Strategies for Beating Small Stakes Poker Cash Games

Sweet book!

Now, after a two volume work on cash games, what could Jonathan Little possibly offer more? Especially considering the fact that he usually plays at higher stakes...Being a dedicated reader of his books, I volunteered on proofreading a small part of his book and of course at the very first days that it was released, I bought it for my tablet. I read it front to back once and now I am going through the various parts of it that interest me the most.My live games are EXACTLY the ones mentioned in this book (live 1/2 or 2/5) (that is why I was so interested in the first place) and I hoped for some valuable info for these stakes.Well, Jonathan didn't fail us once again. Being, IMHO, the best poker tutor of our times, he managed to create another great book with precious info on these limits. The good about this book is that it is smaller in size that his others, but not small. So, for the ones that want to get some good info for the game but not to spend many days (or more) reading and studying, this is a great package. And being a smart poker player, Little adjusts his game to some "new" strategies, that are far from optimal in general (and he states so) but are EXACTLY what you need for these stakes! Because this is not High Stakes Poker, this is not tournament poker, this is cash/small stakes...He focuses once again on our opponents and how sould we adjust our games to get the maximum value of our game against each one of them! And he suggests a preflop and postflop strategy, again not depending on the cards but on our opponents. The right way to think about the games... And he is full of advices, with his usual analytical style.If you have read any of his previous books, you know what to expect, but focused on this particular games. If you are new, or if you search for a book on small stakes cash poker games, this is a great start!The cost for it is less than a good reraise or call you might make on the small stakes live cash game tables, thanks to his advice, so I think you should see it as an investment that cannot be missed for your game.Invest a few bucks, invest a little time to read and harvest the goods Jonathan delivers.Highly recommended!

I give it a 5 star for the 'intended audience'. If you've read all the 'older' Harrington books, 'Theory' books, etc., can hold your own in a 'home game' but cannot believe you're barely ahead of the others who you know play just 'ok' or badly, this book can really help you. For several years the 'older' books worked for me (basically play tight and be patient). That will still work against like-minded play, but it is boring as hell and you're leaving a LOT on the table. When my win rate slipped, I knew I needed an adjustment, and was getting frustrated while trying different 'plays'. This book basically tells you how to open your game up by being aware of situations and players, then 'playing the players' while still playing solid hands ('solid' for different situations, that is). The book is geared toward playing "exploitable" poker which works VERY well at most small stakes games. It does NOT work against very good players who know how to counteract those strategies and who are "aware" of what's actually going on at the table'. Thing is, if you do play at higher level games, you will be able to adjust (I think. I'm not there yet. ;-) ) I know I'll never play at the higher stakes games anyway, so mastering these concepts work for me. Many of the concepts I already had implemented, but it is good to have a 'framework' to fall back on and it helps to see where improvement is needed. Also, if nothing else, it confirms that the adjustments I already made from 'standard play' to win at low stakes were correct. When you deviate from what you learned as 'correct play' you wonder if it is a leak in your game even when the results seemed positive. It was nice to see in print that I was actually doing it right in many cases ! Yes, there is more variance in this method of play, but not all that much and it works MUCH better and is more fun than just playing ABC poker.

As one of the only books relevant to small stakes live cash games, I feel obligated to give this book at least 3 stars. I buy most of Jonathan Little's books and generally they're worth it, but this one has serious problems.Pedagogically this book is not good. The chapters are not ordered particularly logically. There are few charts, images, or anything besides walls of text. Despite being super short (114 pages), this is one plodding read. Little goes from one concept and example to another like a meandering river. The book reads as if it were a dictation of random concepts Little picked up playing 1/2, followed by one or two cursory examples.As for the content, much of it is useful and actually applies to live 1/2 games, but I really wish Little had put more effort into it. There is not nearly enough information on playing multiway pots, which is a huge flaw given live 1/2 games tend to be limpfests. Reasons for bet-sizing certain amounts feel arbitrary. Little suggests opening to $6 because that's what good players do, and you should model yourself after good players. This seemingly ignores the fact that people rarely fold to $6 bets. Where I play, I need to bet $15-$20 to get the action down to 2-3 players.Don't expect to buy this book and be able to suddenly beat 1/2 games. A much better book for beating 1/2 is "The Course" by Ed Miller. It shares some of the same problems (mostly not focusing enough on multiway pots), but to a lesser degree, and Ed Miller is a far better writer and teacher than Little.I do think this book is worth buying as it's relatively cheap and one of the only books on 1/2 out there, but it is far from Little's best work. And this shouldn't be your first poker book. Many crucial concepts are not explained. I'd recommend Alton Hardin's "Essential Poker Math" as a primer. That book, followed by "The Course" and/or "Strategies..." should be enough to get you started.

Some very poker specific language that could be altered or explained in a glossary would be nice. Other than the obvious changes that could be made for the benefit of the reader, it is a good book.

I play quite a bit at online microstates and recognise a lot of the topics covered in this book. I like the quiz attached to this which gives you the opportunity to gauge your game before and after reading.

Very good small book, helped my move from mtt to small stakes cash game. Very good range example for beginners. Good work Jonathan!

Really nice basic summary. Good, helpful advice, but do not let yourself stagnate here... Make sure you move on to higher level.

I find everything J.Little does is helpful. He’s just a helpful and kind person in general. He says hey if that hurts don’t do it and if this works then keep it up. Simple, such is life, but not easy.