If you’re trying to increase your win rate or maybe just make huge profits by winning in consecutive games then what you need is to play in micro stakes games. Playing in this low stakes field in poker can make it easy for you to gain profit, especially in online poker. You’ll find some of Low Stake Online Poker: A Strategy Guide in Winning Micro Stakes Games Read More ».

• The micro-stakes are all about getting value with your good hands and folding hands in situations where you can only win a small pot or, if things go wrong, lose a big pot. Get max value from big hands.
• Micro-stakes poker ranges from lowly $0.01/$0.02 up to $0.10/$.25. This is usually either a place for recreational players to splash around or a proving ground for ambitious players who want to move up as soon as possible. The games are typically characterized by looseness pre-flop with lots of limping and passive post-flop play.
• However, if you decide to learn poker at the micro-stakes tables at online poker sites, you'll save a ton of money. At a $0.01/$0.02 NL Hold'em table, the standard buy-in is only a dollar or two.

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.

Rank	Room	Competition	Cash	SNG	Mac	Bonus	Play
Nitrogen Poker	Weak	$20NL	$10+50c	-	Play Now
Ignition Poker	Weak	$2NL	$1+20c	$1,000	Play Now
SwC Poker	Weak	$2NL	$1+20c	-	Play Now
Americas Cardroom	Tricky	$2NL	$1+10c	$1,000	Play Now
888 Poker	Average	$2NL	$0.50+5c	$400	Play Now
Betsafe Poker	Average	$4NL	$0.10+1c	€2,000	Play 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:

Category	Cash Games	SNGs
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.

Useful links.

Go back to the Texas Hold'em rooms.

Avoiding regs in online poker rooms is not an exclusive task for high stakes players. In this article, we share a traffic review for micro stakes players (NL10–NL30) who are looking for soft fields; our TOP-6 includes sites than can be called 'exotic', as they are unknown to many players and amateurs can still be found at the tables.

Traffic review in poker rooms with soft fields at NL10–NL30

Our selection for micro-stakes players includes six poker rooms:

• ShenPoker (IDN Poker network);
• PokerMatch;
• Pokerdom;
• Vbet (BetConstruct Poker network);
• Intertops (Horizon Poker network);
• Wwin.

We take into consideration the following parameters to include these poker rooms in our TOP-6:

• Rooms not popular among regs (soft field);
• Mainly sites without HUD support;
• High rakeback;
• Decent traffic at micro stakes.

Micro Stakes Online Poker Strategy

Of course, there are strong reasons why these poker rooms are not popular among regs, for example, technical issues associated with underdeveloped software, but considering the latest developments in the online poker industry (restrictions on support software, anti-reg measures, etc.), in our opinion, it's necessary to make some sacrifices to keep the games profitable, which includes joining alternative poker rooms and mixing them to get enough action.

ShenPoker

• Rake: 3% without a cap;
• Rakeback: 30% weekly fixed + first deposit bonus (50%, 100%, or 200% with different wagering requirements);
• HUD support: No;
• Tables on NL10–NL30: up to 70.

IDNPoker is currently the online poker leader in terms of traffic, according to PokerScout, and now, we grant access to the skin ShenPoker. Its ambiguous past, offering only a web-browser client, and the restriction of playing at only one table per account has worked to maintain a sustainable poker ecosystem, with a very low density of regs at the tables.

Shenpoker

PokerMatch

• Rake: 5% with caps up to 125 hryvnias;
• Rakeback: up to 50%;
• HUD support: No;
• Tables on NL10–NL30: up to 10

PokerMatch is a Ukrainian poker room that belongs to a large local bookmaker; the site is firmly focused on attracting gamblers to the poker tables. The games are played in Ukrainian hryvnias (1USD ≈ 24 UAH).

Besides regular cash games tables, players can join the fast poker tables at NL8 and NL21.

PokerMatch

Deposit bonus	25.000 UAH
Rakeback	up to 40%

Pokerdom

• Rake: 5% with caps up to 125 rubles;
• Rakeback: up to 30% (plus regular bonuses);
• HUD support: No;
• Tables on NL10–NL30: up to 20.

