Also, I am signed up for his Newsletter("Learn how to Crush the MIcro's in 2015") which is for free and fantastic. Always new Vid's and blogs.

Here is the Website for those who are interested. It takes all of 1 minute to sign up.

http://www.blackrain79.com/

Best wishes and GL at the Tables,

GypsyChick :cool:
 
LD1977

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It has definitely become obsolete ever since Zoom became popular (and Stars started to suffer connectivity issues). It is better to 4-table Zoom for slightly lesser win rate but more hands, better focus on decisions and much quicker improvement.

Absolute beginners might find useful stuff in it though (but that stuff can be found online for free so meh).
 
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Gypsy

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It has definitely become obsolete ever since Zoom became popular (and Stars started to suffer connectivity issues). It is better to 4-table Zoom for slightly lesser win rate but more hands, better focus on decisions and much quicker improvement.

Absolute beginners might find useful stuff in it though (but that stuff can be found online for free so meh).

Hello LD,

Have you read both of his books?

I do not understand how the invention of Zone Poker make his books "obsolete."

Due to the invention of Zone Poker perhaps all Books and Video's regarding regular 6-Max and Full Ring should be gathered into a pyre and lit?

What did you think of his Article the "Essential Guide to Zone poker strategy." Did you read this as well?

I would sooner take my advice from one of the top earners in .2 and .5NL(with a proven and published track record) than from some random internet source.

I feel more secure with taking information from those with proven track records that are "Stakes Specific."

Blackrain79 has put in huge amounts of work in his Video's, Newsletter and Blog and they are all for free. He is only charging for the books!

Most people who are playing Micro Stakes need some solid and not very complex advice regarding these Stakes.

BlackRain covers the pro's and con's of playing Zone/Zoom Poker. Here is an excerpt.

"Zoom poker is still a relatively new and exciting brand of poker. The greatest thing about it is the ease with which you can sit down and just start playing within seconds.

It is brilliant really.

But this ease of access is also a fairly big drawback. It tends to attract legions of nitty mass multi-tabling regs and fish who play tighter and can't be easily isolated.

No matter how good of a LAG you are it is hard to draw blood from a stone and even your best customers don't pay out as well. This is why I personally do not play Zoom poker very often and I do not recommend it for anyone who is looking to crush the games.

With that said though, some people like to put in big volume and chase rakeback goals. Zoom poker is perfect for them.

And also, some people simply don't want to chase the fish around all day and constantly hop from one table to another. They just want to sit down and play. I get that and I can totally respect that as well. And in that case, Zoom is also the perfect game for them."

I think your discrediting BlackRain79 and his work is unfounded and I seriously doubt that you are taking a stance from an informed perspective.

Regards,

Gypsy
 
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icecold24k

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I did watch a lot of his free videos and like I said I feel like they have helped my cash game tremendously. The book is on sale at a discount now with a 30 day money back guarantee so I am leaning toward it being a pretty safe investment. Thank you all for the input on this.
 
Four Dogs

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So I am thinking of purchasing the book Crushing the Microstakes today by blackrain79. I was reading somewhere online though were they were saying this book is outdated and no longer relevant. I was just wondering if anyone has read this and can give me some insight before I drop the money for this book.



I'm not sure anything written about micro stakes can ever be outdated. It's not like the micros are loaded with Junglemans, and Galfonds, it's just a bunch of car salesmen, accountants and phone sanitizers. (Nod to Douglas Adams) In other words, there's no evolving strategy, it's just basic math and psychology which never changes. You can adapt to them but they'll never adapt to you, at least not enough of them to change the way the game is played. Same goes for live poker.

I haven't read Blackrain's books but I have read all his blogs and watched his videos and highly recommend them. If his book is as good then it's money well spent.
 
icecold24k

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I'm not sure anything written about micro stakes can ever be outdated. It's not like the micros are loaded with Junglemans, and Galfonds, it's just a bunch of car salesmen, accountants and phone sanitizers. (Nod to Douglas Adams) In other words, there's no evolving strategy, it's just basic math and psychology which never changes. You can adapt to them but they'll never adapt to you, at least not enough of them to change the way the game is played. Same goes for live poker.

