Often these days we spend too much time trying to figure out how to achieve a small win rate in tight, aggressive low stakes cash games. I personally try to avoid these games at all costs.

I don’t know about you, but I didn’t get involved in poker to battle for small amounts of money with people who take the game seriously. I got involved with poker to go get the easy money from recreational players. The truth is most live low stakes games and even low stakes cash games on smaller online sites still have plenty of loose action.

In this vlog, I discuss in a very simple and quick manner how to strategize and profit off of most live low stakes player pools. If there are any questions o. The lowest blind in most poker rooms is $2, meaning Sam and Daniel would need a $6,000 bankroll to stave off a run of bad luck, even against unskilled opponents. Unfortunately, a $6,000 bankroll is, like pet insurance or a regular prostate exam, something that many should have, but few actually attain. During my time as a professional poker player, I have made 8 figures playing online poker tournaments. It’s a lot easier said than done, however. And many poker players get lost along the way. Here are some of my top tips for succeeding in the world of online poker.

However, many people today make a few key errors which hurt their win rate in these games. In this article I am going to discuss three rules for maximizing your success in loose low stakes cash games.

1. Play a Lot of Hands Versus the Recreational Players

Many people do not maximize their win rate versus the bad players because they simply fold too much preflop. You should be going out of your way to get involved in pots with them. If you have position on the rec player, I would suggest playing as much as the top 50% of hands against them.

This means that when they do their limp thing, you raise it up with a huge range of hands in order to try and get heads up against them going to the flop. This is also known as “isolating.”

A lot of people are afraid that if they don’t have a good hand themselves, they won’t know what to do after the flop. The truth is that these recreational players are playing a huge amount of hands as well. And since you have a position on a player who often will make colossal mistakes after the flop, you could very easily win a big pot with a hand like -suited or even -suited.

The bottom line is that you can’t win big against these players if you don’t get involved against them. There is also a process at work here of getting in their head and developing a dynamic with them. This will pay off later when you finally have the big hand.

2. Don’t Slow Play Versus Loose-Passive Players

Another rule for success against this category of players is never to slow play versus them. A lot of people make the mistake of not wanting to scare their opponent off by betting too much. But the truth is we call these players “passive” for a reason. They are not going to build the pot for you. If you choose to try and trap them with your big hands, then you can often look forward to winning a tiny pot.

You have to build the pot versus passive players. It is true that they will fold sometimes, but that is just because they didn’t have anything. You can’t force somebody to call you if they have nothing.

The vast majority of the time a big pot gets played in hold’em, it is because both players involved have good hands. This is just a simple fact of the game and it is not something that is under your control.

However, making them pay when they do happen to have something is under your control. Save the trapping for the aggressive regulars who might actually help build the pot for you.

3. Don’t Bluff the Bad Players (Most of the Time)

Another common piece of advice for low stakes cash games is never to bluff the bad players. Again, this isn’t quite optimal. I certainly agree that running big bluffs against them is often a recipe for disaster. However, you definitely should be betting frequently with nothing against them, especially on the flop.

As I said before, you should be isolating these recreational players with a wide range preflop. And you should also be following this up with a continuation bet on the flop most of the time. This is how you start building that dynamic with them I was talking about before.

They are only going to have a pair on the flop about one-third of the time when they do their limp/call thing. Therefore, more often than not they will have to face another bet when they have nothing.

When you are constantly isolating them with a wide range and sticking the c-bet in their face each time, they will start to view you as abusing them. This will pay big dividends for you in the future when you finally make your big hand and they have some piece of the board as well.

The great thing about this strategy is that it doesn’t cost you much either. If they call you on the flop and you still have ten-high on the turn, then yes, you should give up. But most of the time, under normal conditions, you will be taking down a majority of these pots on an earlier street. You are also prepping them for the big blow-up hand where they give you their entire stack.

Final Thoughts

The biggest keys to success for loose low stakes cash games all have to do with keeping things simple — and I mean brutally simple. Do not get tricky in any way. When you make a big hand, you need to bet big on every street for value.

But furthermore, make sure that you are constantly playing this annoying style of “small ball” (as some might call it) against the recreational players. Try to get involved in as many hands as possible versus them and be aggressive consistently on the flop no matter what you have.

