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Best Low Stakes Online Poker

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Best Low Stakes Poker Sites. Low stakes poker sites offer the easiest poker games online and to be honest low stakes poker is the easiest limit there is. Unless you count micro stakes as a separate limit, you aren't going to find easier games than the low stakes. A screenshot of the micro stakes NLHE cash game lobby at PokerStars. Playing micro limit online poker for the first time? We've all played low stakes online poker; even the best players had to start somewhere. It all starts with grinding it out in the micro stakes cash games or low level tournaments, building a bankroll and moving up to higher. The best online poker games to make money are low stakes cash games. You can also make a lot of money from poker by playing formats besides no limit hold'em. And the best poker games to make money will always be short handed. Let's dig into this a bit deeper though. A low stakes poker game is a $2/$4 Limit Hold'em, also known as ‘2/4 limit.' So, if you want to play poker in Las Vegas for the first time, you should start with a low-limit game. Here are the best poker rooms you can find in Vegas if you're a poker newbie. If you yet cannot make it to Las Vegas, you can go to various online casinos.

The Venetian poker room proves you can have the glitz and the low stakes poker all in one place. At the Venetian, you have two options: Texas hold ‘em or Omaha poker. Hold ‘em has $1/$3 stakes for the low stakes player and much higher stakes for those looking to play for more.

So, you're interested in online poker, but you don't want to risk too much money just yet. Where's the best place to play small stakes online poker for real money?

Below is a table of what I think are the best sites for low limit online poker.

Best small stakes poker rooms.

Best Low Stakes Online Poker Games

Best Low Stakes Online Poker
RankRoomCompetitionCashSNGMacBonusPlay
Nitrogen PokerWeak$20NL$10+50c-Play Now
Ignition PokerWeak$2NL$1+20c$1,000Play Now
SwC PokerWeak$2NL$1+20c-Play Now
Americas CardroomTricky$2NL$1+10c$1,000Play Now
888 PokerAverage$2NL$0.50+5c$400Play Now
Betsafe PokerAverage$4NL$0.10+1c€2,000Play Now

Note: The SNG column indicates the lowest stakes single-table (STT), non-turbo SNGs on offer.

How I've rated these sites.

These poker rooms have primarily been ranked based on players looking to play no limit Texas Hold'em poker online for small stakes, whether that be in cash games or tournaments (i.e. SNGs and MTTs).

Here are the 4 main factors I took in to account when ranking these sites:

  1. The lowest stakes games on offer.
  2. The number of players frequently active at these limits.
  3. How bad the players at these stakes are.
  4. The general overall quality of the poker room based on software, traffic and support.

Clearly the level of the absolute lowest stakes cash games and SNGs on offer at a poker room is one of the biggest factors. It's not much use signing up to a poker room that doesn't offer SNG games under $5, or cash games under $10NL if you have a $30 bankroll. Even if you intend on playing at slightly higher limits anyway, it's always good to have the flexibility there to move down if needs be.

I've also taken in to account the quality of the competition. The softer the competition, the more money you will win – it's as simple as that. Therefore, I've included my rating of the 'softness' of the poker sites in the table to help you make the best choice.

Lastly, player traffic and my rating of the poker room overall has been considered. I'm sure I don't need to explain why on those two counts.

Summary of the smallest stakes games on offer.

Here's a quick summary of the most common limits of micro stakes games available at the majority of online poker sites.

Cash games.
  • 1c/2c (this is the absolutely lowest level available online)
  • 2c/5c
  • 5c/10c
  • 10c/25c (you can occasionally find 10c/20c games at places like the iPoker network)
  • 25c/50c
SNGs.
  • $1 + 20c
  • $2 + 25c
  • $5 + 50c
  • $10 + $1

Playing micro limit online poker for the first time?

We've all played low stakes online poker; even the best players had to start somewhere. It all starts with grinding it out in the micro stakes cash games or low level tournaments, building a bankroll and moving up to higher limits when you get the chance.

There are two key things to remember:

  1. Take your time and play within your limits.
  2. Keep playing and learning.
Best Low Stakes Online Poker

1) Take your time and play within your limits.