I haven't read Blackrain's books but I have read all his blogs and watched his videos and highly recommend them. If his book is as good then it's money well spent.

I finally broke down and bought the book today, I am about start reading it. So far all the reviews I read about it have been on par and he really knows his stuff. If it helps me become a better player then I will more than likely invest in his other book Modern Small Stakes Poker.
 
BogdanStark

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Hi there!!!!
This book is a must-read.

You can not use anything from there but you are obliged to read and to learn all that is written there. When I first started playing I started with the book Doyle Brunson - Super System, but it was not very clear to me and the result did not affect to my on-line game.

But when I read Beat the micro-limits that was very useful to me. You know, when you sit at these tables (I mean NL-2. NL-5) you really agree with every word written in this book.
 
icecold24k

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But when I read Beat the micro-limits that was very useful to me. You know, when you sit at these tables (I mean NL-2. NL-5) you really agree with every word written in this book.

I absolutely agree with this statement. This book has made me really pay attention to the play of the other players at my table and I really realize how terrible some of these players are. I even realized some donk plays that even I used to make at these limits.
 
ZaneAA

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I am really happy to see that there is a good training video about Crushing the Microstakes. Ever time I buy a poker training book I find that it doesn't fit the game I am trying to learn.

I just hope that these training sites are still valid knowing that I like many others want to become winning players. How many players out there in the micros are still the worst players? I would think that over time players are starting to all be better and I am stuck trying to beat someone as good or better than me.
 
Aces2w1n

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I find that a lot of the books and concepts are important to learn, so you know when someone is trying to use it against you.
 
PershingSt

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Micro and Small stakes poker is essentially about fundamentals and making less mistakes than your opponents . I imagine the information provided would still be very relevant to todays micros games because they tend to not change a lot . I found Blackrains videos helpful when i was making the switch from MTTs to cash games in the post black friday era .
 
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Hello LD,

Have you read both of his books?

I do not understand how the invention of Zone Poker make his books "obsolete."

Due to the invention of Zone Poker perhaps all Books and Video's regarding regular 6-Max and Full Ring should be gathered into a pyre and lit?

What did you think of his Article the "Essential Guide to Zone Poker Strategy." Did you read this as well?

I would sooner take my advice from one of the top earners in .2 and .5NL(with a proven and published track record) than from some random internet source.

I feel more secure with taking information from those with proven track records that are "Stakes Specific."

Blackrain79 has put in huge amounts of work in his Video's, Newsletter and Blog and they are all for free. He is only charging for the books!

Most people who are playing Micro Stakes need some solid and not very complex advice regarding these Stakes.

BlackRain covers the pro's and con's of playing Zone/Zoom Poker. Here is an excerpt.

"Zoom poker is still a relatively new and exciting brand of poker. The greatest thing about it is the ease with which you can sit down and just start playing within seconds.

It is brilliant really.

But this ease of access is also a fairly big drawback. It tends to attract legions of nitty mass multi-tabling regs and fish who play tighter and can't be easily isolated.

No matter how good of a LAG you are it is hard to draw blood from a stone and even your best customers don't pay out as well. This is why I personally do not play Zoom poker very often and I do not recommend it for anyone who is looking to crush the games.

With that said though, some people like to put in big volume and chase rakeback goals. Zoom poker is perfect for them.

And also, some people simply don't want to chase the fish around all day and constantly hop from one table to another. They just want to sit down and play. I get that and I can totally respect that as well. And in that case, Zoom is also the perfect game for them."

I think your discrediting BlackRain79 and his work is unfounded and I seriously doubt that you are taking a stance from an informed perspective.

Regards,

Gypsy

I was getting coaching from Nick Wealthall and others and the first lesson i learned was to stop playing Zoom and select ring games where you can pick opponents because of the same reasons outlayed above, i did notice more of a winrate which was the crucial reason for the change.
 
