Some Things Not to Do While Playing Low Stakes Poker

Low stakes poker is where many people break into the game or where they go to blow off some steam. While there are some players that take low stakes game seriously, many do not. With that being said, there are a few things that you probably really should not be doing at low limit poker.

Wearing Sunglasses, Especially at $2 – $4 Limit.

Yes, this sounds like a bumper sticker, but guess what, it happens. In about 95% of cases, you will never have to worry about your players picking up physical tells on you, and even if they do, they will likely be the ONLY one. Wearing sunglasses to make you look cool is also just plain stupid in my opinion.

Bringing Way Too Much Money to the Game

I was waiting for an Omaha seat in Atlantic City recently and was killing time in $2 – $4 Limit Holdem. A guy comes to the table in a three piece suit and four racks of chips. Everyone at the table just started staring at him as he unracked. This actually unnerved him a bit. Finally, I asked, “You know this is $2 – $4 Limit right?” He says, “Ya, $2-$4 No-Limit.” “No. $2 – $4 Li-Mit.” Yes, I actually broke up the syllable. He quickly reracked and went to find his game. (Which actually didn’t go off so I don’t know what happened to him.)

Berate Other People’s Play

Seriously, why berate a player at $2 – $4? Ya, you might be pissed that your aces were cracked by 4-7. Big deal. This is also the same limits that will see seven players in the pot. You will see some variance. However, what you will also see is a steady win rate if you play proper poker. Just roll with it. There are worse things to get pissed about.

Playing Every Hand Because it Cost So Little

This sounds like normal poker strategy right? It is, but there are many players that will play every hand because it costs on average $2 to play. $2 becomes $4, and then $4 becomes $6, and the next thing you know, “Chips please!”

There are times you will play garbage because it is so cheap, such as 5 people in the pot and you are the small blind. However, playing every hand, even if you fold when you miss, will drain your stack.

Educating Other Players or Boasting About Your Game

Too many times at lower limits, you have the know it all that wants to tell you how you can improve your game. You also have the guy that who is “normally a great player, but has bankroll issues.” The know it all is usually pretty harmless, but can be annoying. The braggart is one that most people just hate and ends up being the guy people want to beat. Sometimes this works in a guys favor if the players are playing poorly to try and bust him. However, usually you will have one or two solid players at the table that will take care of his stack.

One story that the braggart reminds me of is when I went to Atlantic City after the 2006 WSOP. We had a guy at the table that was talking about how that he had made a daily tournament final table and that he was going to be the next poker superstar. He then promptly proceeded to drop $100 at the table and was gone.

A person at the table was like “Who cares if he won a daily tourney. I doubt any of us will be at the WSOP or on TV anytime soon.” No sooner as this woman says this, a friend of mine came up and asked how I was doing and how my WSOP trip was. I talked to him a bit and he went on. The same woman asked me about my trip and I told her that I had cashed in a Limit Holdem tournament. Another player at the table asked me why I was playing at that game if I could do so well in tourneys. My reaction to him was, “Because unlike that other guy, I do not think I am God’s gift to poker. Also, I am not very big into cash games.” That was the truth at the time. I mostly played tournaments and cash games bored me. In fact, that day I was playing while waiting for a Sit-N-Go to fill.

While this sounds like a bit of a rant, it is pretty much just some things you really should keep in mind or even look out for when you play in low limit live poker. If nothing else, some of the above scenarios are good for a laugh.

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