Is it even worth playinig micro-limit HE online?
 

Here is something interesting I read in Small Stakes Hold'em about a week ago. It gets me thinking that there is no point in playing low or micro limit hold'em online anymore. On page 48, under the heading "bad hands and dead money", it states this:

"If your opponents limited themselves only to those hands that are profitable, most pots would be contested heads up or 3-handed."

This is precisely the case at sites like Full Tilt and Ultimate Bet. It seems like there is no point in playing at all. It seems as though you win and lose based on luck, since most players are playing by small stakes hold'em. I really don't know how anyone can argue with me. These games are simply not profitable anymore.

Your thoughts?

Re: Is it even worth playinig micro-limit HE online?
 

You're right it is not worth playing micro-limit HE online.

Re: Is it even worth playinig micro-limit HE online?
 

What is your time worth? I think you already know the answer.

Re: Is it even worth playinig micro-limit HE online?
 

If you enjoy it, yes. If you don't, no.

Re: Is it even worth playinig micro-limit HE online?
 

Small Stakes Hold 'em is not the apex of poker theory.

Re: Is it even worth playinig micro-limit HE online?
 

Well, yeah, so they play ok preflop. That's great. I haven't read SSHE in a while, but I believe it also says that after the flop is when the real money is won and lost in Texas Hold'em. Even at tough site like Full Tilt, the microlimit and small stakes players suck after the flop. A good player can easily profit from the other player's poor post flop play. Playing well pre-flop will not make you a winner at TX HE. Regardless, if the micro games at Full Tilt are are too tough for you, then consider these two options:
1. Get better at post flop play, and you can crush these games.
or
2. Find a softer site. I don't play at full tilt myself....been there, done that. There are too many sites out there where the players don't have a clue. It's almost like it's not real money at these stakes at some sites. Personally, I'm not going to learn to beat the full tilt guys when the other sites offer such soft games. That's my solution, and it works for me. Game selection is everything. If the games are not good at FT, then find a site where they are good. It's not that hard. I found one, but I suspect there are quite a few others. FWIW, I can beat the FT games, but the site I am playing now is just stupidly beatable. It's like the other players are rich philanthropists, and I'm their favorite charity. I had a guy push a 100BB stack pre flop w AQo yesterday in a full ring game. I had AA and instacalled. The guys I play with can't even play decent pre flop poker...and they are completely retarded after the flop comes out.

So move the hell off of full tilt if you have trouble beating the game. When I played there, I couldn't believe how much thought some of these 25NL players had put into their game. I had to find a site where people just came to gamble and play jerk off poker...so I tried some other sites and found they were much softer.

Also, if you are playing limit...consider making the move to NL. Good post flop strategy in No Limit will get more money with less risk...another way to look at it is that your advantage as a skilled player is higher at an NL game. Micro stakes No limit games at other sites are juicy as hell. I don't play limit anymore, so I don't really know what's up with that.

Re: Is it even worth playinig micro-limit HE online?
 

From a $/hr perspective, no. From an entertainment perspective, perhaps. If you're question is really, "Can I win money playing micro-limit HE online?," Then the answer is yes. The actual amount of money you win will be small, but your bb/100 hands should actually be pretty good (albeit with a very high variance) if you can play well. You just have to realize that playing well here will be completely different than playing well at a 5/10 game, or even a 2/4 game. It will never make you much money because of the low stakes involved, but there's no reason you can't stay above even.

For me, the amounts of money are so infintesimally small that I don't really enjoy it (unless I just need to piss off 5 bucks because I'm angry). However, there are plenty of posters here who would say the same thing about the $10 tournies and occasional 1/2 games that I play, so it's all in your perspective.

Will

Re: Is it even worth playinig micro-limit HE online?
 

superpokermon: care to gives us a hint which site this is? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

here's my case..

I deposited $500 to Paradise a few years back. I ended up withdrawing $6000 about a month later, after I got canned at my job, and I had to cover an assload of emergency expenses.

I started playing freerolls at Absolute and Everest, and graduated shortly into cash games and bigger tournaments. I made my first reasonable balance, on Everest, back about the beginning of last year.

I then proceeded to keep myself alive, although I haven't paid any of my previous debts off yet, through October, with Everest, playing up to $0.50/$1 NL and tournaments up to $20, sometimes a $50 here or there.

In October, Everest closed to US players, and I've now moved over to Cake, and starting with a few freerolls there, i'm sitting with a small balance, and have withdrawn to cover my bills the last few months.

I'd say it can be worth it. I'm living in a rent free situation right now, but I've still got lots of stuff that I have to cover, and have been doing so. Now, I'm employed again, so hopefully I'll be able to move up and off the $100NL [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Re: Is it even worth playinig micro-limit HE online?
 

It's not worth playing anything at Full Tilt.

As for micro-limits, I turned the $25 I had on PokerStars into almost $300 playing limit & NL, so yes it was worth it. I should be bankrolled in a couple of weeks for higher games.I really didn't want to go through the hassle of mailing money, because I suspected the games had gotten tougher. I don't expect to make the money I used to, not for a while.

I see the low stakes games have become tougher. Limit is not worth playing at low stakes, but NL is.

There is only so much improvement you can do. You only make money because others make more mistakes. In NL you can irritate them into making mistakes, limit has fewer options.

So for me it was worth it.

Re: Is it even worth playinig micro-limit HE online?
 

I also don't play much at FTP. I wouldn't say that you can't make money there, but it'll be a long wait for the right cards at the right time. Other sites are much juicier. FTP and PS is full of hudbots. IMO, that's taken much of the fun out of playing online.