Poker tournaments can be played either physically in live casinos or virtually in online casinos.

If you are a beginner who is just learning how to play poker, you will need to understand the basics of staking right, even skilled players know the essence of using the right stakes to win. No player is ever delighted to lose his stake but that is the eventuality of what happens to a player who doesn’t stake right.

Ever wondered how to stake right in poker games? If not, then you are in the right place as this article is centered on finding the right stakes for online poker games. Ensure that you read till the end.

What are poker stakes?

Poker stakes refer to the total amount of money that players are ready to use to play the poker game. There is no specific amount attached to each of the poker stakes, however, it is still relatively dependent on the player’s pocket size.

Although, the minimal amount to play this game on various sites can be as low as $1 and varies for each one of them.

Types of Stakes used in online poker sites

There is an organized structure of buy-in levels in online poker. Bear in mind that whatever buy-in you decide to utilize is solely dependent on your level of expertise in the game and the amount of money available in your bookie account to play the game. Once you are able to select your table stake, the rest becomes very easy.

Here are the various types of stakes for an online poker game on any bookmarker:

• Micro stakes
• Low stakes
• Mid stakes
• High stakes
• Nosebleed stakes

This article will serve as an explainer of these poker stakes and it will also provide a few tips you can work with in order to succeed like other professional poker players playing similar stakes.

Micro Stakes

Micro stakes are often regarded as the poker beginner’s best friend since several new players are likely to first stake smaller amounts. The blinds for this stake range between $2 to $25 max buy-in.

Here, you will find several players that have limped before the flop and raised bets or those that have waited in their hands patiently waiting to complete a draw.

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. It is not unusual for there to be multiple players still in the pot when the river is reached.

Micro Stakes Poker games tips

Winning at the micro stakes poker doesn’t require a lot of skill. In reality, the people who succeed playing the lowest stakes are frequently those who err the least.

Here are some tips that can make you proficient in playing micro stakes poker:

You have to take advantage of the fit-or-fold mentality of many micro-stakes players, play the majority of your hands in position and the minority of your hands outside of position. Additionally, acting last allows you to realize equity with many of your marginal hands.

When creating your preflop hand ranges, be sure to include holdings that have a chance to beat your opponent or make the nuts. Many big pots at the micros are won by making flush over flush or out-kicking your opponents.

The call button should be abandoned in favor of value betting and bet-folding your medium-strength hands. Check-calling marginal top pairs while playing loose-passive opponents is a recipe for catastrophe.

It is true that it can be difficult to adjust to playing for tiny sums of money. It can be challenging to concentrate on selecting the optimal play, in particular when the pot size is less expensive than a cup of coffee.

But one of the most important lessons you can learn as a poker player is how to focus when the result of a choice has no financial impact. The objective is to become less likely to make emotional decisions by removing the influence of money from your decision-making process.

In contrast, participating in the $100 games right away exposes you to a lot of strong competitors—some of whom are full-time professionals—whose decisions are supported by extensive playing experience. And each of those gamers is eager to seize the opportunity to attack inexperienced newcomers like you.

Do not forget to stick to the basics. When you play Micro stakes poker, you need to make sure you are doing everything to polish up your fundamental game as it will be the foundation for further growth if you aim to reach higher stakes.

Whether it’s cash games, sit ‘n gos, or tournaments, be sure to concentrate on a single distinct game type.

Each of these three formats demands a unique skill set for success as well as quite distinct approaches.

You run the risk of being a jack of all crafts but a master of none if you attempt to play everything, including merely dabbling in other games like PLO, limit, triple draw, etc.

The best players can usually be identified by the fact that they are experts in just one genre of game. Whether it’s 6-max, cash games, Heads Up SNGs, or live tournaments, they are the greatest at what they do.

You should focus most of your time on trying to become an expert at one particular game genre, however it is acceptable to branch out a little and learn a few other games.

Low Stakes (Small stakes)

The buy-in for low stake ranges between $50 to $200. It’s a great start for a live player to test the waters by playing online poker games with a low stake and earning between $2000 and $5000 every month.

Irrespective of the platform, you get to play on, there would certainly be several grinders within this range.

Most of these online players utilize third-party tracking software that they can multi-table with. Once the software indicates that a player is wagering with a varied betting size, other players will also multi-table to relieve that single player of his money.

You will start to encounter quite a few professional players as the stakes increase in appeal in terms of the amount of real money at stake and the chance to earn a few thousand dollars every month.

