Small ball, in a unique playing style of poker, that doesn't rely on
big dramatic risks, yet is still aggressive in it's approach. The
idea behind small ball is to incerase your chip count steadily, while
avoiding the big risks when the circumstances are marginal.
However, the small ball strategy should only be used by experienced
players as the method to it is extremely advanced. The reason for this
is that one must have very strong hand reading skills, which is what
small ball heavily depends on. In addition to that, it also consists of
one having to play many hands while having to make difficult decisions
So it is no coincidence that pros like Phil Ivey, Erick Lindgren, Gus
Hansen, and Phil Ivey, along with many other top Hold'em players that
all use the small ball method.
Beginners should stay away from this approach and simply play big
bets going all-in when necessary. This certainly isn't the strategy for
a beginner to use long term, but it will help to neutralize the
advantage of a more seasoned player.
The players who are most successfuly at small ball make the game look
like a pool of organized chaos. It seems that they're playing in every
hand while having their opponents full attention.
