Basic Small Stakes Poker Strategy

Small stakes are where almost all players begin they’re online poker journey. While these games can be both fun and profitable there are several adjustments required to beat the small stakes tables. These include playing solid starting hands from good position, bluffing less often and value betting more. This article will look at some of the basic and costly errors you will see opponents make playing small stakes poker – and discuss how to profitably exploit them.

We start by looking at the kind of hands you can expect many inexperienced opponents to play in small stakes poker – and look at how we can take advantage of their bad hand selection. Secondly the judgment of hand strength after the flop is considered and opportunities for value betting are discussed. Finally we look at how the value of bluffing is reduced in your basic small stakes poker strategy.

It is common to see flops with 4, 5 or even more players involved at the smallest stakes. These players will have entered the pot with a random collection of small pairs, unsuited high cards and aces (with or without a good kicker). What is more they are unlikely to fold these hands before the flop for a raise. The basic rule at small stakes tables is that inexperienced players will under-value position and over-value their hands.

Flop Behavior

On the flop the same conditions apply. The opponent with ace-seven is happy to see a seven on the flop – even if this is 2nd pair. The player with a pair of 9’s is not at all worried when an ace flops, after all the 3rd opponent betting may be bluffing! The picture is this: Players building big pots with marginal hands from any position. In order to beat these tables some strategy adjustments are required.

A key factor in beating the lower stakes poker games is to avoid hands which are easily dominated. These include those high-card hands such as queen-jack, aces with kickers ten or below and hands such as suited kings. While these hands go down in value the premium pairs and also hands with high ‘implied-odds potential’ go way up. Suited connectors, small pairs and to a lesser extent suited aces have great potential at a small stakes poker table. When you hit a set, a straight or a flush on the flop your opponents are likely to reward you with a big pot – making the initial small investment with such hands worthwhile.

Position

Position is a key factor in playing high implied-odds hands. A small pair (for example) does not want to invest too many chips before the flop. Calling from early position with such hands risks a raise and a re-raise ahead of you, potentially making the hand too expensive to profitably play.
Value betting in small stakes poker games largely depends on specific opponents. However the tendency for these players to over-value their hands on the flop means that value bets can be somewhat larger than in a higher stakes game. This is particularly the case when you hit a strong hand with multiple opponents still involved, the chances are good here that someone will have ‘enough’ to call a decent sized bet on later streets.

Bluffing

Conversely bluffing goes way down in value at small stakes tables. In most situations you will simply be called too often to make this a profitable move. Semi-bluffing gives you several ways to win and certainly has its place – from position this is even more effective as you are likely to see the field check to you on the turn, giving the opportunity to take a free river card.

Conclusion

To summarize, small stakes poker games feature inexperienced opponents who are likely to over-value hands both pre-flop and on later streets – yet undervalue the importance of position. Playing both premium hands and those hands with high implied-odds value from good position is an excellent counter-strategy. Value betting more often and larger amounts and bluffing less will also help you profit from these games.