HansTheGreat presents

TheHTG
Micro
Stakes
Scrap
BOOK
 Intro
What you are going to read below are my notes that I took from my
coachings with Gordon. I collected all the notes and summed them up
and categorized them here. The point of this scrap book is to give you
quick and simple read to remind yourself of some of the most important
things/facts/concepts a micro stakes poker player should know. Its good
as a pre session warm up read for example. Just for the record I would like
to mention that all the notes have been taken/created from the videos
that come along with the NO 6max BS course. For the abbreviations used
check out the HansTheGreat Abbreviation Dictionary. I hope you will find
it useful.

Regards,
HansTheGreat

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 1. Preflop
1.1. Theoretical Advices

1.1.1. Open Raise or Limp

BU & SB default wide mR(+60% OR range)
Do not take 4xOR for serious (semi legit hands)
Against a OmR you can defend a bit wider (positional OmR doesnt matter)
If UTG L, you can open your normal CO ranges already MP(hunt fish)
If there is a chance to play a multiway pot (already a OR + C in front of you) you
can C all suited Ax hands and suited broadways
You dont have to always IsoR against 2 limpers but instead you can L yourself

1.1.2. vs Re-Raise(3B)
Never F to m3B / Dont respect them (all sorts of things)
Vs 2,5x 3B you can C with a lot more playable hands especially IP

1.1.3. vs SSS/MSS players

BvB vs SS you can 4B Shove any Ax(game theoretically)
The way to adjust against SS preflop is to make your 3B sizing smaller

1.2. Practical Examples

AQo is a F vs UTG OR vs CO 3B (unless you have reads)
F AJo, KQo in the blinds vs a UTG OR
Dont 3B AJo, KQo vs MP OR
Vs a MP OR we should F KQo in late positions or blinds unless there is a huge
fish behind us

1.2.1. vs SSS/MSS players

BB vs MP dont 3B/AI w JJ for 40BB
If you are facing a 3B CO vs BU from 40BB player with 10% 3B you can shove 88

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 2. Postflop
2.1. Limped Pots
B always every Pair

2.2. Single Raised Pots

If someone Xb OTF(HU), always B T&R as default (unless proven otherwise)

2.2.1. vs Donk Bets

Against DB as default always R and B T
The lower your TP the more inclined you should be to R the DB
You dont R DB if your P is a high one and you can hardly outdrawn
DB = BS but after that a m3B = more serious stuff
Vs a DB 3way you can be a little bit more careful (min GS+bdFD)

2.2.2. Flop
Never Xb 2ndP as a default
Against 4 people you should D out your TP
CB 3rdP 4way = burning money
If someone barrels a lot dont float dry paired low F with A high
Just X/R/F w OESD if there is a FD out there(unless you get m3B OTF)
If you face a mR OTF with a weak made hand C and F unimproved
With a GS + Overs its possible to C against a X/mR

2.2.3. Turn
2nd barreling range should always contain GS+overs
If you are facing a XR OTT from people who C a bigger IsoR preflop you should
only continue with 2P+

2.2.4. River
If you are in a pot with a limper you could vB thinly(1/3 1/2PSB) OTR w TPMK

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 2.2.5. vs SSS/MSS players
With the nFD you can play a bit more aggressive against SS or MSS players

2.3. 3Bet Pots

No need to be afraid of 3way 3B pots w KK
Keep life simple: TP 3BP you dont F
In 3BP you have to be more careful with 2xB vs Xb OTF
When having TPTK in a 3BP and facing a decision OTT between shoving and C
you should always take into account how many R you hate and much cards are
gonna kill the action
Never B/F TP in 3BP OTT, so if dont wanna B/C you should do something else

2.4. 4Bet Pots

People at NL10 dont 4B that light so you should avoid C 4B lighter
As 4Bettor OOP CB 1/3PSB on dry F and take a note if he F

2.5. Postflop Advices

mB = Check
Never F big hands/ Dont Hero F
If you dont know what to do its better to B 1/2PSB then to X/C
Nobody is exploiting you on NL10
If checked to always B(even if 2 people X to you(1/2 PSB))

2.5.1. Bluffing
Simple bluffing strategy: bluff scare cards
4 straight boards and 4 card flush boards arent bad to bluff against most
opponents
Against +2 people you dont want to bluff a 4 str8 or 4 card flush board

2.5.2. Theory Facts

If you dont have any FE there is no point to XR or X/shove with a draw
Judge the card that came down based on the value you can/cant get
You are always on the safer side if you play your draws passively by taking the
odds
Nuts are way too strong to turn it into a bluffcatcher against a fish without a
read

