What is the best way to play at microstakes? Should I just be playing tight and aggressive? I'm starting at the lowest stakes but I am willing to do whatever it takes and spend as much time as it takes to improve. I'm currently reading "The Mathematics of Poker" by Bill Chen. Any advice would be deeply appreciated.
As a player that has had a lot of success at the micro stakes along with BBennie. I also feel I can speak on this. BBennie is correct with everything he said, and the advanced training videos arent as effective at the micro stakes....
Something that is lacking in the poker community in general, I feel, is a curriculum designed to take you from learning the super micro's to super high roller play. Even though I'm not a super high roller myself, I am confident I can compete in the 1/2-2/5 cash NLH, and everything from the $50-$1200 MTTs. With the equating out in online play anywhere from 2-50NLH, and
freerolls-15 MTTs....
With my exsperinces I will give a few pointers here....
1) dont mess with GTO at the lower limits. It really doesnt work. Instead focus on soild fundamentals, and learn how to exsploit player types. While forcing yourself to pay attention to each table enough to get player tendancies from villians.
If you're playing at a table where no one knows GTO. GTO is useless, because GTO is designed to be used against players that also use it. The general understand of the game today is actually pretty simple....
You either play "standard" or you play "exsploitive". In general, without any infomation you should be playing standard. Because having a soild standard game, with fundamental backing. You should not be exploitable. Then when you realize the villians playing type, you then can get out of line to exsploit them. While keeping in mind. When you get out of line, you then become exploitable yourself....
If you have any questions about that. Feel free to message me, I'll do my best to explain in better detail.
2) never OPEN LIMP PREFLOP, and stick to your ranges! If your not comfertable playing a multiway limped pot with a T9o on the BTN, cause you know you should hit the pot button and raise. Then dont. It's better to be safe then sorry. This is exsactly why every exsperinced player that offers free content on the internet publishes thier ranges as very tight. Cause they know a lot of players that take this free content are not the strongest post flop players. With that said that leads to 3....
3) get very comfertable post flop, really dig in. Understand things like fold
equity (even though you wont have much in the micros), post flop fundamentals (when to CBet, when not to), and planning ahead to later streets (for example, betting small on the flop, and betting about 60-75% pot on the turn regardless of then turn card, because over 3/4 of the deck to come on the turn is a scare card, and you block the draws)....
The only way you can do this is by studying. Find a group of players that get together once a week over Skype and review hands. I personally dont run a group anymore, but I do have friends that do if your interested in finding 1.
And lastly....
4) stop being resualts oriented, and stick to
bankroll management. The more you start to understand the game, the better you get. The more likely you will get sucked out on. Even though you stacked 6 Villians in the exsact same spot. You're always gonna remeber those 2 that hit thier boat on the river. You can never let those 2 times effect your win rate EVER! cause if you do. You will only be mediocre at best.
Like I said, if you have any questions feel free to shoot me a message. I would love to help build your game.
