1. Online Poker Micro Stakes Strategy
2. Online Poker Micro Stakes Strategy
3. Micro Stakes Online Poker Strategy
4. Online Poker Micro Stakes .05/.1 Win Rates
5. Crush Micro Stakes Online Poker
6. Micro Stakes Online Poker

Micro stakes poker strategy guide - conclusion. Beating the micro stakes, or preferably beating the majority of the micro stakes players, will be a matter of following a somewhat weak/tight poker strategy which revolves around getting great value from your biggest hands and slowing down in or even avoiding marginal situations. In a live casino, the smallest stakes poker games are $1 / $2 – with a buy-in of $200. When you go online, you’ll find the games start a lot lower than this. Almost every online poker site will have games with 1c / 2c blinds. Your maximum buy-in for these is $2, though you do not always need a full stack. Poker at the micro stakes is where most of us start our cash game journey. It is important to start creating good habits now that will carry over once you move on to higher stakes. Wisdom Begins with Wonder - Socrates. Alton is an educator, poker coach, self-published & best-selling author, and full-time IT and Business professional. He is also the founder of MicroGrinder Poker School, an online poker school dedicated to micro stakes poker players, where he provides a wide array of free and low-cost poker resources and poker training, included poker strategy articles.

So, you're interested in online poker, but you don't want to risk too much money just yet. Where's the best place to play small stakes online poker for real money?

Below is a table of what I think are the best sites for low limit online poker.

Best small stakes poker rooms.

Note: The SNG column indicates the lowest stakes single-table (STT), non-turbo SNGs on offer.

How I've rated these sites.

These poker rooms have primarily been ranked based on players looking to play no limit Texas Hold'em poker online for small stakes, whether that be in cash games or tournaments (i.e. SNGs and MTTs).

Here are the 4 main factors I took in to account when ranking these sites:

1. The lowest stakes games on offer.
2. The number of players frequently active at these limits.
3. How bad the players at these stakes are.
4. The general overall quality of the poker room based on software, traffic and support.

Clearly the level of the absolute lowest stakes cash games and SNGs on offer at a poker room is one of the biggest factors. It's not much use signing up to a poker room that doesn't offer SNG games under $5, or cash games under $10NL if you have a $30 bankroll. Even if you intend on playing at slightly higher limits anyway, it's always good to have the flexibility there to move down if needs be.

I've also taken in to account the quality of the competition. The softer the competition, the more money you will win – it's as simple as that. Therefore, I've included my rating of the 'softness' of the poker sites in the table to help you make the best choice.

Lastly, player traffic and my rating of the poker room overall has been considered. I'm sure I don't need to explain why on those two counts.

Summary of the smallest stakes games on offer.

Here's a quick summary of the most common limits of micro stakes games available at the majority of online poker sites.

• 1c/2c (this is the absolutely lowest level available online)
• 2c/5c
• 5c/10c
• 10c/25c (you can occasionally find 10c/20c games at places like the iPoker network)
• 25c/50c

• $1 + 20c
• $2 + 25c
• $5 + 50c
• $10 + $1

Playing micro limit online poker for the first time?

We've all played low stakes online poker; even the best players had to start somewhere. It all starts with grinding it out in the micro stakes cash games or low level tournaments, building a bankroll and moving up to higher limits when you get the chance.

There are two key things to remember:

1. Take your time and play within your limits.
2. Keep playing and learning.

1) Take your time and play within your limits.

Good bankroll management is essential. And no, I don't mean that in the 'flossing is essential' or 'remembering your relatives' birthdays is essential' way. I mean it as in 'not turning the gas cooker off before you go to sleep is essential' and 'not starting fights with bears is essential'.

Seriously, treat your bankroll with ultimate respect. Without it, you can't play poker and you can't win money. Don't get careless and fritter your earnings away because you're on tilt.

Here are the basic rules of bankroll management that you should always stick to:

• Cash games - always have at least 20 buy-ins for the stakes you're playing at.
• SNGs - always have at least 40 buy-ins (including fees) for the level you want to play at.

If Chris ferguson can do it, so can you.

2) Keep playing and learning.

The more you play and the more you learn, the better you will get. The better you get, the more money you'll win. It's the cycle that every successful poker player has taken and continues to take.

Read strategy articles, read books, watch strategy videos, join a training site.

The information on how to win money from poker is out there, it's just up to you whether or not you take advantage of it.

How the stakes of online poker are categorized.

Technically, $50NL cash games and lower are referred to as the 'micro stakes' and not 'small stakes'. Seems quite strange considering that I'd hardly call $50 (or even $10 for that matter) a micro amount of money. But that's just how it is.

I decided to go ahead and call this page a guide to the best 'small stakes sites' anyway as I know that's what most people are searching for when they use that phrase.

