Not all poker games can be played with the same type of strategies
There is no time wasted playing poker when the right strategy is applied. Even the small-stake games, often viewed as “cheap” or “a waste of time,” can bring significant winnings. Even though they can be frustrating sometimes, these games can be very lucrative if played well. It is not likely that a player will become a millionaire by playing low-stake hands, but it could be the ideal scenario to practice and develop strategies to quickly move up to other ranks more smoothly. A few tips to consider when playing low-stake tournaments will help make the sessions more productive.
Typically, these events welcome a wave of players looking to make it to the top, so the first tip is to work on your patience as the tourney can last a few hours. If you are not ready to commit to the tournament there is better not to event start. Some events with cheap buy-ins have lasted 12 hours; not everyone can last through that.
Another common thing during these events is the type of player who registers. They mostly see recreational players with not much strategy, meaning that you can see anything happen, such as players calling big raises, or even several all-ins with no real hands. To face the possibility of getting stuck in a table playing against crazy hands, the ideal situation is to stack chips for 200-300 times your normal buy-in.
One good strategy to apply during these tournaments is to wait for the value bets. When that happens, go big – as high as you can go – but never try to bluff. This is a good way to steal the pot, but you have to remember that recreational players might call any bet – if you were bluffing you could easily lose your pot.
