How to play cash poker: rules for a successful game for beginners. Cash (advanced strategy) Cash poker tactics

Microlimits(or micro limits) in online poker are games with blinds from 1c / 2c ($ 2NL) to 10c / 25c ($ 25NL) in cash games. Due to the fact that the players have a small amount of money in the stacks, the games at these limits are much looser than, for example, at the limits of $ 1 / $ 2 ($ 200NL) and higher.

If you read various forums and blogs, you will find that there are many poker beginners argue that it is impossible to “beat” the micro-stakes. They argue that too many players at these limits rely mostly on luck, and since there are so many players in each hand, depending on the flop, even very strong hands cannot be played profitably due to the "luck" of such opponents. It is with this that most people on the forums who fail to get above these limits explain the reasons for their failures.

Micro-stakes are great to “beat”, but subject to the correct strategy of the game.

First of all, despite the tiny bit of truth in what people on the forums say about micro stakes, this idea is fundamentally wrong. How can you not beat micro-stakes with so many players calling bad pot odds with their own draws and calling raises with marginal hands?

Below are the key points to help you develop profitable micro stakes strategies.

1. Do not try to outplay your opponents

You should not, when sitting at a table, think that you are the best of the best at this table. Overconfidence will lead to crash at micro stakes. If you try to beat your opponents pots by representing a set or trips, and find that opponents call your bets with the bottom pair before showdown, you can blame yourself and only yourself.

Remember that you are playing for the money, and not for the sake of your own dignity and pride in winning pots, so only invest money in hands when you have a strong hand.

2. Micro-stakes players like to call bets in hopes of completing their draws

Micro-stakes players have a poor understanding of the game. For example, they can call a pot-sized bet with a straight draw, middle pair, or a made flush. Moreover, when they call your bets with draws, they are unlikely to think about pot odds.

Remember, if your opponent calls your bet in the hope of completing a draw with poor pot odds, then it is good for you, as you will be the winner in the long run. Just remember to put a lot in the pot with a lot of opponents (if you have a strong hand) to give them bad odds to call.

Make sure you give your opponents bad odds of calling your bet with their draws.

3. Come to the table with 100BB and do not be afraid to lose them

Because of the loose play at micro stakes, you can see opponents calling all-ins with weak made hands as well as draws. If you enter the table with as many BBs (big blinds) as possible, you will have a great opportunity to win more money.

If you decide to go all-in, make sure it is the most profitable solution. Just remember that you will rarely have 100% winnings on the flop, so you simply cannot win every hand. Don't be afraid to push all-in with strong hands.

You will win more hands than you lose if you push all-in with strong hands, so to maximize your profits, take as much money as you can at the table.

4. Do not criticize or give advice in the chat to your opponents

After a terrible beat from an equally awful player, the first thing you want to do is criticize his game and tell him how bad he played and how lucky he was.

Not worth it. Indeed, in fact, his line of play was so bad that you should be in seventh heaven with happiness, because over a long distance such opponents will lose a lot of money to you. For example, you had AA and your opponent had AQ preflop and won all-in preflop. You shouldn't complain - you have to rejoice, because you had 91% to win, which means that in 100 such hands you will win 91 times and lose only 9 times. As a result, you will be in a very big plus.

After all, you wouldn't be complaining if you won this hand. Keep your advice to yourself and give your opponent the opportunity to make the same mistake over and over again.

5. Bet with strong hands and fold weak hands

it basic strategy for playing Texas Hold'em and it works great at micro stakes. There is no need to try to come up with tricky lines of play and lure opponents into traps. If you have a good hand, you should bet; if you have a bad hand, fold. Do not be afraid that your opponent will not pay you, because at micro stakes opponents will call your bets with the absolute majority of their hands.

6. Beware of Raises

The experience of playing at micro-stakes shows that players at these limits rarely raise pre-flop without having a strong hand. The game plan for most players at the table is to see as many flops as possible, get a very strong hand, and only then start betting to win as much money as possible.

Your opponents don't think about your hand, they only play based on the strength of their hand. This is why they call raises of all sizes with medium pairs on the flop; because they have a couple. Thus, if you see a player who raised preflop and continues to bet on the next streets, be wary of him as he is more likely to have a good hand.

Micro-stakes players prefer to call rather than bet.

7. Don't bluff

This point is similar to the first one, since bluffing is one of the ways to outplay your opponents. Remember that a huge number of players are watching the flop, so bluffing in any form would be a bad decision. Players will call your bets with any average hand, so you should only bet when you have a strong enough hand to fold bad hands.

8. Don't worry about your table image

If you only play premium hands and only bet when you are ahead, you have absolutely no need to worry that other players will understand your play. The micro-stakes players only think about their cards and don't care about your lines of play. So don't be afraid to change your game as your opponents won't even notice it. Therefore, you do not need to worry about changing gears at the poker table, as no one will notice at these limits.

At micro stakes, you better focus on playing good ABC poker than your table image.

