Grinding out a profit in the micro stakes is not nearly as easy as it might seem. While beating the smallest online poker games used to be a cake walk, today it will take a lot of time and practice. Many micro stakes players are among the most consistent and biggest winners in the online poker world today.

Grind is on the mind and if you’re going to become a pro poker player, or just one that knows their stuff, you have to know what poker grinding is and how to do it right.

What Is Grinding In Poker?

• This is a discussion on How to become a grinder? Within the online poker forums, in the Learning Poker section; Hey guys i wanna become a grinder maybe jumping 10 steps ahead but best learning is.
• Which Are The Best Sit N Go Poker Games To Grind A Bankroll From $50? Here I Discuss The Different Sit N Goes Available And Look At The Pros And Cons Of Each. You can now compare the loyalty schemes at the major international poker sites with out new Poker Loyalty Scheme Widget.

Grinding, also known as rounding, is to play steadily for profit on a set limit without taking very much risk. A grinder often has the potential to make and win large bets. But, he or she will choose to play on a limit far beneath their abilities to ensure they make a profit.

In short, a grinder will “grind” away until they reach their set goal. These players generally will stay away from aggressive moves in favor of safe play. Unlike a lot of poker players whose goal is to make as much money from each hand as possible, a grinder is completely fine with winning small pots.

It should be noted that 'Grinder' is also used to refer to players who play poker for a living. Similarly, these players will play very often until they reach their set goal. For the sake of this article, we’re going to discuss grinding the table to win small pots.

Where Can They Be Found?

Grinders can be found in most types of poker; especially in lower and middle limit tables. The vast majority will be found multi-tabling. It’s not uncommon for these players to be making bets at 8, or even 10, tables at a time.

How To Do It The Right Way

Poker grinders rarely take big shots. The money comes trickling in, but on a steady basis. A good poker grinder may have their losing streaks, but not often. When they do lose, it won't be very much. If you’re going to grind, there are a few things you should take note of before you begin.

Bankroll management: This is vital. By keeping a proper bankroll coordinating with the level you are playing at, you will be able to build a “healthy” cushion against variance or the natural balance between good and bad luck.

How To Grind On The Floor

Choosing a site: A serious grinder will take into consideration all aspects of the gaming operator. Headline bonuses, rakebacks, promotions and fees are just a few things they will look at. The balance between high stake and low stake players is also relevant; you want an even amount between the groups. All these considerations will affect the overall decision of what a grinder is willing to bet.

Math is essential: You don’t have to be a math whiz, but you do want to determine your hourly profits and ensure you are pulling in adequate amounts of cash. In order to do this, many grinders will play at multiple tables. This takes time to learn, but it is a viable option if you remain patient

Consistent analysing: Serious grinders constantly analyse their own game play. They know what their strengths and weaknesses are and find ways to make improvements wherever needed. Grinders often take advantage of poker software which can be useful to evaluate hands and overall game strategy.

Advantages Of Being A Grinder

A lot of grinders play at multiple “Sit and Go” tables. These players may occupy themselves with 8 or more tables at a time. Take for example a buy-in of $10 at a sit and go table. Ten percent is a sufficient ROI (after rake); therefore, the player is making $1 per Sit and Go. It doesn’t seem like much; however, if they can manage 20 of these per hour; they’re grinding $20 per hour win rate. Not too bad; double your money and you can bring in $50 an hour. Although the ROI may seem small, it can add up.

Throughout your game play, you are bringing in steady amounts of cash and lose very little. A grinder’s losses (if they have any) are usually small; therefore, they can easily overcome them. This is the primary advantage of being a grinder.

Disadvantages

As appealing as grinding may sound, it is not easy. It takes a great deal of patience, willful learning and stamina when playing on small or mid stake poker tables. It can take thousands of hands and long hours before you begin to turn a decent profit. It also takes self-control. Think about it. You will be playing against other individuals who win huge amounts of cash, while your own winnings are miniscule in comparison.