You have to remember that sometimes it simply won’t be your day. You won’t be able to make a hand to save your life and they will seem to hit the flop every time in some way. It is really important not to lose your cool during these sessions and simply trust in the process.

This is because on most days this loose-aggressive style of play in position versus the recreational players will pay off in a big way. This approach also tilts them very easily if you are running good or even just normally. This can lead to a windfall situation where they are just handing you stack after stack.

Nathan “BlackRain79” Williams is the author of the popular micro stakes strategy books, Crushing the Microstakes and Modern Small Stakes. He also blogs regularly about all things related to the micros over at www.blackrain79.com.

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The last card has been dealt. I stare at the final board. I have the best hand possible. My opponent goes all in! I call and win the huge pot! This is an experience I have had many times, and so have all professional poker players. The problem is this does not happen every time I sit down and play.

Do you want to make money in the long run and not rely on luck? Do you want to sustain a career playing cash games? If you answered yes, then chances are you want to be a professional poker player. The key is to treat it like a career and act like a professional. I have included 4 major tips to help keep your eye on the prize and win the most money possible over the long haul.

PUT THE WORK IN

This cannot be faked. The days of showing up to the table and just waiting for a huge hand to double up with are long behind us. Of course, this can happen, but remember, I am focusing on winning over a long period of time. An easy way to start is by tracking your sessions…

I like to keep a detailed spreadsheet on Microsoft Excel that includes all of the important facts: the date, time of day, how long I played for, which casino I played at, what game I played, how much I won or lost and any specific notes I want to keep. Those notes can be general about the session or about specific hands. Remember to include all of the details of the hand. “My pocket eights lost to his Ace-King when we were all in pre flop.” That is not enough information for me to later review that hand. “He raised to $20 from early position, and when it folded to me I re-raised to $65. Having more chips than me, he went all in and I called for my remaining $700.” A note like that would give me an opportunity to fairly go over the hand at a later time.

If you do not like tracking everything on a computer, do not worry. You are in luck! Apps like Poker Mate and Poker Income can keep all those important details at the tip of your fingers on your mobile device. I included a direct link to where you can download the free or paid versions of these awesome poker session/income trackers.

Putting the work in goes far beyond tracking my sessions. I must be diligent in the way I approach the game. When I am not at the table playing, I like to watch videos of other professionals discussing strategies or specific hands. Listening to a highly skilled player talk about a hand is a great tool to help advance the way I think about a hand. Check out this link, and you will see what I am talking about.

Find a comfortable routine that works for you. In all walks of life, working hard is the best way to get ahead of your competition and be the best at your job. Playing poker and grinding out cash games is certainly no different.

BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF

The example above when all the money went in before the flop with pocket eights vs. Ace-King helps explain another point. When I am reviewing a hand, it should serve one purpose: Recognize mistakes and take what information I can so I will improve for next time. Being a professional includes not blaming my losses on others’ poor play.

I do not review hands to tell myself I played perfectly and was just unlucky. That does not serve a purpose. Be responsible for the decisions you make, and be willing to consider other options if they make more sense. When I’m in that scenario next time, I can conclude that calling an all-in for $700 with a pair of eights when I only had $65 invested was probably a little bit too aggressive on my part, to say the least. Saying, “I knew he had Ace-King and I was ahead. That’s so unfair I lost when I knew what he had” unfortunately does not win you the money nor does it help you get better. Be aware that he probably had Ace-King or a bigger pair than eights anyway, and proceed more cautiously next time calling a large all in bet at the live tables.

You need to be willing to make changes to get better. Telling myself, I am only losing because everyone else is playing so badly is NOT BEING HONEST WITH MYSELF. I need to take the necessary steps so I am fully prepared for any situation that may come up during a hand. Discussion about hands really helps.

Try and find a circle of friends that play professionally. When I discuss poker, I enjoy discussing it with players who are better than me. I am not there to tell them my bad beat stories about how unlucky I got in my last tournament. I am there to listen with open ears, to ask questions and to be exposed to new concepts. I am there to learn and get better.

How To Win Low Stakes Poker

Being true to myself cannot be stressed enough. It is easy to whine about a bad beat, wondering why I was so unlucky. Being a professional means eliminating that way of thinking from my brain. Focus on what can be controlled. How I play and how I react is what really matters in the long run.