This implies that in order to defeat these players, you will need to modify the way you play in these games and begin studying actual poker methods. Playing poker by sticking to the basics alone and 90% of the time playing for value won’t actually work.

Another good tip is stealing the blinds. Although most people believe they do a decent job of stealing the blinds, many nonetheless miss out on many excellent chances to do so. The button and the cutoff will unquestionably be your most lucrative poker table seats, it is a simple fact. When it is folded to you in these positions, why on earth wouldn’t you take full use of it?

In your average passive low stakes cash games, live or online, you can easily get away with stealing the blinds with 30% or even 40% of your hands. The majority of your opponents will just let you take it down, only three-betting you if they have a particularly powerful hand. Or even better, they will flatten your steal attempt from out of position and then you can take down an even bigger pot with a simple continuation bet on the flop and/or turn.

You should take a much closer look at game selection once you begin playing for low stakes. Small-stakes games are far more available on some online poker sites than on others and it is something that one should always look to take advantage of.

We recommend that the best way to win overtime on this buy-in level is to evade grinders. Nonetheless, it remains one of the safest stakes for players who don’t mind playing the game at this tournament level.

Low stakes poker game tips:

As mentioned before, some of the top players in this field use HUDs and you should too.

In small-stakes games, you will inevitably start running into familiar faces a lot more since HUDs allow you to track the statistics of your opponents. Due to this, poker software like HUDs will be quite helpful, especially in differentiating between regulars and recreational players and providing you with a general understanding of players’ habits.

You should really consider choosing the tables you sit at once your buy-ins start to reach $100 or more. At this point, you should unquestionably be investigating playing at numerous websites to ensure that you are constantly able to access the best games.

When playing low-stakes poker, player points, rakeback, and other prizes can add hundreds or even thousands of dollars to your bankroll each month. Because of this, it’s crucial to comprehend and take full advantage of the reward systems offered by various poker sites.

Something else you can do in order to win consistently in poker is to start paying more attention when it comes to game selection. If there isn’t a clear reason why you are at the table (i.e., somebody at the table who plays much worse than you), there is no reason why you should be at that table.

This is a big mistake that I see small stakes players making all the time. That is, they sit down and play in games full of other strong regulars, not thinking how detrimental taking on such a challenge is likely going to be to their bankroll.

You must realize that the money in poker does not come from playing against opponents who are better or equally competent to you, as switching tables, poker rooms, or even casinos might be a hassle. In the long run, you will essentially be exchanging financial goods and services with them (if not losing).

And in all honesty, even if you manage to hold off such opponents, you will frequently still display a loss once the rake is removed.

Therefore, it is imperative that any poker game you select to play always has at least one player who is a glaring weak spot.

Mid Stakes

This buy-in level starts from $500 and above. Only experts in the poker game can attempt this level as each of these skilled players will utilize software tools at their preferred sites where some players might even be familiar with other players.

For most online poker sites, mid-stakes is where you start to see highly skilled players emerging who can make a decent living playing professionally.

Once you start playing mid stakes poker games, you are going to be playing against poker players whose abilities and understanding of the game often exceeds what you see on TV in the nosebleed games where many recreational players play, making it extremely difficult to be a long-term winner.

Mid-Stakes Poker game tips

When playing poker at mid-stakes, it is crucial to balance your ranges and add a significant number of bluffs to your opening, 3-betting, and 4-betting ranges. In the long term, trying to play for value too much can cost you since your opponents will be more watchful.

Many tables just won’t be worthwhile to play at as you go to mid-stakes games. To become involved in the activity, you should hold off until at least a few casual players have joined the games. Otherwise, you’ll just be competing against other regulars, where you’ll find it difficult to acquire a significant advantage.

It could be time to start studying about the game theory optimal strategy if you are struggling to take advantage of your rivals and adapt to their inclinations at the mid-stakes. If you can grasp the fundamental ideas, you will become incredibly difficult to exploit and ought to do well versus other players.

High Stakes

This buy-in level is solely for pro players who know in and out of the poker game. It starts from $10,000 and above. We recommend that beginners should avoid this level until they are deemed pros who can deal with staking high amounts of their bankroll on poker games.

Every poker player out there aspires to play high stakes poker at some point. There are numerous reasons why, despite this, very few people actually succeed in reaching these levels.

