Playing to Win At The Lowest Limit Poker Games

1. Getting Started: Reading, Bankroll, Computer Play

This essay is meant for poker players who are just starting out in casino poker. Why should you invest your time reading this? There are excellent books (see the next section) written by experts. Having just been through my first 400 hours of poker playing, I will give you some advice the books don't, and I will reinforce some advice out of the books that isn't emphasized enough.

You won't believe the huge ups and downs you will have. This essay will reinforce the published bankroll requirements.

It is very worthwhile for a beginner to practice against computer software.

The house rake has a huge, profound effect on everything that you do. The following essay discusses strategy considerations.

The books don't prepare you for just how brainless some of your opponents are.

Standard Games

The standard game for discussion is a nine-handed $3-6 hold'em game, as played in my home casinos in Arizona. The blinds are $1 and $3. Out of this $4, a $1 jackpot drop is taken immediately. Then a $2 rake is removed at pot size $10 and one more $1 rake is taken at pot size $20. A standard dealer tip for a pot of $15 or more is $1. When a hand or strategy is written without qualification, this is the game referenced.

Many beginners will start out in a 7 card stud game of $1-3, 1-4, or 1-5. The standard for this game is again from the Arizona game, which is $1-3 for all five betting rounds, with no ante and a forced $1 bring-in from the initial low card.

Required Reading

Think for Yourself! The books for low-limit games give you excellent advice, and you won't go too far wrong if you just blindly follow all the advice. But even at a very early stage of your study, you will find that two excellent books don't agree exactly. And for adjustments for the game of the day at your table, you are on your own anyway.

Before you go the first time, read Lee Jones' Winning Low Limit Hold'Em. For stud, read Roy West's 7 Card Stud - How to Win at the Medium and Low Limits - 42 Lessons. Even if you are planning to play only hold'em, I recommend West's book, as he strongly emphasizes discipline, bankroll, record-keeping, and observation of opponents - some things that you need to hear from an expert, not just from me.

Early in your studies, read Theory of Poker by David Sklansky. This book will make you aware of the thought processes you need to use to become a better player.

The benchmark books for the next game up - middle limit games at $15-30 to $30-60 - Are Hold'Em Poker for Advanced Players, 21st Century Edition by Sklansky & Malmuth (HEPFAP21) and 7 Card Stud for Advanced Players, 21st Century Edition by Sklansky, Malmuth & Zee. Read these as soon as possible after the previously recommended books. Some of the concepts don't work in the very loose lower limit games; this is discussed in the "Strategy Adjustments" chapter later on in this essay. Do pay special attention to the "Playing in Loose Games" chapters of each book.

In addition to reading the books, make it a regular practice to keep up with the internet strategy forums. Follow the link from my home poker page to 2+2 Publishing, and select the Forums. Beginners are certainly welcome to post questions, and the regular posters are willing to take the time to answer them.

Fluctuations and Bankroll Requirements

You will not believe the astounding ups and downs you will have at these lowest limits! Repeat - you won't believe it! When I started playing $3-6 hold'em, I had read several books and practiced against the computer, and I had a reasonable strategy right from the start. In my first 40 hours, I was down $900 - 150 Big Bets. I have had single sessions as bad as -150 and as good as +300. And I am very tight and conservative; some of my opponents are up and down $500 in a session all the time. (Don't be like them: see the "Don't Be Average" chapter below.) I am now back above even. As I discuss below in "The Slot in the Table Is Your Enemy," it is difficult to win at these low limits.

In Gambling Theory and Other Topics, Mason Malmuth calculates your bankroll requirements for different games at different limits. For low limit stud, Roy West does the same in his book. If you are mathematically inclined, you will enjoy Malmuth's treatment of the subject; you can calculate your own standard deviation after you have played a while, and adjust your bankroll calculations if you want.

The average bottom line is: you need 200 Big Bets as a bankroll to plan on playing a game with a good chance (95% by Malmuth's calculations) of never going broke. This means that you need to have available $1200 for a $3-6 game. If you are not a professional (and I hope you're not, just starting out at the low limits!), you can certainly start out with less if you have regular income and can replenish your bankroll later to continue playing. Just don't be too surprised if it happens to you. Of course it goes without saying: don't play with any money that you can't afford to lose. Don't even think about going to the poker game in order to make up some money to pay your bills! The short-term fluctuations are just too great, and the stress on you is also too great.

Practicing Against the Computer

When just starting out, it can be a help to practice against the computer. I recommend Turbo Texas Hold'Em for Windows by Wilson Software; you can get it most places where poker books are sold.

Here is one place where you must start thinking for yourself. TTH has a lot of different player profiles, and you need to select the ones that best represent the players in your game. Then you can edit those profiles and create custom profiles. Do this! Get into the profile definitions and create some profiles that best match your real-life opponents.

I repeat, think for yourself, don't just copy mine here. Here is what I did for my regular game, which is usually very loose-passive. The profile "Regular Rube" fit my opponents pretty well, but my opponents are so loose, especially pre-flop, that I edited "Regular Rube" to add to his starting hands any Ace, any King, and any two suited cards. I called this new profile "Loose Passive Rube." Then I filled my table with players all with this profile. It matches my live game surprisingly well.

If you have one or two regulars whom you have a good "book" on, go ahead and profile them exactly - start with the best philosophical match and edit the profile from there. Then your home practice can actually take aim at your regular opponent(s).

From the very beginning, be aware of your opponents, and you will also become aware of your computer opponents. They do NOT play the same. Feel free to take advantage of your computer opponents' flaws; just think of it as another adjustment to game conditions. But become aware, as soon as possible in live play, what the differences are. (One simple example is that computer opponents tend to forget if you did something extremely aggressive, like check-raising or re-raising, whereas your live opponents will remember it vividly for the rest of the hand.)

© Dick Astrom ("Dick in Phoenix") 1999, all rights reserved

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