Useful Micro Limit Poker Tips for Beginners - Part 1

Why are we writing this? 
 

It is difficult for beginners to find the right source of information, as there are so many. We still remember how hard everything was to understand when starting out in the world of poker. There are useful forums, where members are kind enough to answer questions, but with this book, we are hoping to share a personal know-how that is truly worth money. 

Of course, most of the information in this book is not my own invention, I would rather call myself an editor than author. For the more experienced reader, the data in the ebook will be evidential, as this compilation really targets the absolute beginner and micro limit player.
 

By this, we already got to the first dilemma, concerning the wording. Should it be appropriate for the complete begginers, or for micro stakes player, who already know some things about the game? It will be of bigger help for the beginners, but probably more of those already playing will read it. I tried to establish some kind of balance, so please excuse me if you find my style inappropriate in some places. For the beginners, I recommend to check poker dictionaries and Rakerace.com's other strategy articles and forums if they have problems understanding something. 
 

By writing this ebook, I have decided to write down how it is the easiest to get better at poker, and what methods I benefited from as a beginner. I do not state that I am now sharing with you the absolute way to go, as there are still much better players than myself (I am currently playing NL50). At the same time, I do not want to seem too modest, either, as I have been told by many that they have learnt attitude and thinking from me. 

There are also strategical pieces of advice that will be mentioned here, but these are mostly basics, strictly lectured, corrected and extended by 'mrj'. 
 

I only ask one thing from you, especially if you are a beginner: try to put aside all your previous prejudices and ideas, and read this book in a way that makes it possible to take in the information I am sharing. Think it through, and try it out, if you like. Once again, the thoughts collected here anre not my own. they are excerpts from winning online players from all around the world. And if you think about a lot of them as evidential, please pose yourself one question: 'Do I really know this and do it exactly this way? Isn't it possible, that there is still room for improvement?'
 

I think, that by reading this book, nobody will become a winning player on NL100, or even NL10, in fact. You will not acquire knowledge concerning what to do with QQ against a check-raise on a KKT board. 

My opinion is, that a majority of the high stakes players used these methods when starting to build their bankroll. we did not want to make this too theoretical, so it contains some strategy as well, but the book is mainly dealing with the attitude of a winning player.
 

Now, how does this relate to what we have been ranting about so far? You may ask. Well, this is the first question you need to deal with, as this will determine all the other things. 
 

This is a completely acceptable point of view. If you only play for the joy and excitement, you don't need to pay speccial attentino to learning difficult and advanced strategies. You can play any hand you want, and the more experienced (or learned) players will call you a fish, but you will be smiling on this when you destroy their pocket Aces with two pair, Kings and Eights. You will be playing for these moments. The lottery isn't impossible to win, either, huh. 
 

You only need to concentrate on one thing, but don't ever forget this: as you will be a losing player on the long run, always determine how much money a month you are willing to pay for your poker entertainment, and never deposit more than that amount monthly. Keep in mind, that you could easily become a victim of gambling addiction! It is very important to note, that you have no chance against the more experienced players, as you will not always have luck. Do not let your self esteem take over and gamble money you would need for something else.
 

If you belong to this group, this book is not really meant for you, but it can definitely help you extend the time period your money lasts on your account. 
 

Most of the people probably belong to this category. If you would like to make some money playing poker, you need to spend time learning poker strategy. From this book, you will get to know what you have to read and what you can benefit from. You probably won't read it all, but it is necessary to train yourself.
 

My recommendation would be to read at least 2-3 poker strategy articles a week. Upload your questionable hands to forums, like the one at Rakerace.com, they will be happy to help you with difficult decisions. 

If you belong to this group of players, this book can be really useful for you, as you can master how to progress in small steps and start making money out of poker. 
 

If you belong to those that are really determined to become a serious poker player, you need to read this book very carefully and memorize all the pieces of advice found here, or at least think them through deeply. 
 

If you do not want to live entirely off poker, but yount on it as a serious source of income in the future, you also belong to this group.
 

Let me share with you my own personal ars poetica (using Marcus Aurelius's idea):

I need strength, consistency and effort to always improve my game and capabilities. I need patience and modesty to accept that I can not always win, even if I played well. And I also need wisdom to determine what are the things I can change and what are those, that I can not. 
 

Why is it important to be humble in poker and how does your ego hinder your improvement? 
 

An big ego and a big face will obviously lead to serious mishaps at a poker table, as you will either be outsmarted by a better player, or the random number generator will get you face on the floor many times. 
 

One very important piece of advice, probably the most important one: ALWAYS be humble when concerning poker, and leave your ego somewhere else, when dealing with anything connected to poker, otherwise you will be EATEN UP ALIVE by the game!

Don't get me wrong, a healthy opinion on yourself is not bad, and also important, but too much ego will be your greates enemy when playing poker. It will make it impossible for you to see clearly. 
 

This could be best illustrated by comparing poker to a very narrow tunnel with spears standing out at the sides. Being humble and modest is like holding a shield that protects you from the spikes, and oilm thart helps you slide in the tunnel. Ego is like being full of small pieces of metal standing out, that keep bumping into the spikes, until you get stabbed by one. 
 

This is the end of our introduction. 
 

In the next part, we will deal with issues that we can not influence in poker.