It’s rather known as the poker bloodhound stage.
This is where the players have packed in and paid their mandatory fee, their stack is depleted and they are sitting pretty with a high pair or some other hand that could take the gold if it stops the flow of the other players’ money. At this point the only play left is for the player to call or bet the minimum of the bet to stay in the game, sometimes the minimum bet is the size of the big blind. There’s not much fun being this player because not a lot of money is coming their way but they are feeling really good about winning their money and they have out played their opponents in poker.
When you reach this point in the game, a lot of poker strategy changes. Not only because you are out of chips, not only because you need a hand to survive but also because you want to steal the blinds. You really want to be in control of the game and the blinds. I like to compare this to chess in this manner – you’re not at the board, you’re at the chess board.
You want to control the game and you want to be in control because you are attempting to make a strategic play at the chess board. You want to be the boss because you’re making the strategic play and the other players are playing checkers. If you’re better than your opponents at strategy you should be able to control the game and it puts you in a different mode mentally. The very high blind levels at this point in time make it very difficult to be a constant player, but at the same time being tight and solid at the poker table will help you to be a winner.
Some players hit a home run when they are really on their game. They are on top of their game and playing as good as they can. Over time these types of players can make a very good living.
For the beginning player, I’d recommend that the beginning stake to be $1 per round until your bankroll is up to about $100. After you have built your bankroll up, you can switch to $2 per round. Many players ask, “How do I win my money back?” First, learn how to exploit the blinds. Once you are successful at that, you can take your small stakes and make a second income playing online poker. All the while doubling your bankroll, you will be amazed at how your game improves and you’ll be able to refine your skills faster than you could ever have in Dewavegas.
Now that you have the bankroll you want, you must be willing to play at a high level. In order to play in the higher levels, you must make a large enough buyin. Usually a no deposit bonus is enough to get you started in the right direction. You can also start by playing in lower stakes games so you can get a feel of the online poker world. But, as with anything else, take care to always gamble responsibly.