The Value of Micro-ing
Wednesday, February 25, 2009 06:18What in the world can a serious poker player gain from working his bankroll up from the micro-limits? If he has the expendable income, why not start at a higher limit where there’s more money to be made? Anybody can beat the micro-limits, so why should he bother playing them at all? Actually, there are many advantages of starting at the micro-limits and working your way up to higher stakes.
Every book, article, forum post, etc. that I’ve ever read has always said that to win at the micro-limits, a player should play ABC poker. You should play very straight-forward by only playing good starting hands, playing them aggressively, and rarely bluff. Bluffs are simply not effective at the micro-limit level. You will be called. Don’t get fancy because the players at this level don’t think to that level so fancy plays aren’t necessary and don’t work. So what can be gained by playing the micro-limits?
In one word, the answer is patience. Since the micro-limits are all about playing ABC poker, the player has to wait until the cards actually come before he can play a hand. The player also has to wait until the stars align before there will be another player also with a hand to play against them. How aggravating is it to get pocket aces, put in a standard raise, and everybody fold? This is a case of the stars NOT being in alignment. This is the “luck” side of poker. To be a winning player at the micro-limits, you have to have the patience to wait on a big hand. This is what makes playing at these limits so tough. It may take hours of grinding it out before you are dealt a big hand. During this time, there’s not a lot of money being made. This is a tough time to sit through if you’re not used to playing at these limits.
This is the time that builds a foundation of patience in the player. This foundation will be used throughout the player’s assent to higher stakes or tournaments. There will be times during each cash game session or each tournament that a player plays where the cards don’t come or when they do, the stars aren’t aligned so they are of little value (blinds). This experience of grinding it out at the micro-limits can help the player be patient through these times and realize that these things happen. Be patient. Eventually, the cards will come, the stars will be in alignment, and they will get value out of their big hands. Without this patience, mediocre hands start to look like premium holdings and POOF, the tournament is over or the bankroll takes a big hit. This can lead to that evil stack and bankroll eater, tilt. But that’s another post.
Comments
Timothy, I had you in mind when I was writing this. I know from your blog that you're just starting out. Please feel free to join any discussion or post any topics in the forum too. Everybody was new to the game at one time. It's amazing how much "experienced" players can learn from discussing various thought processes. This is especially true when explaining things that you thought you knew. By putting it into words, often it is the old timer that actually learns something.
Great job Dave. I can't wait to read the "tilt" post. Are you gonna ask V for first hand input? 
Great post! It all rings pretty clearly for me too.
I love the micro-limits for this very reason. I've been playing the 10cent 360 player SNGs on PokerStars for the experience to better myself, and the bonus is opportunity to get the money back. I find myself satisfied right now if I’m still there after the bubble bursts. Following the said formula of patience I am able to reach not only the top 36, but finish in the top 10-20 quite comfortably.
It really is amazing how the patience system works, and your really need to stick to the plan to conserve your chips for that good hand rather than dabbing in with mediocre hands hoping for a lucky flop. I have been down to 700 chips from just paying blinds and not playing, but then it's like god himself decides to intervene and before you know it, I’m 4,500k deep in chips with 1 decent hand; it just seems to happen. I have yet to fold completely out due to paying blinds without a decent hand, and to ensure we’re on the same page I’m talking AA, AK, KK are the type of hands I will wait for.
You know, I almost feel like the patient part is the best part of the game, because it’s the least stressful and following this rule also seems to automatically have you beat at least half the field because of their own lack of patience I guess though, even the most patient will have their bad runs without getting a good hand at times, but I would assume plenty more people have busted from pushing a not so good hand a little too early. Who knows maybe they would have got a nuts hand right after, it’s just not worth the risk to push something that you aren’t confident in.
Just as well not everyone is patient…but in saying that, I know things will be different in a bigger better tournament where there would be a LOT more players being patient, putting the rest of your poker skills to the test, so patience would be a pre-requisite “bare minimum” to becoming a successful player.
I like your advice a lot and hopefully I will always stick to this rule even when the pressure is on.