Pokerdom focuses on the Russian market, offering games in rubles, but is open to several countries. It has an aggressive marketing policy and also has a bookmaker and a casino under the same brand. Usually, Pokerdom has monthly promotions that improve the players' rakeback.

There is action at these three stakes: NL8, NL16, and NL31, both in regular and fast poker tables.

Pokerdom

Deposit bonus	-
Rakeback	up to 50%

Vbet Poker

• Rake: 5% with caps up to 3€;
• Rakeback: up to 50%;
• HUD support: No;
• Tables on NL10–NL30: up to 20.

Vbet is the flagship poker room of the BetConstruct network, that mainly aimed to attract players from small countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. BetConstruct offers online poker as a comprehensive gaming solution for small companies.

Online Poker Micro Stakes Strategy

Over half of the traffic at cash games gables in Vbet corresponds to NL10 and NL25 tables; therefore, the action is excellent for low stakes grinders.

VBet Poker

Rakeback

up to 50%

Intertops

• Rake: 6.67% with caps up to $2;
• Rakeback: 36% fixed;
• HUD support: Yes;
• Tables on NL10–NL30: up to 6.

Intertops is the poker room of a homonymous German bookmaker and belongs to the Horizon Poker network, the successor to Cake.

Up to 6 tables can be spotted during American peak time on NL10–NL25.

Intertops

Deposit bonus	$1000
Rakeback	36%

Wwin Poker

• Rake: 5% with caps up to 3€;
• Rakeback: up to 50%;
• HUD support: Yes, via hand converter;
• Tables on NL10–NL30: up to 5.

Wwin Poker is a small Serbian poker room and belongs to the gaming company Williams International that also offers casino and sports betting.

All the action in the room is focused on 6-max tables, and the highest stakes are NL40–NL50. At NL10–NL20 up to 5 tables can be spotted during peak time.

Wwin Poker

Deposit bonus	-
Rakeback	30+%

Total traffic at NL10–NL30 stakes

We have gathered data for all TOP-6 poker rooms at different times:

Poker room/Stake	NL8$-NL10$	NL16$-NL21$	NL25$-NL31$
ShenPoker	24	38
PokerMatch	7*	3*
Pokerdom	6	9*	5
Vbet	6	3
Intertops	2	3
Wwin	3	2

*At these stakes, there is also fast poker action:

• Pokerdom up to 5/10 rubles, up to 80 connections;
• PokerMatch up to 1.2/2.5 hryvnias, up to 150 connections.

Total traffic at PLO10–PLO30 stakes

Poker room*/Stake	PLO8$-PLO10$	PLO16$-PLO21$	PLO25$-PLO31$
ShenPoker	13	8
PokerMatch	3	2
Pokerdom	5	3	2

* As usual, the action in Omaha is smaller compared to Hold'em; therefore, only three poker rooms have tables available at PLO10–PLO30.

Since in half of the poker rooms the games are played in local currencies (other than Euro or USD), we share a conversion to help our players find the right games:

• ShenPoker – 1K/2K and 2.5K/5K approx — about NL10$ and NL25$;
• PokerMatch – 1/2, 2,5/5 approx — about NL8$, NL21$;
• Pokerdom – 2,5/5, 5/10, 10/20 approx — about NL8$, NL16$ и NL31$.

Summary

If you are looking for opportunities to play against soft opponents at NL10–NL30 stakes in 2019, it's crucial to turn your attention to the little-known poker rooms and join several at once.

From the rooms described in the article:

• The three largest ones — ShenPoker, PokerMatch, Pokerdom — can be chosen as the main poker room, even for fast poker players;
• Intertops and Wwin are suitable for those players that cannot play without a HUD;
• Vbet could fit as a side poker room without trackers, to complement, for example, the GG Poker network.

To get a private rakeback deal in any of the poker rooms described in this article, please contact our managers via live chat or any messenger:

• Telegram: alexey_wpd
• WhatsApp: +66658566798
• Skype: live:newbheartstoned
• Email: [email protected]
• Facebook: wpd.alexey

Crush Micro Stakes Online Poker

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