Good bankroll management is essential. And no, I don't mean that in the 'flossing is essential' or 'remembering your relatives' birthdays is essential' way. I mean it as in 'not turning the gas cooker off before you go to sleep is essential' and 'not starting fights with bears is essential'.

Seriously, treat your bankroll with ultimate respect. Without it, you can't play poker and you can't win money. Don't get careless and fritter your earnings away because you're on tilt.

Here are the basic rules of bankroll management that you should always stick to:

  • Cash games - always have at least 20 buy-ins for the stakes you're playing at.
  • SNGs - always have at least 40 buy-ins (including fees) for the level you want to play at.

If Chris ferguson can do it, so can you.

2) Keep playing and learning.

The more you play and the more you learn, the better you will get. The better you get, the more money you'll win. It's the cycle that every successful poker player has taken and continues to take.

Read strategy articles, read books, watch strategy videos, join a training site.

The information on how to win money from poker is out there, it's just up to you whether or not you take advantage of it.

How the stakes of online poker are categorized.

Technically, $50NL cash games and lower are referred to as the 'micro stakes' and not 'small stakes'. Seems quite strange considering that I'd hardly call $50 (or even $10 for that matter) a micro amount of money. But that's just how it is.

I decided to go ahead and call this page a guide to the best 'small stakes sites' anyway as I know that's what most people are searching for when they use that phrase.

For the sake of education and being thorough, here's how the different levels/limits of NLHE cash games and SNGs are categorized:

CategoryCash GamesSNGs
Micro Stakes$2NL to $50NL$1 to $10
Small Stakes$100NL to $200NL$11 to $50
Mid Stakes$400NL to $1,000NL$51 to $200
High Stakes$2,000NL+$201+

Note: I've used shorthand for the cash game levels in the table above. Stakes written like $50NL indicate the standard maximum 100bb buy-in for that level. So for example, $50NL is the same as writing 25c/50c, and $400NL is the same as writing $2/$4.
This is a common way of writing the varying limits in NLHE cash games. The cool thing about this notation is that it saves you having to try and type that pesky forward slash.

You may also notice that the term 'low limit' or 'low stakes' poker hasn't been used here. That term is more commonly used when referring to playing live poker in casinos, with anything up to $3/$5 being considered low limit (crazy I know). It's just another one of those things in poker.

A few extra tips.

  • Use good bankroll management. I've told you about this before, but it's so important it's worth mentioning at least one more time.
  • Don't get too fancy against micro stakes players. You only need to think one level above a poker player to beat them, and small stakes Texas Hold'em players are thinking on a low level for the most part.
  • Avoid paying more than 10% in tournament fees. Paying 20% in fees for SNGs is just going to kill your winrate. 10% fees are standard at most levels, but in the micro levels at some rooms the fees are bumped up. Either avoid these rooms, or play at a slightly higher level where the fees are more friendly.
  • Take your time. It's not about doubling your bankroll in each session. Poker is a marathon, not a sprint. If you want quick and easy winnings, play roulette.

After that, it's all about time, effort and persistence. Just make sure you give me a shout out when you win your first WSOP main event.

Stakes
RankRoomCompetitionCashSNGMacBonusPlay
Nitrogen PokerWeak$20NL$10+50c-Play Now
Ignition PokerWeak$2NL$1+20c$1,000Play Now
SwC PokerWeak$2NL$1+20c-Play Now
Americas CardroomTricky$2NL$1+10c$1,000Play Now
888 PokerAverage$2NL$0.50+5c$400Play Now
Betsafe PokerAverage$4NL$0.10+1c€2,000Play Now

Note: The SNG column indicates the lowest stakes single-table (STT), non-turbo SNGs on offer.

How I've rated these sites.

These poker rooms have primarily been ranked based on players looking to play no limit Texas Hold'em poker online for small stakes, whether that be in cash games or tournaments (i.e. SNGs and MTTs).