For the sake of education and being thorough, here's how the different levels/limits of NLHE cash games and SNGs are categorized:

Note: I've used shorthand for the cash game levels in the table above. Stakes written like $50NL indicate the standard maximum 100bb buy-in for that level. So for example, $50NL is the same as writing 25c/50c, and $400NL is the same as writing $2/$4.
This is a common way of writing the varying limits in NLHE cash games. The cool thing about this notation is that it saves you having to try and type that pesky forward slash.

You may also notice that the term 'low limit' or 'low stakes' poker hasn't been used here. That term is more commonly used when referring to playing live poker in casinos, with anything up to $3/$5 being considered low limit (crazy I know). It's just another one of those things in poker.

A few extra tips.

• Use good bankroll management. I've told you about this before, but it's so important it's worth mentioning at least one more time.
• Don't get too fancy against micro stakes players. You only need to think one level above a poker player to beat them, and small stakes Texas Hold'em players are thinking on a low level for the most part.
• Avoid paying more than 10% in tournament fees. Paying 20% in fees for SNGs is just going to kill your winrate. 10% fees are standard at most levels, but in the micro levels at some rooms the fees are bumped up. Either avoid these rooms, or play at a slightly higher level where the fees are more friendly.
• Take your time. It's not about doubling your bankroll in each session. Poker is a marathon, not a sprint. If you want quick and easy winnings, play roulette.

After that, it's all about time, effort and persistence. Just make sure you give me a shout out when you win your first WSOP main event.

Useful links.

Go back to the Texas Hold'em rooms.

Online Poker Micro Stakes Strategy

Real Money Online Poker Games with Smaller Buy-Ins

You do not need to break the bank to enjoy real money online poker games. Many sites offer small stakes games – the smallest of which can be played with pennies. These low buy-in cash games and tournaments give new players the opportunity to sharpen their skills without risking too much money. Once you know the ropes, there are plenty of higher stakes games, and even ‘nosebleed’ stakes with poker pros, available online.

Since most sites offer small stakes poker games, your decision on where to play should involve additional factors. How tough the games are, relative to other sites, is a key factor. Some sites have games which are noticeably softer than others – even at the smallest stakes. You should also make sure that you have a bonus deal which is favorable to smaller stake poker players. You will find some bonuses require you to collect a huge number of points from the games. This can be next to impossible if you are playing the lowest buy ins.
Below you will find two strong recommendations of small stakes poker sites.

Lists the Best Micro Stakes Poker Sites

Best Poker Sites for Small Stakes Poker

We decided to only list two small-stakes poker sites on this page, not because there are only two small-stakes poker sites out there, but because the rest of the sites are basically the same. Everyone offers the micro-stakes tables, but Betonline and Ignition have, by far, the most traffic and game offerings.

Online Poker Micro Stakes Strategy

How to Beat Small Stakes Poker Games

When you put a lot of novice players together, and let them play for stakes of $10 and under, you’ll see some very strange play taking place.

Micro Stakes Online Poker Strategy

Tables often become loose-passive. This means that your opponents will be playing way too many starting hands, and will be limping or calling bets with them instead of betting and raising. This continues after the flop with players chasing all sorts of flush and straight draws, and calling down with questionable ‘made’ hands.

Fortunately, these players are very easy to beat. The first adjustment is to make sure you cut down on your bluffs. Since players call with almost anything, it is hard to make them fold. I suggest you bet once on the flop if nobody else does, as you will often find people folding when they miss completely at the small stakes. You should raise with your good hand, and bet on every street with your good hands. Those same players that never fold can be gold mines when you have a nut hand.

When an otherwise passive player wakes up and starts betting, they usually have a great hand. Folding when this happens will save you a lot of money over time. It is so easy to take the cash from small stakes poker sites, that you really don’t need to make ‘hero calls’.

Online Poker Micro Stakes .05/.1 Win Rates

The Biggest Benefit of Small Stakes Poker Sites

The micro-stakes tables are the perfect location for learning poker if you are a new player. If you decide to go to a live casino, the smallest game you're likely to find will be a $1/$2 No Limit Hold'em game. The standard buy-in for this game would be between $100 and $200, and if you lose a few buy-ins as you're learning the ropes you could be down almost $500 - pretty expensive for a poker education!

Crush Micro Stakes Online Poker

However, if you decide to learn poker at the micro-stakes tables at online poker sites, you'll save a ton of money. At a $0.01/$0.02 NL Hold'em table, the standard buy-in is only a dollar or two. Most poker sites have a minimum deposit of $10 or $20, so you can use your credit card to make a minimum deposit, then play at the small stakes tables for days, if not weeks, before you have to reload.

Micro Stakes Online Poker

Also, the players at these tables are pretty good, so you will learn poker skills fast as the level of competition is decent. Although you're only playing for a few dollars, the players at these tables take it seriously, so you'll rarely see the crazy style of play that you often see in poker freerolls.