Usually found in online poker rooms, micro stakes poker involves games with stakes ranging from $0.01 to $0.25. This low-value nature can produce exciting rounds with players of all levels participating.
A great entry point for beginners, micro stakes poker allows one to practice strategies and become comfortable with hand rankings while experiencing the atmosphere and speed of a live online poker game. However, as advantageous as this is, it’s important for players to progress and not remain stagnant. We discuss the best ways to break out of micro stakes.
Why do many players struggle to move past micro stakes?
So, why do many individuals struggle to move away from micro stakes poker online? This can be down to several reasons and varies from player to player.
Perhaps they feel the level of competition is far greater in high-stakes games, causing players to be apprehensive as they perceive their chances of winning as being much lower. Too many players focusing on specific games can have negative consequences, however. When everyone shares the same ambition of leaving the table with the most amount of chips, it can cause hostility among players – some thrive during the event while others crumble.
A player’s financial situation is another factor when deciding to play micro stakes games. It’s crucial that you only stake what you’re able to lose.
Moreover, in other instances, players feel no need to migrate to higher-stakes games. Micro online poker tournaments are a combination of small buy-ins and a lot of players. On average, the number of opponents you face is 1,000 players. The number of competitors you face is the reason why micro stakes poker can be financially fruitful.
How to break out of micro stakes?
Micro stakes poker strategy differs from the larger buy-in games due to the amounts being staked and the players it attracts. Usually, as the stakes get higher, the level of competition follows suit. So, how can you break out of the micro stakes?
Win uncontested pots
Learning when to be aggressive – and when not to – is an important step in progressing your skills as a player. Winning uncontested pots is an efficient way to keep your chip count climbing and adding to your win rate.
The time to be aggressive on small pots is when the flop and turn check through. This suggests that no one has strong cards, meaning it’s your moment to bet strong and steal the pot.
Exploit your opponents
Studying the playing personalities and tendencies of your opponents is another effective method of bettering your position. Utilized in the World Series of Poker, outside of your cards, it is the best source of information available to you. For example, if you notice a player folding a lot and only betting when they receive strong hands, you know it’s more than likely they have a strong hand when going head-to-head.
Understanding the weak players around a table is another key source of information and allows you to be selective when playing aggressively. There is no right or wrong way to know how to play poker, but there are external pieces of information that can aid you in exploiting opponents and making the best-calculated move. Folding can sometimes be the best answer (even when holding, for example, a strong Texas Hold’em poker hand.)
Play tighter on the preflop
Especially when calling raises and re-raises, playing micro stakes means you have to play tighter pre-flop because the high rake lessens your pot odds. If you’re considering an aggressive move, such as a raise or 3-bet, then it’s crucial to consider the rake and play tighter to give you the best chance for success.
Positioning
Your positioning on the table can be a huge influence on the outcome of your game. Generally speaking, it’s better to keep aggressive players on your right and nits on the left. This is because isolating weak players gives you a greater chance to exploit them as you’re betting directly against them. And having strong players on your right means you can react to their move rather than the other way around.
Play spontaneously
You risk being exploited when players become accustomed to how you play. So, playing spontaneously by bluffing, raising, checking and folding is the best way to keep your opponents guessing. Interestingly, losing when bluffing can be rewarded in the later stages of the game due to opponents presuming you have a particular hand. Playing random hands makes it harder for opponents to guess your hands, therefore increasing your chances of success.Â
Play poker on BetMGM
Want to play poker online? With micro and macro stakes in endless poker variations, BetMGM is the perfect online casino to transition up the stakes. You could also brush up on your skills by studying the fundamental theorem behind the game.Â
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