Micro/Low Stake MTT Players

[GRETZKY427]

The Mind of a Typical Micro Stakes Fish
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

There are typically several “levels of thinking” when describing the though process of a poker player. The number of levels varies depending on who you ask and on what day it is. For our purposes, we’ll use 5 levels of thinking to describe poker players:

·Level 0: I know nothing
·Level 1: What do I have?
·Level 2: What does my opponent have?
·Level 3: What does my opponent think I have?
·Level 4: What does my opponent think that I think they have?

Guess what levels most micro-stakes players are thinking on?

If you guessed anything but levels 0 or 1, you are probably overcomplicating your play at the micro-stakes tables. Most players at the micro-stakes limits are, at best, only thinking about what cards they hold. More importantly, they are also thinking about their hand strength in absolute terms. Most micro players have a hard time letting go of pocket Kings when involved in a multi-way pot with an Ace on the board. Your job is to take advantage of these mistakes.

Most micro-stakes players, for all intents and purposes, play their hands face up. More often than not, a micro-stakes player who checks a dry flop such as 2-5-9 rainbow and then bets the turn when an Ace comes probably has the Ace. My suggestion is to take virtually everything you see from a typical micro-stakes player at face value. Sure, you open yourself up to being bluffed on occasion but in the end, your win-rate should improve.

While understanding that typical micro-stakes players play their hands up, it is also important to realize that they are also inherently suspicious. There is always a table sheriff or two around to call you down to make sure you aren’t bluffing, especially if he has ANY kind of hand, including Ace-high. This ties in with the notion that most of these players value their hands in absolute terms (Level 1 thinking).

At the end of the day, it is critical to recognize that the term “what you see is what you get” almost always applies to micro-stakes players. Generally speaking, a bet from someone means they have “something” and a check almost always means weakness. If you are the aggressor in a hand and a player simply calls your bets, it generally means he is drawing or has a marginal hand. Understanding these mentalities is critical to beating the micro-limits.

The above entry i got from another poker forum, do any of you mid/hi stake mtt players agree with this?

Any other thoughts on this subject?

[whitey9999]

Seems pretty straight forward and right, Micro stakes players always take only their hands into account and they all usually put their hand on a certain value such as preflop a KJ offsuit they will call off (or raise to) a 3-5 bb raise without evening thinking. I remember a couple of years of ago when I started, got told from people on the tables and Rounders (love that movie) is that to play the other guy not your cards. But whenever I had a decent hand forgot about it. So theres no doubt, they only think bout lvl 1. Thats why you can usually take down a pot after the flop, No one hits No one calls.

Ive only now tried to get through and think through lvl 4 and only think to Lvl 3 bout 60% of the time.

[GRETZKY427]

See because sometimes i think i over think my plays and the players, think at a level 2 most times but sometimes level 3, i mean is that to much when it come to micro stakes? is there such thing as over thinking when it comes to micro stake players?

They call your bet then they must have something, not always as you do get the players that like to bluff and the players that know how to player, but then again 70% of the micro stake mtt players can play very well or are just learning the game for the first time.

Yes my roi is in the negative but im slowly building it up to a posititve with learning the game and play the game each time. We cant all start with 1k bannkrolls from the get go

[valloAA]

If your opponents aren't even getting to level 2 thinking, then why would you bother with level 3?

[berry1]

I agree mostly. The occasional 'micro shark' will be on level 2..........

[FSL009]

My suggestion is to take virtually everything you see from a typical micro-stakes player at face value. Sure, you open yourself up to being bluffed on occasion but in the end, your win-rate should improve

I agree with this.

[GRETZKY427]

I agree with this.

So really if a micro play bets then he has something and if he checks then he may have something but most chances is he chasing, etc.