Small Stakes Hold 'em: Winning Big with Expert Play

There's no question that when it comes to Texas Hold'em, the lowermost limits are extremely bewildering places in which to play. It's a Vietnam full of kids who think that the meaning of poker is to pretend that betting two fours for value means treating them as if they were a straight flush. There's what I call, "All in Disease," where every chance a guy gets, he tries to emulate his highly paid heroes on television and go all in. The only problem is that they usually believe that they can win when they do so. These clowns go after 15 dollars worth of blinds with their entire stake. It's demoralizing when you lose to them. For this reason, I bought this book by Miller and company to see if there were a way in which to improve my game. The first helpful thing the narrative does is to put things in perspective. Any maniac or tomfool can win Hold'em in the short-term, as a player, my job is follow the percentages and maintain discipline. Even if I take a beating during one session, eventually, the numbers will rectify the situation in the end. Somewhat surprisingly, Miller's advice is that if you find yourself amid very loose tablemates, it's okay to lessen your hand selection values as they're calling with practically anything. The idea of, "don't be tricky," definitely benefited me immediately. With so many callers, slowplaying is not a sound idea unless you possess the nuts. They're liable to come back from huge deficits to pummel you on the river. Don't let them linger. Bet them to death. If they want to see your set, make them pay for it--big time. Again, we learn what we already know, that aggressiveness is rewarded again and again in Hold'em, but it remains just as true in limit as it does in no limit. If you don't raise, you will be raised so its important to lead out after strong flops. The idea that many beginners spend too much time worrying about "good laydowns" is a great point. Miller thinks that it's more tilt-promoting to laydown a winner than it is to lose at the river; so calculate your odds of calling and how many times it has to be a winner in order for questionable calls to be income producers. Many times, that last call only has to succeed 1 in 10 times for you to make money on aggregate, so a call is mandated. Overall, I was very pleased with this book. If you've ever wondered how you can be losing to the idiots you've been losing to, buy it. It returned me to profitability.

There are, of course, dozens of poker books out there. Most of them have the same basic advice. Start with Lee Jones or Ken Warren. Learn that playing A4o and Q4s are pretty stupid plays. Learn that three cards to flush on the flop is not a hand. Learn that playing head to head and drawing to an inside straight is not smart. Learn how to play the basics of the game. Play small stakes and learn to take notes on yourself and your regular opponents. Buy PokerTracker and PokerOffice. Do some bonus whoring and build a bankroll. Then, buy this book and read it over and over and over and over. The concepts are fairly complex (hidden outs, pot equity, positional considerations preflop, on the flop, and at the turn and river), but if you absorb them over time, you will win more money. Do I win every pot where I raise with a pair of Tens in early position - no. Does that aggressive behavior win me pots later when my KQs fails to hit and I bet into checked pot on the flop - yes. Do I sometimes feel pathetic raising preflop in midposition with AK - AJ when nothing has hit in hours - yes. Do people still call to the river with a weaker kicker when they do - yes. This is book designed to change the way you Think about small-stakes poker. Use it as a place to start and work out Your style. For instance, I play small-suited connectors much less than Miller et al recommend. The Big Caveat - for this strategy to work, you have to find the right table. You try this on the .5-1.00 tables at Party on a Friday night at 11, you might as well throw your money in the street. But, let's face it, those games are lottery poker. You want a table with 2-3 calling stations, 2 really tight players, at least one insane person, and 2-3 more typical players. This offers your greatest value. Increase the crazy callers factor or the good aggressive players factor and you will lose money. In other words, pay attention to the game you're in. But if you not only follow the concepts outlined in this book, but also absorb the lessons so that you change your approach to the small-stakes games you will emerge as a winning poker player. Good luck at the tables.

I have been playing low-limit holdem for about four years and have been a small winner during that time. I read this book four days ago, and it has explained concepts to me that I haven't seen in print anywhere else (among my twenty other books on poker). I now have a much clearer understanding of the mistakes that low-limit players make. I am now in the process of correcting my own mistakes and exploiting the mistakes of my opponents. The sections on postflop play are priceless, with difficult but crucial concepts. Miller explains when to raise the flop, and when to wait until the turn. The concept of raising the river to knock out better hands is also given thorough treatment. In the past four days, the book has already paid for itself in bets I've won and pots I've saved, playing low-limit Party Poker. It is tremendous.

This book has instantly become my #1 recommended poker book for the player looking to advance from marginally profitable to stone killer. The text is advanced and readable. Miller explains complex concepts in a manner that is easily understood. Concepts such as pot odds, pot equity, playing overcards and many others are discussed clearly and concisely. While not necessarily a book for the brand new player, it is an excellent text for anyone with a few games under his/her belt who wants to really destroy the low-limits. Although this book is targeted at small stakes games (2/4 up to about 6/12), its concepts are easily applicable to looser mid-stakes games 10/20 and up. The first few chapters alone will earn you the cost of the book many times over. Buy it. Read it. Sit at someone else's table.

I have now read an advance copy of the book twice, and some sections more than that. I can safely say that those of you who are so looking forward to this book will not be disappointed. The book is excellent.Indeed, it addresses some topics so well that I wonder at the title. Calling it "Small Stakes Holdem" is really too limiting. The book targets loose games more than small stakes games per se. With loose games and poor playing opponents permeating B & M cardroom games from $3-6 through $40-80, this book really has something for everybody. Yes, newer players will get more from it than mid-limit veterans, but even the mid-limit players will find some critical ideas spelled out in a way that helps them improve their game.It is an excellent blend that helps the newer players take the next big step to being significant winners, while at the same time it expounds upon and extends HPFAP in a way that addresses the super-loose games that permeate today's cardrooms. In short, it's the book that many have really been waiting for 2+2 to publish for quite some time. I expect this book to quickly move alongside Theory of Poker and HPFAP as a definitive 2+2 work. I recommend it highly.