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| Many people play small stakes No Limit Hold'em cash games at various online poker rooms. There are several strategies I like to use when playing at these smaller stakes games. |
| Online Cash Games: Small Stakes No Limit Hold’em |
by Tom Sangenito
Many people play small stakes No Limit Hold’em cash games at various online
poker rooms. There are several strategies I like to use when playing at these
smaller stakes games. Depending on the style of play of my opponent, I may
play very tight pre-flop, or very loose pre-flop. Sometimes I will slowplay big
hands after the flop and other times I will come out betting if I get a nice flop.
Many of my decisions are based upon what I feel my opponent thinks I am
holding, and what hands I put my opponent on.
I like to project a table image when playing small stakes No Limit Hold’em
cash games. Most of the time I will play pretty tight preflop when I first sit
down at the table. This projects a “rocky” table image, and my opponents
often will put me on a big hand if I raise pre-flop. One reason I like to play
tight early is that opponents will often fold on the blinds when I raise pre-flop
later on. This allows me to take down some small pots with very mediocre or
even bad hands. I will take advantage of the image I have projected by
raising with a lot of hands when first to open a pot. I will often fold pre-flop if
there is a raise, unless I have a strong starting hand.
I tend to play much looser at low stakes NL hold’em cash games when
compared to tournaments. One reason is that there are often much more
players in the hand. This changes the values of your starting hands. If there
are a lot of players in the pot pre-flop, hands such as suited connectors and
small pairs go up in value. Hands such as a K-J and Q-10 go down in value. I
will call a pre-flop raise with a 7-8 of diamonds in a cash game. Most of the
time I will muck that hand to a raise in a tournament.
Although you will not become rich playing small stakes No Limit cash games,
there is definitely great potential for profit in these types of games. Many of
the players will play looser than normal and tend to be some of the weaker
players. If you are a better than average poker player, you are sure to take
advantage of the soft competition you will face at small stakes No Limit cash
games. If there are a lot of players in the pot, you know to play hands like
suited connectors and small pairs more often. Other players are not as aware
of these facts. I see a decent amount of players raising pre-flop with any Ace.
A lot of the time, these players will get more than one call, and versus
multiple opponents a hand such as A-6 offsuit does not offer much value.
I also like to mix up the way I play certain hands. In general, this will make
my opponents second guess what they think I am holding. Sometimes I will
limp in with a hand such as A-J suited. Other times I may raise or even re-
raise with this hand. Many times I will limp in with a small pair, especially with
other callers in the pot already. I may also decide to raise with this hand if I
feel I can take down the whole pot at that moment. I will play the same
hands totally different depending on the individual situation.
Playing small stakes No Limit Hold’em cash games can offer some nice value
and can often be a profitable game. I like to adjust my play in these games
compared to how I play in higher limit cash games and tournaments. Many
times there are a decent amount of players in the hand pre-flop. This
changes the value of hands and you should adjust accordingly. I also like to
project some type of table image when I will be at the same table for a long
session.
Many of the major online poker rooms have a decent amount of small stakes
No Limit Hold’em cash games running very often. Sites such as Full Tilt Poker,
PokerStars, and Pacific Poker are a few of the rooms that I would suggest to
play lower stakes games. The tips and strategies I have mentioned should
help you to make more money when playing lower level No Limit Hold’em
cash games.
Tom Sangenito is a Part-Time Accountant and an avid poker player who plays
online and in live tournaments and cash games. Tom has cashed in many
online tournaments including PokerStars World Championship of Online
Poker. He won his very first live tournament at a Sit and Go while playing at
the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa, Florida. Tom writes poker articles
for his website UltimatePokerForum.com and affiliate site PokerPlayerPress.com.
Many people play small stakes No Limit Hold’em cash games at various online
poker rooms. There are several strategies I like to use when playing at these
smaller stakes games. Depending on the style of play of my opponent, I may
play very tight pre-flop, or very loose pre-flop. Sometimes I will slowplay big
hands after the flop and other times I will come out betting if I get a nice flop.
Many of my decisions are based upon what I feel my opponent thinks I am
holding, and what hands I put my opponent on.
I like to project a table image when playing small stakes No Limit Hold’em
cash games. Most of the time I will play pretty tight preflop when I first sit
down at the table. This projects a “rocky” table image, and my opponents
often will put me on a big hand if I raise pre-flop. One reason I like to play
tight early is that opponents will often fold on the blinds when I raise pre-flop
later on. This allows me to take down some small pots with very mediocre or
even bad hands. I will take advantage of the image I have projected by
raising with a lot of hands when first to open a pot. I will often fold pre-flop if
there is a raise, unless I have a strong starting hand.
I tend to play much looser at low stakes NL hold’em cash games when
compared to tournaments. One reason is that there are often much more
players in the hand. This changes the values of your starting hands. If there
are a lot of players in the pot pre-flop, hands such as suited connectors and
small pairs go up in value. Hands such as a K-J and Q-10 go down in value. I
will call a pre-flop raise with a 7-8 of diamonds in a cash game. Most of the
time I will muck that hand to a raise in a tournament.
Although you will not become rich playing small stakes No Limit cash games,
there is definitely great potential for profit in these types of games. Many of
the players will play looser than normal and tend to be some of the weaker
players. If you are a better than average poker player, you are sure to take
advantage of the soft competition you will face at small stakes No Limit cash
games. If there are a lot of players in the pot, you know to play hands like
suited connectors and small pairs more often. Other players are not as aware
of these facts. I see a decent amount of players raising pre-flop with any Ace.
A lot of the time, these players will get more than one call, and versus
multiple opponents a hand such as A-6 offsuit does not offer much value.
I also like to mix up the way I play certain hands. In general, this will make
my opponents second guess what they think I am holding. Sometimes I will
limp in with a hand such as A-J suited. Other times I may raise or even re-
raise with this hand. Many times I will limp in with a small pair, especially with
other callers in the pot already. I may also decide to raise with this hand if I
feel I can take down the whole pot at that moment. I will play the same
hands totally different depending on the individual situation.
Playing small stakes No Limit Hold’em cash games can offer some nice value
and can often be a profitable game. I like to adjust my play in these games
compared to how I play in higher limit cash games and tournaments. Many
times there are a decent amount of players in the hand pre-flop. This
changes the value of hands and you should adjust accordingly. I also like to
project some type of table image when I will be at the same table for a long
session.
Many of the major online poker rooms have a decent amount of small stakes
No Limit Hold’em cash games running very often. Sites such as Full Tilt Poker,
PokerStars, and Pacific Poker are a few of the rooms that I would suggest to
play lower stakes games. The tips and strategies I have mentioned should
help you to make more money when playing lower level No Limit Hold’em
cash games.
Tom Sangenito is a Part-Time Accountant and an avid poker player who plays
online and in live tournaments and cash games. Tom has cashed in many
online tournaments including PokerStars World Championship of Online
Poker. He won his very first live tournament at a Sit and Go while playing at
the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa, Florida. Tom writes poker articles
for his website UltimatePokerForum.com and affiliate site PokerPlayerPress.com.
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