My method to the sport of poker has always been quite simple. I'M there to play against the bad players, a class that during the lower stakes games is normally constituted of casual or "recreational" players. I DO KNOW that that is where the money comes from in these games and so my attention when playing in them is usually entirely taken with this group of opponents.
But just being on the table with a weaker player isn't the end goal. Sure, this can be a good situation and you'll turn a profit ultimately. But your real aim need to be to stack the weaker opponents before any of the opposite regs can.
This is why one in every of my main goals when playing against the recs is putting them on tilt. Note: I'M REALLY NOT relating to behaving badly so as to throw others off their games — that's an enormous no-no. Rather, I'm referring strictly to playing in this kind of way that has a tendency to frustrate opponents, especially lesser-skilled ones, causing them subsequently to play even less well and make more mistakes.
When somebody is on tilt (frustrated with me), then that player is far likely to pay out like a slot machine once I finally hit something good.
In this newsletter I WILL explain exactly how I AM GOING about tilting lesser-skilled players with the best way I play against them.
You Have to have Position
Putting players on tilt is usually going to be one million times easier if in case you have position on them. This provides you the power to boost their limps, three-bet them, float them, bluff them, and bet much more.
The strategy of tilting someone really is all about being as annoying as possible. (Again, I'm talking about being annoying along with your bets and raises, not together with your behavior.) That is infinitely easier to do whilst you always get to behave last. For this reason, when playing cash games I CAN visit whatever lengths I WILL to ensure that I'VE position at the lesser-skilled player.
This also implies that I typically avoid all kinds of speed poker online. In these games you might be moved to an absolutely random table each hand, which makes it impossible to take care of position on anyone. In these games additionally it is very difficult to accumulate a playing history or "dynamic" with any of your opponents, because they may only be at your table once every 10 or 20 hands.
Weaker Players Love to Limp; I REALLY LIKE to Raise
Now that we have got position on such an opponent, what will we do?
Well, players like this have a tendency to limp into the pot so much. They prefer to play up to 50% or more of the hands which can be dealt to them and spot an affordable" flop" whenever they can.
The easiest method to begin build up a desired dynamic with a player like that is to begin raising them widely. They're going to get frustrated quickly while you consistently prevent them from seeing their cheap flops.
I will raise their limps with a variety of hands that I typically check with as "anything remotely playable." What's my anything remotely playable range? Any pair, any two Broadway cards, most aces, most kings, most suited connectors, most suited one-gappers, most suited two- or even three-gappers. You get the idea, I'M raising wide.
One consideration here's that it is very important have docile regs behind you. You probably have aggressive regs in your left, then there is not any way that they're going to allow you to keep getting away with isolating the weaker players with a variety this wide. Luckily though, most regs on the lower stakes are fairly passive.
Continuation Bet the Flop... a Lot
Your approach at the flop have to be fairly similar. That may be to say, take the aggressive approach more often than not.
When my opponent checks to me, I'LL BE creating a continuation bet more often than not. That is especially the case early on in our playing history because I expect the player to present me more respect.
It is very important to notice that if I AM GETTING called at the flop, I CAN often shut down at the later streets, especially if I'VE nothing in any respect. If there's something these players like to do, it's call so much. Don't attempt to bluff them off their middle pair. It won't work.
The real key here, though, is they will miss the flop among the time, this means that you'll often take it down with an easy flop c-bet. Also, despite the fact that they hit the flop, shall we still get lucky and hit a draw or spike an overcard in a while within the hand. Since we've position, we will be able to get to manage all of the pace of the hand.
Essentially, the deck is stacked in our favor, and that's why we can win ultimately with this approach.
When Lesser-Skilled Players Go on Tilt
If you follow this approach of raising widely before the flop versus this category of players then betting the flop a lot, you ought to be in a position to take down the vast majority of the pots. That is because, once again, they'll miss the flop many of the time.
This will cause them to get frustrated. Which, of course, is the entire point of this little game.
As we building up a history with these players and take down several pots, they're going to begin to get more aggressive in some spots because they would like to come again at us. MOST OF THE time these attempts at aggression will are available in the shape of silly bluffs, however it is very important to refrain from becoming concerned in a large pot with them unless you will have an even hand.
By "good hand" I DO NOT mean having the nuts in any respect. I mean having as low as top pair, no kicker. As our opponent's bluffing range opens up, our bluff catching and worth betting range must open up to boot. We do not need the mortal nuts to be able to play a large pot against them.
Should you be lucky enough to search out a large hand in this stage (e.g., aces or kings preflop, a suite postflop, etc.), the possibilities of you getting paid off in full go way up.
Final Thoughts
Many people forget nowadays that the cash in poker comes from the bad players. It'll therefore be your goal to concentrate on those players and stack them as quickly as possible.
You do that by getting actively fascinated with a number of pots against them and hopefully even tilting them. You will need to remember, though, that while these players often lack an outstanding understanding of the game, they aren't stupid. In the event you sit there looking forward to your aces all day before ever getting concerned in a pot with them, they don't seem to be going to present you the large action that you really want whilst you finally make your hand.
As the old saying goes, "you need to give action to get action." Methods to do that is by getting position at the weaker players and raising and betting a lot, especially within the early stages of the hand. Eventually you're going to make a large hand (and even just top pair) and also you would not have to fret much about getting paid off.
Nathan "BlackRain79" Williams is the writer of the preferred micro stakes strategy books Crushing the Microstakes and Modern Small Stakes. He also blogs regularly about all things associated with the micros over at www.blackrain79.com.
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