Here are the 4 main factors I took in to account when ranking these sites:

  1. The lowest stakes games on offer.
  2. The number of players frequently active at these limits.
  3. How bad the players at these stakes are.
  4. The general overall quality of the poker room based on software, traffic and support.

Clearly the level of the absolute lowest stakes cash games and SNGs on offer at a poker room is one of the biggest factors. It's not much use signing up to a poker room that doesn't offer SNG games under $5, or cash games under $10NL if you have a $30 bankroll. Even if you intend on playing at slightly higher limits anyway, it's always good to have the flexibility there to move down if needs be.

I've also taken in to account the quality of the competition. The softer the competition, the more money you will win – it's as simple as that. Therefore, I've included my rating of the 'softness' of the poker sites in the table to help you make the best choice.

Lastly, player traffic and my rating of the poker room overall has been considered. I'm sure I don't need to explain why on those two counts.

Summary of the smallest stakes games on offer.

Here's a quick summary of the most common limits of micro stakes games available at the majority of online poker sites.

Cash games.
  • 1c/2c (this is the absolutely lowest level available online)
  • 2c/5c
  • 5c/10c
  • 10c/25c (you can occasionally find 10c/20c games at places like the iPoker network)
  • 25c/50c
SNGs.
  • $1 + 20c
  • $2 + 25c
  • $5 + 50c
  • $10 + $1

Playing micro limit online poker for the first time?

We've all played low stakes online poker; even the best players had to start somewhere. It all starts with grinding it out in the micro stakes cash games or low level tournaments, building a bankroll and moving up to higher limits when you get the chance.

There are two key things to remember:

  1. Take your time and play within your limits.
  2. Keep playing and learning.

1) Take your time and play within your limits.

Good bankroll management is essential. And no, I don't mean that in the 'flossing is essential' or 'remembering your relatives' birthdays is essential' way. I mean it as in 'not turning the gas cooker off before you go to sleep is essential' and 'not starting fights with bears is essential'.

Seriously, treat your bankroll with ultimate respect. Without it, you can't play poker and you can't win money. Don't get careless and fritter your earnings away because you're on tilt.

Here are the basic rules of bankroll management that you should always stick to:

  • Cash games - always have at least 20 buy-ins for the stakes you're playing at.
  • SNGs - always have at least 40 buy-ins (including fees) for the level you want to play at.

If Chris ferguson can do it, so can you.

2) Keep playing and learning.

The more you play and the more you learn, the better you will get. The better you get, the more money you'll win. It's the cycle that every successful poker player has taken and continues to take.

Read strategy articles, read books, watch strategy videos, join a training site.

The information on how to win money from poker is out there, it's just up to you whether or not you take advantage of it.

How the stakes of online poker are categorized.

Technically, $50NL cash games and lower are referred to as the 'micro stakes' and not 'small stakes'. Seems quite strange considering that I'd hardly call $50 (or even $10 for that matter) a micro amount of money. But that's just how it is.

I decided to go ahead and call this page a guide to the best 'small stakes sites' anyway as I know that's what most people are searching for when they use that phrase.

For the sake of education and being thorough, here's how the different levels/limits of NLHE cash games and SNGs are categorized:

CategoryCash GamesSNGs
Micro Stakes$2NL to $50NL$1 to $10
Small Stakes$100NL to $200NL$11 to $50
Mid Stakes$400NL to $1,000NL$51 to $200
High Stakes$2,000NL+$201+

Note: I've used shorthand for the cash game levels in the table above. Stakes written like $50NL indicate the standard maximum 100bb buy-in for that level. So for example, $50NL is the same as writing 25c/50c, and $400NL is the same as writing $2/$4.
This is a common way of writing the varying limits in NLHE cash games. The cool thing about this notation is that it saves you having to try and type that pesky forward slash.

You may also notice that the term 'low limit' or 'low stakes' poker hasn't been used here. That term is more commonly used when referring to playing live poker in casinos, with anything up to $3/$5 being considered low limit (crazy I know). It's just another one of those things in poker.

A few extra tips.

