Hey gang,

I recently started playing .10/.25nl online and have done some homework on playing micro-stakes. Everything I am reading says play tight and ridiculously straightforward.

I have played TAG poker long enough to where I thought I knew what this meant. However, in reading different sources about starting hands by position I am seeing things wildly different from the books I read and my experience on being a tight player.

I wanted to give my starting hands by position and get feedback on if I am being too tight and if there are hands I should add or remove in certain positions. I'm struggling the most with Middle Position right now.

So here it goes:
UTG & UTG+1: QQ+, AK, AQ
MP - MP+2: 22+, A10+, KJ+
CU & BU: 22+, A10+, K10+, 56s-QJs **would lay down 10/9s-QJs if someone raised in front of me.. may play suited gaps based on the players left to act and their stack sizes**
Blinds: 22+, (Starting Hands from blinds closely tracks where the position of the opening raiser is in. For example, if I know a guy is nitty and raises UTG, I'm folding K10o)

I guess I am a little confused because some of the articles I was reading was saying things that just did not sound like good play such as opening raises in middle position with 8/7o or QJs from middle position. This really threw me off because if someone calls behind with QJs you gotta worry about being dominated right???

Do my starting hands sound reasonable for micro-stakes online or am I possibly TOO tight?

Sorry.. one other aside.. the MP.. i.e. the first spot behind UTG+1.. this spot gives me trouble because I feel it's still too early to open with things like K/10, A/10 and it seems very marginal so I've even wondered if I should be folding K/J and A/J. Any input on this specifically would be very appreciated!

I know almost everyone says open limping is very bad, with good reason... BUT...

I have solved some of the UTG+1-3 issues by flatting with my entire range, and once in a while including some real low suited connectors. Since my perceived range is super strong here, I often gets insta-folds to the big blind when I flat in the UTG spot. This is why I start including some connector hands.

Playing the flatting/3betting line with my strongest hands makes them more transparent but also ropes the villain in, who usually plays passively, but is more likely to call this 3bet than 3betting a raise himself, with something such as JJ or AQ.

Wait you actually open fold JJ UTG/UTG+1 ? Wtf ?

Not sure if this is 6 handed or 9 handed, 6 handed UTG should be something like 22+ at easy tables, maybe 66+ at the toughest tables, ATs+ at minimum, any Ax suited is not outrageous if people are not 3betting like crazy, AJo sometimes, ATo once in a while if some fish in BB or something, suited broadways, some T9s/89s/87s at least sometimes. 9 handed something tighter obv.

Maybe include some hands that you can fold to a 3 bet and also 4 bet bluff with. A2s-A5s? More pairs? KQs?
Otherwise players with a HUD will simply flat you with everything and bust your over pairs.

Yeah good advice. I also liked one of the previous posters strategy of calling in the early position.

I do play a looser strategy in live games but it seems at microstakes the benefit of playing loose is limited to taking small stabs at pots when you have position.