Managing Your Bankroll As A Poker Grinder

Grinder Poker Net Worth

As a poker grinder you must know how to manage your bankroll. There is a lot to be said about bankroll management, but we’ll keep it short and to the point for now. First, the type of poker and your style of a play have a part in bankroll management. Generally speaking, you should have between 30 and 50 buy-ins for whatever game you’re playing.

A grinder is all about winning; for a positive bankroll, set your goals and stick to them; even if you’re on an unlucky streak. At the tables, start with small wagers and keep track of your buy-ins. All too often players forget to do this, lose their money and think the site is rigged. Remember, don’t play more than your bankroll allows.

Finally, poker is all about having fun. Once you’ve met your goals and you’re bankroll continues to grow, don’t forget to take some out. Use it to invest in something else or treat yourself to that gadget you’ve been eyeing for a long time. When you keep all of your money in your bankroll, not spending it on anything exciting, you risk losing interest in your strategy and the game. As a result your play and profits will be headed downwards.

Ultimately, if you’re going to be a grinder, have a plan, develop goals and practice as much as you can. The more variables you can cover, the better the chance you will have at growth, profit and even pleasure.

Related Pages

Long gone are the days where you could fire up a few tables of micro stakes cash games and routinely expect to dominate all of your opponents.

The wealth of information out there about how to play better poker has increased the skill levels of players at all levels, including at the lowest stakes. But that’s not to say you can’t still win big at the lower end of the buy-in spectrum — you just have to learn how to dominate micro stakes poker.

How to Dominate Micro Stakes Poker: Table and Seat Selection

The saying goes that there is no point in being the sixth best poker player in the world if you are only going to sit at the same table as the top five players. While there are merits to playing against opponents better skilled than you, for the most part you want to play against opponents who are weaker.

Weaker players make more mistakes, and you benefit from these mistakes, even if it doesn’t seem so immediately. Look for players playing 40% or more of their hands and do everything you can to sit to their left, because doing so makes it much easier to relieve them of their stack. This may mean moving seats and tables several times during a session, but at least this is easy to do online and it will help increase your win rate.

How to Dominate Micro Stakes Poker: Play Fewer Tables

There are poker players out there who would advocate playing more than a dozen tables simultaneously and try to grind through the micro stakes with pure volume. This may work for some, but if you adopt a quality over quantity approach to the micro stakes then you will stand a better chance of dominating.

Also, by concentrating on your play and that of your opponents, you will find you can exploit any weakness they have in their game better, not to mention you will be improving your skills, even if you are not playing as many hands of poker.

How to Dominate Micro Stakes Poker: Follow Solid Bankroll Management

By following a solid bankroll management system, you stand a better chance of learning how to dominate micro stakes poker. When playing cash games, you should always be looking to commit your chips in situations where you have a positive expectation.

For example, if you were 100% sure that you were a 55% favorite in an all-in hand and your opponent was willing to move all in each time this happened, you would be crazy not to keep accepting such an offer. However, you would need a sizeable bankroll to take advantage of this stupendous offer because you could possibly lose quite a few hands at first, even if in the long run you would make a lot of money.

Micro stakes can be frustrating because players are often play weird and wonderful hands which then go on to hit unlikely straights or two-pair type hands. Having a decent bankroll behind you helps to weather the storm long enough to make them pay for their poor starting hand selections.

How to Dominate Micro Stakes Poker: Manage Your Tilt

Notice how the advice is to “manage your tilt” and not “stop tilting,” because even the best poker players go on tilt occasionally. The key is to recognize when you are about to tilt and have the inner strength and self-control to stop playing as soon as you see yourself slipping into the murky depths of Tilt Town.

Several hours’ worth of hard grinding can be undone in a few minutes of being on tilt, so it is important that you keep it under control. Following bankroll management can help, as can eliminating irrational thoughts from your mind such as poker being “rigged” or a site rewarding bad players every time they face you.

Dominating micro stakes games is still within your reach today, it just takes more study and discipline to do so than was the case in the past.

How Do You Grind

Want to stay atop all the latest in the poker world? If so, make sure to get PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+!

• Tags

  cash game strategytournament strategymicro stakesonline pokertiltmental gamebankroll managementgame selectiontable selectionstarting hand selectionno-limit hold’em