Skill Differences between High Stakes and Small Stakes Poker

To the small stakes poker player the high stakes tables can seem like a different world. It is not just the difference in the money being bet – but the skill levels of the players involved which is the major difference. This article looks at some of the key skill level differences between high stakes and low stakes poker – with a view to helping the small stakes player focus on the areas to learn.

There are four areas this article will look at when comparing skill levels between high and low stakes. Firstly the fundamental issue of profiting from the errors of your opponents is covered. Next hand reading skill differences between the levels are discussed - followed by a look at bet sizes and betting strategy. Finally the skills involved in thinking about poker are discussed in terms of ‘levels of thinking’ at the high stakes and low stakes tables.

Watch for Opponents Mistakes

Your profit in poker comes from mistakes made by opponents. To understand this point imagine that everyone played ‘perfect poker’ – over time nobody would make any more money than anyone else, only the short-term variation in the cards dealt would make a difference.

At the low stakes tables your opponents will make plenty of mistakes – from entering too many pots will weak holdings, bet sizing errors, going too far with 2nd best hands, not being aware when opponents show strength – in fact the list could go on! In fact playing unimaginative and solid ‘ABC Poker’ at the small stakes tables will show a profit over time. This profit is entirely down to your opponents mistakes.
Once we look at the high stakes tables the number of obvious mistakes made by players is much reduced. Awareness of position, stack sizes and hand reading mean that errors will need to be created – that is to say that a skilled player actively tries to deceive opponents and to force them to make mistakes. This can be during a single hand, over a whole session or even over several weeks. The central idea is to give off false information at the critical moment in order to give opponents truly difficult decisions in the hand.

Hand Reading

At the lower stakes any attempt at ‘hand reading’ by your opponents will be rudimentary at best. They may see your betting as ‘weak’ or ‘strong’ but that is about all. At the high stakes tables hand reading is a fundamental aspect of the game. Players start with a range of possible holdings for opponents then narrow these down as the hand progresses based on betting patterns, the texture of the flop and the known tendencies of the players involved. Hand reading is a critical success factor in poker games – actively learning this skill from the beginning will give you a profitable edge at the tables.

Bet Sizing

The same can be said of bet sizing. Again we refer to the fact that, over time, everyone gets the same hands in poker. This means that the players who create the best ‘value’ from their winning hands and lose the least when behind will go home with the money. At the low stakes tables the reasons for betting and the amount bet are rarely thought through in depth – “I have a good hand so I bet my usual amount’ is the likely reasoning.
Once you reach the higher stakes there is usually a good reason for betting certain amounts – and the hands that players hold is only a small factor in this decision. The flop texture and the range of hands that opponents may hold are two of the critical skills in creating the best value from your hand. Bet sizing at the high stakes tables is based on your opponents likely hand - not your own.

Thought Level

Finally levels of thinking represent a major skill difference between the high and low stakes poker tables. At the small stakes players are often only concerned with their own holding – they are thinking on the first level only. Once you reach higher stakes players are making moves based on higher levels of thinking. For example they think about what their opponents holding is and even what their opponent thinks they are holding. This gives a huge advantage at the tables. For example if you realize that your opponent sees your betting as very strong – yet they still re-raise you, then there is a strong likelihood they are playing a monster hand themselves.

Conclusion

To summarize, there are many skill differences between the high and low stakes poker tables. Core to all of these are the number of mistakes made at the table. Low stakes players make them all the time, high stakes games involve superior hand reading, betting strategy and levels of thinking in order to force opponents into positions where they can make mistakes.