  • Use good bankroll management. I've told you about this before, but it's so important it's worth mentioning at least one more time.
  • Don't get too fancy against micro stakes players. You only need to think one level above a poker player to beat them, and small stakes Texas Hold'em players are thinking on a low level for the most part.
  • Avoid paying more than 10% in tournament fees. Paying 20% in fees for SNGs is just going to kill your winrate. 10% fees are standard at most levels, but in the micro levels at some rooms the fees are bumped up. Either avoid these rooms, or play at a slightly higher level where the fees are more friendly.
  • Take your time. It's not about doubling your bankroll in each session. Poker is a marathon, not a sprint. If you want quick and easy winnings, play roulette.

After that, it's all about time, effort and persistence. Just make sure you give me a shout out when you win your first WSOP main event.

Best Low Stakes Online Poker

Useful links.

Go back to the Texas Hold'em rooms.

Like a lion waiting to attack prey, tight aggressive poker players are patient but deadly!

Tight Aggressive Poker (TAG Poker)

The poker world, much like the real world is an ever changing place. New moves, strategy and technology shape ideas that can change the way poker is played. There are some things though that are a mainstay and no amount of technology or innovation will change that. One of these is the tight aggressive style being one of the most profitable styles for low stakes poker. This article will highlight and explain why tight aggressive poker still wins.

Beginner Texas Hold'em Question

What does TAG mean in poker?

'TAG' is the shortened definition of tight aggressive. To be a TAG or tight aggressive means to play few hands but play them aggressively. It essentially means you are the aggressor when you enter the pots you play.

Playing fewer hands give you maths edge

Players at lower stakes make the mistake of playing too many hands. This is not a winning strategy for any stakes of poker. You will run into premium hands too often and be fighting an uphill battle trying to outplay opponents who have strong hands. Please note, I am not referring to Loose Aggressive (LAG) which can be a profitable strategy. I am referring to playing like 50% of hands or more at full rung. Playing fewer hands will give you a mathematical edge on your opponents. It stands to reason that if you are playing better hands, you are more likely to have top pair or a better kicker. This edge can't be understated at low stakes. It's one of the core factors that will separate winning and losing players.

Aggressive poker wins

Being aggressive means you are going to win more pots you contest. Whether by winning it uncontested before the flop or after the flop, more pots can be won when you are betting and raising. In the 15 years I've played poker, I've never heard of anyone who wins in the long term adopting a passive style of poker. Every professional I've spoken with, every book I've read and every video I've watched have all recommended aggressive poker. The amount of hands you play is less relevant than the fact you need to be aggressive in poker. Poker is a battle and passive poker does not win battles.

More successful bluff rate

One of the best consequences of employing a tighter style of poker is the way you can pull off bluffs better. Playing a looser brand of poker is more fun but also gets you caught more. Tight aggressive poker gives you a solid image. People will believe you. With the right balance, this is a fantastic image to have. This means you can raise more liberally, particularly on the button and still get respect. A successful bluff rate doesn't just mean the big bluff representing big ovepair on a low board. Canberra casino opening times. It also means having a success steal rate or a high continuation bet success rate too.

Easier decisions & less mistakes

Poker players don't like being out of the comfort zone or awkward spots. This is where big mistakes can be made. The risk of this is significantly reduced when you are playing premium hands and the first in bettor. A tight aggressive poker style means you won't be playing hands like J 7 offsuit and wondering what to do on a 10-7-5-6 board. When you are playing stronger hands, you will typically be hitting top pair type hands. This makes decisions quite straightforward. This is music to the ears of beginners and intermediate players.

Downsides to TAG Poker

I want to provide a balanced article and provide all the information on this style of poker. TAG poker comes with limitations too. There are a couple below.

Conclusion on Tight Aggressive Poker

Tight aggressive poker is one of the best strategies you can employ at low stakes. You may be a little predictable, but most players at low stakes don't care and still make mistakes. Playing this style allows you to win more pots you contest, steal more from late position and manipulate pots the way you want. As you develop as a player and move up the stakes, you can incorporate more hands and creative plays, but at low stakes TAG poker is winning poker.

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