Poker Sites with Micro-Stakes Tables
Real Money Online Poker Games with Smaller Buy-Ins
You do not need to break the bank to enjoy real money online poker games. Many sites offer small stakes games – the smallest of which can be played with pennies. These low buy-in cash games and tournaments give new players the opportunity to sharpen their skills without risking too much money. Once you know the ropes, there are plenty of higher stakes games, and even ‘nosebleed’ stakes with poker pros, available online.
Since most sites offer small stakes poker games, your decision on where to play should involve additional factors. How tough the games are, relative to other sites, is a key factor. Some sites have games which are noticeably softer than others – even at the smallest stakes. You should also make sure that you have a bonus deal which is favorable to smaller stake poker players. You will find some bonuses require you to collect a huge number of points from the games. This can be next to impossible if you are playing the lowest buy ins.
Below you will find two strong recommendations of small stakes poker sites.
Lists the Best Micro Stakes Poker Sites
Best Poker Sites for Small Stakes Poker
Rank | Poker Site | USA | Sign Up Bonus | Bonus Code | Play Now! |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ignition Poker | 100% up to $2000 | n/a - use links | » www.IgnitionCasino.eu | |
2 | Bovada Poker | 100% up to $500 | n/a - use links | » www.Bovada.lv | |
3 | Bet Online Poker | 100% to $2500 | n/a - use links | » www.BetOnline.com | |
4 | Intertops Poker | 100% up to $600 | n/a - use links | » www.Intertops.com | |
5 | Sportsbetting | 100% to $2500 | n/a - use links | » www.Sportsbetting.eu | |
6 | America's Cardroom | 100% to $2000 | n/a - use links | » AmericasCardroom | |
7 | Blackchip Poker | 100% to $2000 | n/a - use links | » BlackchipPoker |
We decided to only list two small-stakes poker sites on this page, not because there are only two small-stakes poker sites out there, but because the rest of the sites are basically the same. Everyone offers the micro-stakes tables, but Betonline and Ignition have, by far, the most traffic and game offerings.
How to Beat Small Stakes Poker Games
When you put a lot of novice players together, and let them play for stakes of $10 and under, you’ll see some very strange play taking place.
Tables often become loose-passive. This means that your opponents will be playing way too many starting hands, and will be limping or calling bets with them instead of betting and raising. This continues after the flop with players chasing all sorts of flush and straight draws, and calling down with questionable ‘made’ hands.
Fortunately, these players are very easy to beat. The first adjustment is to make sure you cut down on your bluffs. Since players call with almost anything, it is hard to make them fold. I suggest you bet once on the flop if nobody else does, as you will often find people folding when they miss completely at the small stakes. You should raise with your good hand, and bet on every street with your good hands. Those same players that never fold can be gold mines when you have a nut hand.
When an otherwise passive player wakes up and starts betting, they usually have a great hand. Folding when this happens will save you a lot of money over time. It is so easy to take the cash from small stakes poker sites, that you really don’t need to make ‘hero calls’.
The Biggest Benefit of Small Stakes Poker Sites
The micro-stakes tables are the perfect location for learning poker if you are a new player. If you decide to go to a live casino, the smallest game you're likely to find will be a $1/$2 No Limit Hold'em game. The standard buy-in for this game would be between $100 and $200, and if you lose a few buy-ins as you're learning the ropes you could be down almost $500 - pretty expensive for a poker education!
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. Most poker sites have a minimum deposit of $10 or $20, so you can use your credit card to make a minimum deposit, then play at the small stakes tables for days, if not weeks, before you have to reload.
Also, the players at these tables are pretty good, so you will learn poker skills fast as the level of competition is decent. Although you're only playing for a few dollars, the players at these tables take it seriously, so you'll rarely see the crazy style of play that you often see in poker freerolls.