The cash game strategy tips described in this article are primarily intended for those looking to improve their online game, but they can be applied to live cash games as well. First, we will answer the question why you should always choose no-limit games in Hold'em, and then we will move on to more specific tips for participating in cash games and analyze the strategy points typical for games of this type, which will be useful to both beginners and experienced (online) poker players.
1 Which option should you choose - "No Limit", "Limit" or "Pot Limit"? Unlimited ("No Limit")!

Perhaps you prefer limit hold'em, or you play both limit and no-limit poker. You may ask - why should you choose the unlimited option in most cases? Firstly, No Limit Hold'em is called the Cadillac of Poker, but that's just a saying.

The real reason why it is worth playing No Limit Poker is that in such a game the weak players have to pay much more for their mistakes than in Limit Hold'em. THAT is the reason! If you've read Sklansky's book "Theory of Poker", then, of course, you have memorized his main theorem of poker, which in brief sounds like this:

“Whenever a player makes a decision that is different from what he would have made if he saw his opponents' hole cards, he makes a mistake and loses; and vice versa - whenever a player acts as if his opponents' pocket cards were in front of him, he does not make a mistake and will win in the end. "

This statement is a basic rule for all variants of poker, as it draws a basic line between strong and weak players - a player who can read the opponent (and his cards) well, makes fewer mistakes than the one who does not.

Now suppose a weak player who constantly makes the wrong moves is playing Limit Hold'em: he will undoubtedly lose on a long stretch, but since the bets in such a game are limited, he will not pay as much for his mistakes as in No Limit Hold'em, where the bets are not limited. For example, if you have a set, and your opponent has top pair (and he thinks he is winning), then in a $ 1/2 game you can bet only $ 2 (preflop and flop) or $ 4 (after the flop ) or raise and re-raise to $ 2 and $ 4 (pre-flop and flop) or $ 4 (post-flop). In no limit game, you could call a weak player (re) raise "all-in" - for the maximum amount of your buy-in - $ 200 ...

2 Multi-table game and bonuses
** When you come to a new poker room, play at only one table at first. Don't start playing at multiple tables before you get used to the new environment.

** We recommend playing in different poker rooms with initial bonuses before you choose one poker room to play regularly. A small warning - these bonuses can be somewhat dangerous. When playing with a bonus, you may get the feeling that you are only playing in order to receive this bonus. Try to avoid such thoughts. Not because they make you think you have to play extremely efficiently (this is undoubtedly correct); but because because of them you can lose the pleasure of the game. Many players try to get the bonus as quickly as possible, playing at several tables at the same time and constantly looking at how many more hands with prepaid rake they have left.

This way of thinking will not only be less enjoyable, but also negatively affect your game. If you are playing at several tables or in order to get bonuses, then mainly you will pay attention to the cards (play extremely tight), since you will not be able to pay attention to people (which you should actually do), which means that you you won't be watching your opponents. Even when using poker software, the game can be quite difficult: viewing hundreds of statistics from several tables at the same time is simply unrealistic. Therefore, we recommend that you always play with bonuses, and never for the sake of bonuses. The bonus should be perceived as an additional reward (in fact, you should just play, and then just notice that the bonuses are credited to your account), and never play for it at more tables than you can. Remember that you get the BIGGEST part of your winnings thanks to weak players, not bonuses! Therefore, pay attention to them, and not how many hands with prepaid rake you have left.

** Although playing at multiple tables in order to get bonuses is more efficient at tables with a small number of players (since more hands are played there in an hour, and therefore you can get more money in an hour), it is preferable to participate in cash games on the following reasons:
- it is more difficult to play poker at tables with a small number of participants (there are more bluffs, you are watched more closely, the blinds are more often "stolen" and the game goes much faster);
- For cash games, a tight style is pretty standard, although there are always weak players who play loose (tight play is better for getting bonuses).

** When you want to get bonuses, try to choose tables with large average pots, especially since in most poker rooms you get bonuses even when you do not enter the pot. In addition, if a very strong hand comes to you, then thanks to all these maniacs at the table, you will have a real holiday!

** We have just presented several arguments against playing at several tables, but there is one strong reason for such a game (besides getting more efficient bonuses), here it is: you have to show SELF-DISCIPLINE. For example, playing at just one table, you can get bored, especially when you get bad cards. Sometimes you just have to fold 40 hands in a row and you get bored even if you are a strong player. Therefore, play at multiple tables to avoid boredom.

3 The importance of position in poker

** The best cash game strategy advice we can give every player is before you start playing poker, read our article on Sklansky's hand rankings and follow the guidelines provided.

** Always try to sit to the right of the tight player and to the left of the aggressive player. When you are to the right of a tight player, it means that if you call a raise, he will probably come out of the pot (this kind of information is very valuable as it increases your chances of winning the pot). It also helps you steal more blinds. It is even more important to take a position to the left of the aggressive player. First, in this case, you have to play tight and exercise self-control. Second (and more importantly), you can trap him when a very strong hand hits you. In such a situation, you can re-raise him preflop (or use slow play and call - however, you should not do this too often, we will talk about this in more detail later) and / or declare a raise on the flop. It is impossible to overestimate the positional advantage in the game against the aggressor.