While the majority of players lose interest along the road because they can’t consistently win at smaller stakes, even those who can frequently don’t want to switch to games where thousands of dollars are always on the line.

There is no joking around at the high-stakes tables. Few players will give away value, the majority of players will be playing very well-balanced ranges, and you will need to play every poker hand skillfully if you want to win.

High Stakes Poker game tips

To beat high-stakes poker games online, you are going to need poker coaching from players experienced at this level of play. You will also have to spend many hours learning about ranges, frequencies, blockers, and other high-end poker concepts that today’s poker elite have mastered.

Whenever you cannot find a good high-stakes game, there is no shame in playing a bit lower. If you can find a great $2/$4 game, you will probably be making more than you would in a mediocre $5/$10 game. Think about your bottom line above all else and leave your ego at the door before you load up your poker client.

Sitting into random high-stakes games and just playing is almost never a good idea. The player pool will be small enough that you will know who is who. Only play when new players appear or when someone who has proven to play at a lower level sits at the table. There is no sense playing against other regs only.

“The object of poker is making good decisions.” While you have no control over luck, you can plan for the best course of action. Constructing a cohesive decision-making framework makes it simpler to spot a flaw in your reasoning that can be fixed for the next time.

Individual results become less significant when you adopt a system perspective, which helps you avoid the common cognitive biases that impair decision-making when pressure is applied. The sunken cost fallacy is a common mistake made by players, when they hang onto weak cards for an excessively extended period of time due to the time, effort, and buy-in they have already invested.

Nosebleed Stakes

Nosebleeds are stakes that are played by those who have made quite a lot of money from poker games, and don’t mind risking all their bankroll to win. The nosebleed stakes commences with a minimum amount of $ 1,000,000 and above.

Little wonder, nosebleeds are considered a step higher than the high stake buy-in. Obviously, the winning rate is the highest of all the stakes available for poker games. Although certain poker professionals are still skeptical about the nosebleed stake as it requires a lot of money.

The majority of nosebleed matches took place on Full Tilt Poker, a well-liked online poker room, where professionals competed against casual players with a lot of money to spare. Nowadays, there aren’t many poker clubs that offer tables for nosebleed games.

Nosebleed stakes poker games tips

You must just consider your chips as poker chips and ignore their monetary value in order to succeed at these games. Only participate if you are absolutely okay with losing a million dollars in a single day because you will be betting on cars, houses, and yachts on every turn of the card.

Many high-stakes professionals have had their careers ruined by taking a shot at the nosebleeds. Even if you theoretically have the kind of cash needed to participate in these games—a feat that very few individuals can actually claim—you should proceed with extreme caution.

The effect of your money on your choice of buy-in stakes

Experience

Experience, they say, is the best teacher and in this case, it happens to play a major role in determining the poker buy-in that you decide to go for. An experienced poker player knows better than to select a buy-in that has tons of grinders. This is because a buy-in stake with lots of grinders might make you lose all your bankroll. In other words, there would only be a slim chance of winning. But if you’re lucky enough to win, you might hit big.

Having several experiences playing poker tournaments and cash games also means that you know your skill level and can judge which poker players are either better or worse than you. With this in mind, you will be able to know if a cash game or tournament is worth entering based on the players on the field. It is at times good to put your poker skills to the test against poker players that are better than yourself but you should only do it if you can afford to lose the money.

Variance and bankroll management

The amount of bankroll used to play a poker game is very vital. This is due to the fall of cards that can occur at any time during the game which in turn affects the player’s overall bankroll. Variance does not only happen to novices but also happens even to poker game experts. In order to not fall victim to brutal variance, your bankroll management has to be good.

It all starts with your financial situation. Never risk putting any money on the line that you can’t afford to lose. Additionally, you shouldn’t risk more of your capital than a little portion of it. Although respected experts can’t agree on the exact percentage, it’s safe to say that no one would advise putting more than 10% of your bankroll on the line at any time.

Regardless of how things are going, it can be tempting to play for larger stakes. After all, if your normal game has been successful, why not try something new? Or perhaps a quick victory in a bigger game would make things right when things haven’t been going so well.

You need to fight off this temptation and remain disciplined at all times.

Final Thought

It is very crucial to find the right stake that works with your expertise in the poker game, as well as knowing your financial strength. Both factors play a major role in shaping your decision on the right stake to use. Next, you can choose from any of the stakes that have been mentioned in the article.

However, we trust that this article will be helpful in your selection of the perfect stake for your poker game