It seems that most books that teach low limit hold em assume you'll be playing against a lot of loose players, with many people seeing the flops. While this loose style of play still remains at the micro-limits, it's common nowadays to see very tight tables even at .50/1 and 1/2.

You'll know you're at one of tables when it's common for only a few people to see the flop, or if one raise pre-flop causes everyone to fold. So what can you do to deal with these super tight tables? Here are a few tips:

Find a new table. Maybe there's a looser one right at the same level. Look for the percentage of players seeing the flop. Most online cardrooms give this information next to the name and level of the table, along with average pot size. For example, if a 10 person table has only %30 of players seeing the flop, that means for most hands only 2 or 3 people are continuing with their hands. If you can, look for a table with at least 40%-50% or more.

If you can't find any looser tables, consider changing the time of day that you play. For example, in the middle of the day, you're more likely to see professional players who aren't good competition. Some good times to play are around 7:00 when much of the US is coming back from work, or after midnight, when large parts of Europe start playing. Also consider trying some different sites, since some sites tend to have fishier players.

If none of the above techniques work and you're stuck at a tight table, you're going to have to change your play a bit. First, drawing hands like AXs aren't as good, because they like to have a lot of players to pay you off when you hit your straight or flush. So you may want to consider dropping these hands even in later positions, since they just aren't as profitable. Conversely, big cards such as KJ or AT are better because it's easier to win against fewer people with just top pair.

Another important aspect of play is stealing the blinds. You'll often have everyone fold to you even in late position, so consider raising when normally wouldn't, especially if you know the blinds don't protect their hands. You also may have people trying to steal from you when you're a blind. Know when to fold and when to fight them back. If you're up against someone who you think has nothing, consider re-raising at them and then betting the flop. Often this is enough to scare them off. But make sure to avoid dominated hands like K7o or A3o since even if you hit on the flop you might be drawing dead.

With these tips in mind, you should be able to take better control of these new tight low limit games.