Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Nanolimit vs Microlimit Poker Online
The distinction between nanolimit and microlimit poker was one that I'd never made before today. I've been cruising through the beginners' forum over at Two Plus Two (mostly because my game has sucked so bad lately), and I found a post about building a bankroll if you're new to online poker and don't have much money. If I recall correctly, he started with a bankroll of only $50. I'm a big fan of making distinctions, because I feel like with more distinctions at my disposal, the better off I am.
Here's the distinction between nanolimits and microlimits in online poker. Nanolimit poker is poker played at such low limits that there is no rake. Microlimit poker is poker played at very low stakes, but the stakes are high enough that there is a rake. Nanolimit poker would include $0.01/$0.02 tables, $0.02/$0.04 tables, and $0.05/$0.10 tables. Microlimits generally start at the $0.25/$0.50 games. The gap between the top of the nanolimit games and the bottom of the microlimits is proportionally the largest gap between levels.
The recommended bankroll for these games is 200BB at the nanolimit level, because the games are very soft and there's no rake, so you shouldn't see particularly large downswings. A lot of people recommend a bigger bankroll for a higher limit game, like 300BB, but the author of the post at Two plus Two suggested that it's okay to take a shot at a higher level game with 150BB if you're willing to move down if you have some bad luck. (BB stands for "big bets", by the way.) The author also recommends playing at Pokerstars if you're on a nanolimit budget. ($50 up to about $200--if you have $200, then you're in a different class.)
Once you're up to $200, you're supposed to take advantage of a good bonus offer. The author suggests a 50% deposit option, but I would say that someplace like Full Tilt Poker or Noble Poker might be a good place to consider because they now offer 100% deposit bonuses. At this point the author also recommends investing in Poker Tracker software and the book Small Stakes Holdem. (Both of which are good investments at any level, in my opinion.)
The post goes on some more, but I don't want to steal his thunder. Just wanted to post some of my observations and insights from this post. I don't currently use Poker Tracker, and I need to start, and I need to re-read Small Stakes Holdem again, because it's fantastic, and the last time I read it my play improved enormously.
One more thing: those guys over at Two plus Two sure are smart.
Here's the distinction between nanolimits and microlimits in online poker. Nanolimit poker is poker played at such low limits that there is no rake. Microlimit poker is poker played at very low stakes, but the stakes are high enough that there is a rake. Nanolimit poker would include $0.01/$0.02 tables, $0.02/$0.04 tables, and $0.05/$0.10 tables. Microlimits generally start at the $0.25/$0.50 games. The gap between the top of the nanolimit games and the bottom of the microlimits is proportionally the largest gap between levels.
The recommended bankroll for these games is 200BB at the nanolimit level, because the games are very soft and there's no rake, so you shouldn't see particularly large downswings. A lot of people recommend a bigger bankroll for a higher limit game, like 300BB, but the author of the post at Two plus Two suggested that it's okay to take a shot at a higher level game with 150BB if you're willing to move down if you have some bad luck. (BB stands for "big bets", by the way.) The author also recommends playing at Pokerstars if you're on a nanolimit budget. ($50 up to about $200--if you have $200, then you're in a different class.)
Once you're up to $200, you're supposed to take advantage of a good bonus offer. The author suggests a 50% deposit option, but I would say that someplace like Full Tilt Poker or Noble Poker might be a good place to consider because they now offer 100% deposit bonuses. At this point the author also recommends investing in Poker Tracker software and the book Small Stakes Holdem. (Both of which are good investments at any level, in my opinion.)
The post goes on some more, but I don't want to steal his thunder. Just wanted to post some of my observations and insights from this post. I don't currently use Poker Tracker, and I need to start, and I need to re-read Small Stakes Holdem again, because it's fantastic, and the last time I read it my play improved enormously.
One more thing: those guys over at Two plus Two sure are smart.
Nanolimit vs Microlimit Poker Online posted by Randy Ray @ Wednesday, June 15, 2005 