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joe31705

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I need help
Who is blackrain79. I am interested in finding a book called avoiding the minefield that is micro stakes.
 
LD1977

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*** blatant self-promotion under an alias***

I think your discrediting BlackRain79 and his work is unfounded and I seriously doubt that you are taking a stance from an informed perspective.

Regards,

Gypsy

Whereas I think bum hunting 2NL and 5NL is very sad, especially for someone who lives in a 1st world country (!).

My perspective is from a winning cash game player up to 50NL Zoom.
 
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Hello icecold24k. I just wanted to say to stick to what works for you, learn a particular game very well and establish these fundamentals. It is generally not a good idea switching between SNGs, MTTs and cash if you want to move up in stakes. Good luck.
 
Nathan Williams

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Hi,

Sorry! I just saw this thread now (about 9 months after it was started). I do post on CC from time to time but I sometimes miss stuff like this. I think Gypsy covers most of the questions well. Thank you for the kind words by the way :)

If anyone has any additional questions about either of my books, my free guide, my free videos, my paid videos etc. it is best to just email me at blackrain79@dragthebar.com for the quickest reply.

All the best at the tables,

Nathan
 
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I bought this book about a month ago during a time when I was beating 2NL 6-max zoom on Stars but losing at 5NL 6-max zoom on Stars. I thought that this would be the magic solution to help me beat 5NL. To be honest, there was very little that I learnt in the book that I didn't already know. Another disappointing thing was that it tended to focus more on full-ring regular tables whereas I'm a 6-max zoom player. It recommended things like limp-calling UTG with small pocket pairs and making dynamic raise sizes like 4x with KK instead of 3x. I don't think that these plays work at all at the 5NL level (maybe they'll work at 2NL if you're lucky).

I think that it was outdated in many ways and tends to assume that 5NL players are completely spewy and awful, whereas in reality, the 5NL players on Stars are actually quite decent and will get into stealing/restealing wars as well as light 3betting and light 4betting regularly.

Another thing was that the book looked down upon players who would call large river bets when the flush/straight draws missed. It called these players fishy. In reality, I think that bluff catching is an art and the best time to bluff catch is when there are a lot of busted draws. I've caught out heaps of bluffs by other 5NL regs who will bomb the river when their flush/straight draw misses.

I haven't read modern small stakes but is it any relevant to 2016 6-max on Stars? Or is it another one of those books that focuses primarily on the way full-ring was played in 2011?

EDIT: I'm not trying to disrespect blackrain79 in any way. I know that he is a great player and was in many ways a pioneer for his time. I think that the book was probably great back in the day, it's just slowly losing relevance as the game evolves every year.
 
IPlay

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Another thing was that the book looked down upon players who would call large river bets when the flush/straight draws missed. It called these players fishy. In reality, I think that bluff catching is an art and the best time to bluff catch is when there are a lot of busted draws. I've caught out heaps of bluffs by other 5NL regs who will bomb the river when their flush/straight draw misses.

Fine line between bluff catching and being a calling station and judging from your last few post you seem to be bordering on the station side.

I also think he isn't far off here because a lot of fish have the mentality of "big bet when all the draws missed? He MUST be bluffing" when in reality good players are thinking on the next level and make these big bets with good hands when the draws miss because they know the fishes mind set. On the other hand they know the fish are always calling river when the draws miss so they mostly shut down after a double barrel with draws.
 
TimovieMan

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I also think he isn't far off here because a lot of fish have the mentality of "big bet when all the draws missed? He MUST be bluffing" when in reality good players are thinking on the next level and make these big bets with good hands when the draws miss because they know the fishes mind set. On the other hand they know the fish are always calling river when the draws miss so they mostly shut down after a double barrel with draws.
And that's where the 1/3 pot bet comes in. "He WANTS us to call! Fold!" :D
 
IPlay

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Lol naw, then they say "how could I fold for such a good price???"

Stations will station
 
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