Actually small ball is considered a very advanced style of play. Because if you play it wrong you can get in alot of trouble. One of the big points in small ball is knowing when to get out of a hand. If you start playing small ball and costantly chasing to the river you're gonna get hurt, although there are some situations when it is worth it. In small ball straights and flushes are mainly what you're shooting for. The basis is raising smaller to control the size of the pot, and calling raises(as long as theyre not ridiculous stack crippling raises) with things like suited connectors and suited gapped connectors etc, and catching the people who overplay their high cards/pairs. The main thing is since you're raising everything you play no on can get a read on your hand. If you don't hit...get out unless your opponent slips and gives you a decent chance at improving. A perfect...extreme example of small ball would be opponent raises 3-5x bb with AA you smooth call with 45s floop comes 3 7 6, opponent bets pot, you call. Ace hit on the turn opponent goes all in you call and crush him. then he screams how youre a donk and how do you call a raise w/45 (alot of players think they're hellmuth). But thats the point, if the flopp would have been AKJ you fold and looseminimum, but when you hit you can devastate your opponent. then once you do have a good hand like Aces etc you play them the same and you get more action. but same as with speculative hands you have to know when to get out of it. there are alot of swings with this style of play but the rewards are greater. THE MAIN THING IS KNOWING WHEN TO FOLD.
bluffing isnt easy since alot of people think that since you play below average cards they are inclined to call with anything too, thats when donks get lucky. By no means have I even come close to being good with this style and there is alot more to learn, but I do recommend Negreanus booh Power Holdem Strategy, if you're interested in learning this style. And Yes I have had some success with freerolls and micros with this style, you just have to change things around a bit, limp more instead of raise, cause when you raise all the time, the freeroll donks start the all in every play, but as long as you dont tilt and start calling these stupid bets you can make it work. Any questions and i will try to research and get answers so ask away.