The dangers of Micro stakes

PuppetJack

I'm a general break even player. - I tend to play micro stakes as I just enjoy playing and don't really like the feeling when my Bankroll gets chipped away massively ( playing at higher stakes).

lately I've been getting more & more infuriated with Micreo stakes players, - here is two hands from tonight. In both cases I got knocked out of a DYM!. Can anyone advise if I did anything particularly wrong? or was I just unlucky?

Hand one......

Hand History #372441740 (21:39 16/05/2011)

Player	Action	Cards	Amount	Pot	Balance
PuppetJack	Small blind		15.00	15.00	1935.00
russwuss	Big blind		30.00	45.00	1940.00
	Your hole cards	A J
blondie116	Fold
marty1	Raise		60.00	105.00	1970.00
ANNMARTY	Call		60.00	165.00	1720.00
stakes77	Fold
PuppetJack	Raise		135.00	300.00	1800.00
russwuss	Fold
marty1	Call		90.00	390.00	1880.00
ANNMARTY	Call		90.00	480.00	1630.00
Flop
		6 6 A
PuppetJack	Bet		240.00	720.00	1560.00
marty1	All-in		1880.00	2600.00	0.00
ANNMARTY	Fold
PuppetJack	All-in		1560.00	4160.00	0.00
marty1	Unmatched bet		80.00	4080.00	80.00
PuppetJack	Show	A J
marty1	Show	A 7
Turn
		5
River
		7
marty1	Win	Two Pairs, Aces and 7s	4080.00		4160.00

& second hand...

Hand History #372456384 (22:06 16/05/2011)

Player	Action	Cards	Amount	Pot	Balance
koonikki18	Small blind		75.00	75.00	2762.50
PuppetJack	Big blind		150.00	225.00	1352.50
	Your hole cards	J J
clairamon	Fold
gimpyboy	Call		150.00	375.00	1835.00
ktc2	Fold
koonikki18	Call		75.00	450.00	2687.50
PuppetJack	All-in		1352.50	1802.50	0.00
gimpyboy	Call		1352.50	3155.00	482.50
koonikki18	Call		1352.50	4507.50	1335.00
Flop
		10 K 8
koonikki18	All-in		1335.00	5842.50	0.00
gimpyboy	All-in		482.50	6325.00	0.00
koonikki18	Unmatched bet		852.50	5472.50	852.50
koonikki18	Show	2 K
PuppetJack	Show	J J
gimpyboy	Show	9 9
Turn
		3
River
		Q
koonikki18	Win	Pair of Kings	5472.50		6325.00

Anyway, - onto my final Question. - Do you think I'll fare better if I move up the stakes and just focus on improving my game?

(after these games I played 3x DYM at low stakes & won all three!)

Kind regards,

PuppetJacks.

The_Don90

I dislike the stack with the AJ. So easily dominated there. Also wouldnt 3-bet pre.

The Jack hand is just unlucky u played it right,

Onto your question. Volume is the key. Something thats taken alot to drum into me. And its only know i realise the importance of it. What i do now, is i keep a little word diary on my computer. A different file for each day (pu8t into a folded with sub folders of months) and i keep progress of what ive played and when and how i did. By doing this you can also figure out what your mind set is.

Another tip ill give. Is record some videos if you like. google Camstudio and talk over your thoughts. i done that, and alot of top quality players where able to help me. I think by seeing how im playing in what disipline for a period of time helps them, rather than just one or two hands.

Hope this helps.

P.S welcome to the forums (seen youve only made a couple of posts)

PuppetJack

Don, - I get your point about the A-J being easily dominated, in that case however he had been raising a lot pre (& on the flop) then slowing down or folding to resistance, so I thought he may well be at it  (which he kinda was, becase his 7 kicker wasn't exactly the mother of all kickers) It's just my luck that the river did me in.

 that said, I had an almost identical hand earlier except he actually hada set. - oops.


 Lesson learnt I guess.

The_Don90

In Response to Re: The dangers of Micro stakes:

Don, - I get your point about the A-J being easily dominated, in that case however he had been raising a lot pre (& on the flop) then slowing down or folding to resistance, so I thought he may well be at it  (which he kinda was, becase his 7 kicker wasn't exactly the mother of all kickers) It's just my luck that the river did me in.  that said, I had an almost identical hand earlier except he actually hada set. - oops.  Lesson learnt I guess.
Posted by PuppetJack

sounds like hes doing this with a wide range then from TPBK (top pair bad kicker) but likley looking at a split pot, as any over card to a 7 nulifies his kicker. To a set. So my advice to you is against this guy just wait for a spot. Play top set like you did here and laugh when he snaps all in.