** Always be disciplined, which means POSITION play in the first place. Even if you get "trash" cards 40 times in a row - still fold pocket K-Q in position "under the gun" (right after the big blind). If you use positional play (and it implies a looser play on the dealer button and in late position than in early and middle position), then you will win much more on the long stretch - since you can take advantage of the luxury before making decisions in the form of information (if you make the last move in a betting round, you get an informational advantage).

** Stealing Beta from Dealer Button: If you can, even with mediocre hands like 9-J you should try to steal bet from dealer button. Position is more important than cards. This aggressiveness will annoy opponents: they may think that you are a loose maniac, and thanks to this, with good hands you can get more calls from them.

** With a large number of opponents, you should play suited connectors and low and middle pocket pairs, as these are the most successful hands for draws; and you will have a favorable mathematical expectation for the pot when there are many callers in the pot and it is large enough. Big cards and high pairs should be played only when playing against one or three opponents (against three is already undesirable), since with such hands with a large number of players, your preflop advantage decreases too much.

** Of course, the position cannot be overestimated. Even in the position on the dealer's button, you should discard your "trash" hands. However, you can play low suited connectors and semi-connectors from this position, since you have a huge positional advantage!

If playing tournaments revolves around prestige, then playing cash games allows you to make big money. Plus, you'll learn how to play real poker, instead of going all-in and hoping for the best when the blinds are too big.

Five reasons to play cash games

Basic poker games offer a great opportunity to hone your skills.

• Play anytime with any number of players (no more than 6)
• Play at your own pace thanks to the lack of a rigid schedule
• fastforward lets you fold bad cards in seconds.
• Play on your own terms. The size of the bankroll at the table is entirely up to you
• Games start at as little as $ 0.60

Six rules for cash game success

Playing cash games is easy. The tricky part is how to translate this hobby into a source of income. We have compiled 6 iron rules that will help you gain confidence and take the game to the next level.

1. Hurry slowly

In No Limit Hold'em, you can lose your entire stack in one hand, so don't be chic and place your bets on your pocket.

2. Only place bets on strong cards

In cash games, a big pot means either strong cards or a big bluff. Any more experienced player will rip you off like a stick if your cards don't meet these criteria. Be careful with hands like A-K(which looks good until you get a pair and your opponent gets a set). Think carefully before placing bets with a full house, straight or small flush that can be easily beaten.

3. Pay attention to the position

As the stacks grow and depending on your position at the table, we recommend a careful selection of cards.

It is worth discarding cards such as A-J and A-10 If you - . Be careful in the blinds as you will be out of position for the entire hand. By moving to medium and, you can play more loosely, since you have a better chance of seeing other players' actions and breaking the bank.

4. Take control of the situation

In cash games, you need to put pressure on the rest of the players, steal the blinds whenever possible, and get your opponents to call your bets if you have a strong hand. The best way to do this is to make it a rule to raise pre-flop and then bet on the flop (placing about half the pot). At first, this move may not seem entirely logical to you, but in reality, most hands miss the flop and the player with the most dynamics will win.

Material from the site, the free encyclopedia of poker.

Cache(eng. Cash) is a type of poker game in which a player, sitting at the table, can declare an arbitrary stack, play as long as he wishes, and leave the game whenever he wants. The bets with which this game will take place depend on the table limit, are announced in advance and do not change throughout the game. This is the main difference from the tournament.

Differences from tournaments

• Betting. In cash games, the stakes do not change over the course of the game, so the game can last as long as the players wish. The optimal strategy for playing tournaments differs significantly from the optimal strategy for cash games. Since in tournaments, the size of the bets - blinds (or antes) - increases at regular intervals established by the tournament rules. Even if the stack grows as the tournament progresses, its relative size may shrink as stakes rise over time.

• Strategy. From the above, it is clear that the strategy of the game, the cash game player can choose for himself and change as needed, based on his preferences and skills. The player can play aggressively, bluff often, or play neat (tight). By the end of the tournament, the strategy should change compared to the initial one (in the early stages of the tournament). It must become more aggressive, otherwise bets can destroy the stack before the player gets a strong card and becomes active.

• Time. The time of playing the cash game is limited by the players themselves, therefore, the result can only be assessed over a long distance. The tournament is strictly limited in time, there is more of a luck factor in it.

• Tasks. Taking part in cash games or tournaments, the player must solve two completely different problems. In cash, the player should strive to win as many chips as possible, since chips are the equivalent of money. The main criterion when deciding on a rate (increase) is the mathematical expectation, that is, whether the decision will be positive over a long distance. In a tournament, the main task is to stay in the game as long as possible, since the size of the prize payments is determined by the place where the player was eliminated from the tournament. Consequently, situations arise when you need to make a negative decision over a long distance, which more often will lead to a win over a short distance. This factor becomes especially relevant in the later stages of the tournament, where the prize payments for neighboring places differ quite significantly.