Tight or loose play in micro tourneys?

[BerlinBlinds]

Hey guys, I was wondering something. In micro stakes tournaments I always hear ppl say play tight and aggressive, but when I try that I notice many players call everything anyway. Even if iIshove strong hands they still call with random stuff.


So im not sure… should I keep playing really tight or is it better to open up a bit looser since ppl dont fold much at these stakes? Feels like variance is crazy sometimes.


What do you guys do in micros?

 

[Mario7]

Well, as you put it here, the logic is simple: if they "call everything", you should stay tight. Loose play would make sense if they were nitty, so you could bluff them out.

 

[bremp555]

That’s a really good question, and it’s something almost everyone who plays micros struggles with. The truth is, players at these stakes love to call, so playing tight and aggressive can still be profitable because you’ll often get paid when you actually have strong hands. The downside, as you noticed, is that variance feels higher because people call with random hands and sometimes they get lucky.

I think the key is to stay patient and not try to bluff too much at these levels. Since players don’t like folding, bluffs lose a lot of value. Instead, focus on value betting strong hands and keep things simple. Over the long run, you’ll win more by letting them make mistakes and pay you off rather than trying to outplay them with fancy moves.

That being said, opening up a bit looser can make sense in certain spots, especially late position, but I’d still keep the core strategy tight and value-heavy. The micros are all about capitalizing on bad calls, not trying to force people to fold. If you can handle the swings mentally, you’ll usually come out ahead by sticking to this plan.

 

[sandy358]

but when I try that I notice many players call everything anyway

Size bigger with hands that prefer heads-up play and perform worse multiway (and because you size bigger, raise these hand classes tighter) to squeeze folds out of calling stations. You can technically limp set-mine with low pairs, or limp for strong multiway-playable draws with suited aces and suited gappers-connectors though do not limp too much.

 

[NENMEMBA]

I figured out almost everyone is playing loose today...

 

[choprav]

Hey guys, I was wondering something. In micro stakes tournaments I always hear ppl say play tight and aggressive, but when I try that I notice many players call everything anyway. Even if iIshove strong hands they still call with random stuff.


So im not sure… should I keep playing really tight or is it better to open up a bit looser since ppl dont fold much at these stakes? Feels like variance is crazy sometimes.


What do you guys do in micros?

tight is right - solid hands solid poker

 

[Kasztor007]

I totally get what you mean — at micro stakes, it feels like people will call with almost anything. 😅 That’s why I try to stick with a tight-aggressive style but focus more on value betting than bluffing. If players don’t fold, the best move is to make sure you get paid when you’re ahead. Patience is key at these levels — it’s more about discipline than fancy plays. In the long run, good hands and solid decisions will win, even if variance hurts sometimes.

 

[menken7777]

yes very loose is the best with >50% vpip

 

[lyki67]

At begin very tight, then tight and last 20 % some freely.

 

[Igor Popadyk]

The aggressive game is more profitable, but my opinion is that you need to adapt to your opponents

 

[watup]

Sorry i dont know

 

[dreamer13]

It depends on the situation. Sometimes it's good to play freely and aggressively, and sometimes it's better to play more cautiously.t's almost always better to be aggressive.

 

[perrywh]

Every table of players is different! Adjust your play for each table.

 

[kaynbergo]

I think you need to adapt to the table; at micro limits, you can't choose just one strategy.

 

[schtiuky]

a mixt is always the solution for me. And depending on day a choose how to start.

 

[Prophet]

you should play the same disregarding the amount of the buy in....

 

[tagece]

At the beginning of micro tournaments, it's very common to see hands where half the table calls the flop. And shoves are very common with players calling with draws, second pair, or ace-high. Bluffing at that point is quite risky, especially out of position.
And it's always good to remember, you never win the tournament on the first hand, but you can lose it.

 

[SpanRmonka]

Rather than just join the random splashy calling stations you should double down on your strategy!! Play even tighter but with those hands be even more aggressive!

Think about it.....

If you usually open 2.5x with AA and KK, but you get 5 callers, then open 5x, maybe you get 1-2 callers!!! You've already exploited them.

If you don't connect with the flop then procede depending on how wet the board is, if its wet then take it easy, if its dry or you hit, then keep going big!

This can be a tough way to play, as maybe your tourney rests on 1-2 situations, but when you win them you have a better chance to get to the more sensible part of the tournament, and then start to play some more poker!

 

[dzsire]

A combination of these, but it is highly situational, player and tournament dependent as to how you should play. Basically, there are many 'all-in with every hand'-players, so it is quite difficult to talk about normal conditions, but fortunately there are many tournaments where people try to play reasonably, to try to build a bankroll for free or with little money.

 

[Iryna Stryzheuskaya]

Your strategy should depend on the strategy of the players at your table.

 

[successlaw]

I think for micros you have to be tight aggressive