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 You should only B bigger if you think it will increase your F EQ
Its important to understand and differentiate BB vs BU and BB vs UTG going
broke ranges
In order to F 2P you need a huge read(min. 4times)
X/C is a line that has to be used in right spots or you burn a lot of money
You have to watch out to not own yourself with a bad kicker
2P on monotone boards are not that strong and treat it like TP

2.5.3. Bet Sizing and Call Downs

On any street if you have a little bit over PSB left just shove (SRP & 3BP)
You can sometimes use even small sizing like PSB
If you have C a m3B you should C down on most runouts once you hit TP
If somebody takes a really weird line you should be suspicious and air on the
side of C
Never C OTR for information without a profound reason
Only C OTR if you think that the C is BE and see the information that you get as
bonus
As default dont bluffcatch with A high IP unless you get million to one odds
Rather be a little too tight then a donkey station

2.5.4. Tips for Micro Stakes

On the micros you dont need to care about playability since you take the odds and play
postflop carefully
You dont have to bluff busted draws OTR on the micros to beat the stakes because they also
X/C a lot
On micro stakes if people PSB they are mostly polarized
On the micros the sizing mostly states the relative hand strength of their hands
(mB=weak hand)
When you have the nuts think about giving people room to do something stupid
Once you are nutted(very little outdrawing possibility) OTT IP you can slowplay
if there was a XR OTF from your opponent
When people PSB AAx boards dont see it always as strength
On this limit its more common to find weird lines and so you should be trying
to avoid leveling yourself

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 3. General Remarks
3.1 From Default Strategy to Adjusting

Your default game is not that important as long as you can adjust
You change your strategy if your opponent starts to C down lighter and not if he
gets lucky and hits
If we have just 1 read we dont change our plan 100%
If you have 300+ hands on someone you can start making some smaller
adjustments
As soon as you are able to adjust everything else is less important

3.2. Learning Correct Poker Thinking

The point is that you have to logically analyze if your line was correct (learn to
learn from informations)
The point is that I also see the results although I didnt went to SD
Its more important that you know how to deal with information then having a
default plan
Rule of thumb: If we know that the opponent has higher frequency with 3rdP we
try to bluff him off unless he is a monster station
Rule: Never expect people to F TP
Arguments for a play should be made based on facts ( so instead of I dont
wanna see a XR we should argue for a play based on I saw him XR already 3
times)
You have to learn how to see the big picture(through notes understanding your
opponent)
Understand relative hand strength based on board texture(on some boards you
can only C down w 2P while on others you can try to GII)
Wrong Mindset on Lower Stakes: People find a reason to see a scare card
You always have to think ONE step ahead of your opponent
The situation makes a play right or wrong
A number should not make a play good or bad
There is no point to make stupid play to avoid another stupid play
Be careful with inducing

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3.2.1. Notes/Reads
Generalize reads as much as possible
Watch out for snap F because they might be good spots for cheap bluffs
Take a note of snap X and generally take a look at what it is
If someone tanks you know that your overB was bad
If you have a reasonable reads you can make C downs that would normally be a F

3.3. General Poker Advices

There are always pros and cons for each play and your job as poker player is to
weight those
Tight is right
If you have a tougher opponent on your left leave the table
Be careful with Hero stats because of sample size issues
We try things and then evaluate the result
Realize that sometimes you are lucky in a sense that you could have lost more
but you only got partial damage
R R are always the nuts
Always look for excuse to play against weaker players
Each one of us is a fish against a better player
Hourly is the most important thing and it doesnt matter how you achieve it (WR
or RB)
If you play more hands you will get the same results just in a quicker way
Especially for low stakes volume is more important because higher there will
be a level where fast poker wont be available so you wil have to work more on
your game
Using your brain is never wrong if you use it in the right way and circumstances
Doing the opposite of what everybody else is saying is always good
Mistakes are made by wasting time in spots that are not important
Shortstacking is pure math

3.4. Keep It Simple

If you have something B
Play straightforward when having the nuts
If you dont know what to do, simply F (take the easy road)
If you play simple and straightforward you avoid tough spots that you might
get into

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3.5. Money & Opponents On Micro Stakes
Knowing where your profits come from is very important
A lot of money comes from our opponents being stupid/making bad plays(extra
edge)
There is no need to outplay everybody to come up with a profit
People(Donkey) play usually tricky with the nuts
People(Donkey) hate vB
REMEMBER: At the micros you make money by simply putting in money when you
have a hand and dont put any when you dont have much