Playing the NL$20 to NL$100 cash games on internet poker rooms can be quite profitable. Even though these cash games are classified as micro stakes cash games, the amount of money won or lost at the tables can add up rather quickly. When playing these cash games for smaller stakes, it is important to understand how one should adjust their strategy and posture at these low limit cash games. In adopting proper micro-stakes strategy, a player should first understand what the average small stakes player “looks like.”
The average player in cash games between NL$20 and NL$100 are newer poker players or poker players who are working with a limited bankroll. It would make sense to assume that these players are far from the hard-core grinders. However, this does not mean that there are not a few tough or serious players in the bunch. Every game is going to present some challenging players, but the average player is the newbie or a player with a small bankroll.
Professional poker players such as Annie Duke typically demonstrate a poor understanding of proper and efficient strategy. This means their hand selection is not the best and they tend to go too far with their drawing hands. When playing against such players, a player should avoid bluffing. When a player runs a bluff against another player who likes to draw, the bluff loses value. The bluff relies upon the opposition folding. A draw happy player does not fold often enough to make bluffing profitable, so players in these smaller online poker games should avoid bluffing.
On the other hand, a player can capitalize on the opposition’s desire to draw optimistically. To make up for the diminished value of bluffing and to take advantage of players who love to draw, a poker player can get away with over betting the pot when they make top pair. Players at the lower stakes games rarely pay attention to bet sizes in relation to the size of the pot or their own stack. As a result, they will be far more likely to call a bet on PokerStars that is bigger than the pot without noticing they have incorrectly done so. Players at this level of online poker games do not always realize that calling a one and a quarter pot-sized bet with a gut shot is not correct. They only comprehend that they have a straight draw and will gladly pay a premium to make a straight. If the board falls more coordinated on the turn in such a situation, the player can back off the gas pedal. If the board does not appear to help the donkey opposition, another large bet is in order. By over betting the pot and losing the bluff move, a player can make a large profit playing the smaller poker games online.