GAME SELECTION

As you get better and start playing in games with higher limits and higher buy-ins, game selection will become very important. This is the time to check your ego at the door. I am here for one reason, and that reason is to make money. Of course, I want to enjoy my time and meet new people. However, the bottom line is to walk out with more money than I came in with.

Game selection is about choices. This goes further than just picking which table to sit at once I get to the casino. Game selection includes which day I play, what time of day I play and which casino I go to. Chances are that a poker game will have more action and be livelier on a Saturday night at the Bellagio then at Red Rock Casino on a Wednesday afternoon. This is not to say I cannot find a good game during the day and during the week. Nevertheless, recognizing where I have the ability to earn the most money is important when planning out a schedule.

It is hard to imagine maintaining a long career playing cash games without planning a schedule. Everyone can do this their own way. I like to sit down on Sunday nights and write down on a calendar which days I am going to play with an approximate time slot. I do not need to pick the casino and game days ahead of time. I rely on the Bravo Poker App for that.

This app is a MUST for a cash game player. Before I decide where I want to play, this app allows me to click on each poker room and see a live look at their cash game screen. I can see how many tables (of each game) are running and the wait list for each game! Call the room and add your name to the list. It is that easy!

Now that I have decided where I am going to play, the work is still not done. Showing off and trying to act like a big shot is not why I am there; It’s to win money. I will look around at the available games and decide which open seat provides me with the best opportunity to win.

Sitting directly to the right of a very good and aggressive player is something to avoid. They will put a lot of pressure on you and constantly put you in uncomfortable situations. If you see players that have a lot of chips and are playing aggressively, try and sit to the left of them. Positional advantage is a complex poker term, but do not feel overwhelmed. All it really means is having the ability to make decisions AFTER you see the crazy player make his bets or raises.

Beating cash games in poker is a job. Like any other job, I want to give myself the best opportunity to be successful—in this case, to win money. To win money at poker, I need to understand the whole pie. Practicing proper game selection is a big slice.

BANKROLL MANAGEMENT

This is not the sexiest thing to talk about, but if you want to make a living playing cash games, you need to understand the ebbs and flows that the game brings. Poker is not like other jobs with steady paychecks. If I make eight thousand dollars in one month, chances are I did not make exactly two thousand each week. You need to understand and be prepared for the times that you don’t make money.

Setting aside my poker bankroll is important, especially during the early stages of a career as a cash game professional. I want to make sure I can always pay my bills, have food and take care of my personal responsibilities. If that means dropping down in stakes or skipping a big tournament I wanted to play in, then so be it. Playing cash games for a living means being a professional. As a professional, you need to be responsible and aware of the ups and downs that will continually happen.

Making rules for how much money I need to have in order to play certain games is not an exact science. It really comes down to personal factors. When I was in college and single, I was not as conservative as I am now. If it did not work out, I was young enough to start again. Fast forward to now: a thirty year old engaged, car owning, bill-paying version of myself. I have no choice but to be more conservative! The point is that no matter what point in life I am at, I must know my boundaries.

Playing Low Stakes Poker For A Living

I want to feel comfortable when I am playing cash games. I never want to feel like if I have a bad day, my entire bankroll will be tragically affected. This is not to say I do not get upset when I have losing days, but I am content with losing the amount I risk before I sit down.

Playing Low Stakes Poker For A Living Person

Knowing I have at least forty buy-ins as a bankroll is a nice rule of thumb. It ensures me that I can overcome a bad couple of days or a rough stretch. I can regroup and rebound without having to borrow money or not pay my bills. To further explain that, if I want to play in a cash game and buy in for $1,000, I should have $40,000 available to my poker bankroll.

CONCLUSION

Playing Low Stakes Poker For A Living Pdf

Beating the cash games and being a winner year after year is a test of survival. It does not require me to be good at just one thing. Realize that it takes maturity and patience to overcome all the curve balls that will be thrown your way. A professional athlete has to take care of his or her body to be prepared for events. A CEO of a toy company needs to make sure all of his or her employees are on the same page and working together to produce the end product. As a professional cash game poker player, I need to be aware that it is not just about sitting at the table and trying to make a hand. The more I can understand and appreciate the hard work and sacrifice it takes to be great, the more successful I will be.