YOUNG_GUN

I like how u played both hands, got in ahead just ul

The_Don90

In Response to Re: The dangers of Micro stakes:

I like how u played both hands, got in ahead just ul
Posted by YOUNG_GUN

YG can i ask you why you like the play in the AJ hand?

YOUNG_GUN

At micros top pair good kicker is the nuts in stt or nl4, people with worse pay us of as it happened did just UL

The person would not shove if they had a 6, I think we're beating too many hands to fold unless you have a good read on the opponent

jakally

You got it in ahead both hands and got unlucky, so don't worry too much.

The first hand is ok to 3 bet if he is opening for a min raise frequently (say once or twice each orbit). Otherwise a call is fine.

If your going to 3 bet make it bigger..... you made it 150, and your out of position. Almost all of the time you are going to get 2 callers.

Make it around 220.... you will then probably get folds often enough to make it a profitable play preflop, and when you get called, it will more llikely be 1 player instead of two.

Crunchybob

hey there, i play alot of small dyms and personally i wouldnt of shoved with the jacks, the blinds are still quite small, plus not near the bubble, players will be willing to risk more as they would still have time to recupperate there chips back, therefore i would of raised 3x bb, then see a flop, ppl will generally call anything at these stakes with a ace or king in there hand hoping to hit flop(even ragged aces). i would of seen the flop, if a overcard hits c~bet to try and find where you are, chances are the player with 9s would of folded as kings are scare card, if the other with kings calls then be suspicious that he has the king. unfortunately you would of lost some chips(but not all) and then look for a better shoving spot. just be wary that at micro stakes ppl will risk alot more in early stages as losing 1.15 or less of your bankroll isnt going to hurt as much as. this is how i would of played the jacks in this situation, hope this helps and good luck.

SHANXTA

Hand 1 i wouldn't personally 3b the AJ. but once u do u obv av2 get it in.

Hand 2 the shove with jacks is 100% standard, ul

SHANXTA

In Response to Re: The dangers of Micro stakes:

hey there, i play alot of small dyms and personally i wouldnt of shoved with the jacks, the blinds are still quite small, plus not near the bubble, players will be willing to risk more as they would still have time to recupperate there chips back, therefore i would of raised 3x bb, then see a flop, ppl will generally call anything at these stakes with a ace or king in there hand hoping to hit flop(even ragged aces). i would of seen the flop, if a overcard hits c~bet to try and find where you are, chances are the player with 9s would of folded as kings are scare card, if the other with kings calls then be suspicious that he has the king. unfortunately you would of lost some chips(but not all) and then look for a better shoving spot. just be wary that at micro stakes ppl will risk alot more in early stages as losing 1.15 or less of your bankroll isnt going to hurt as much as. this is how i would of played the jacks in this situation, hope this helps and good luck.
Posted by Crunchybob

u do realise that this hand is at 75/150 and he starts the hand with ~1.5k. making what you advise impossible?

Crunchybob

apologies, i didnt see the stacksizes earlier just the blinds and how many people were still left in. i still wouldnt of jammed, jacks are dangerous to play at low stakes, as u can clearly see people will called with ace high, king high, without a care in the world as losing a small amount of money(buyin for dym) £1.15 or less is a risk they're willing to take to put themselves in a good position. had it been the late stage of dym or higher stakes do you really think someone would call with k 2? i prefer to see a flop and find out where i am.

grantorino

1. I dont see much reason to 3bet pre if your only read is he opens lots,bets flop and slows down. Once you do you are always stacking on this board, whether shoving or flatting and letting him keep firing is better is villain dependent

2 nh

Crunchybob, shoving JJ is good when they call with K2

SHANXTA

In Response to Re: The dangers of Micro stakes:

apologies, i didnt see the stacksizes earlier just the blinds and how many people were still left in. i still wouldnt of jammed, jacks are dangerous to play at low stakes, as u can clearly see people will called with ace high, king high, without a care in the world as losing a small amount of money(buyin for dym) £1.15 or less is a risk they're willing to take to put themselves in a good position. had it been the late stage of dym or higher stakes do you really think someone would call with k 2? i prefer to see a flop and find out where i am.
Posted by Crunchybob

lol there are some that will!!

but at d end of the day if u get called by ace rag etc, gettin it in as ~70% fav will leave u as a winner long term, plus u will get folds some of the time too.

shipping it with jacks there is 100% the right move imo

Crunchybob

each for their own, but personally i wouldnt shove jacks in this position, especially at micro stakes, imagine your not all in grantorino, then see that flop, would you then insta jam or would you c bet or check to see where you are? im not saying shoving jacks is wrong and had the blind been larger and nearer the bubble ofc i would shove.