6 handed FL hand selection |
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Posted Sat Jul 09, 2005 3:51 am GMT by age_of_sages
I never really see anyone talking about the 6 handed games so i thought I'd put a couple questions out there to get some discussion going. These are the games I play the most as I find they're better for clearing bonuses faster and I tend to have a better bb/100.
What I'm wondering is if it's correct to play any ace at these tables. I've noticed alot of people will play any ace, some quite successfully. With only 6 players, it's much less likely that you're gonna be outkicked, and if you do hit your x card you have a better chance of winning as any pair is a better hand here than full table.
Another hand I wonder about is pocket pairs. I've always heard that smaller pockets play better in large pots, but I've often heard people say pp's value go up in shorthanded games, so which is it?
Being that in shorthanded tables, you generally want to be in control of the table, what do you do if there is maniac/LAG at the table, what if there's 2 of them? Do you tighten up and wait for your chance to exploit them? Do you leave and find a weaker table that you can control?
That's about all that's on my mind right now, maybe I'll think of more tomorrow when I've lost another 2 buy-ins 
Hopefully we can get some useful discussion going here, thanks.
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Posted Thu Jul 14, 2005 3:16 pm GMT by mangothebear
For your first question about any Ace, even in a 6 handed game, I will fold a weak Ace from the first three positions. However, from the button, I will raise if I'm first one in. Alternately, if there are several limpers or raisers in the pot ahead of me, I will also fold the weak Ace.
A weak Ace has very poor implied odds because people won't call you down if you hit and they don't have one but will bleed you slowly to death when you're outkicked.
Regarding your comments about pocket pairs, I think you're talking about two completely different ways of playing pocket pairs. Pocket pairs play well in multi-way pots in the same way suited connectors play well. They're easy to get away from if you don't hit your set but give you great implied odds if you do hit. Conversely, in a short handed game, if you're up against just one other player (who doesn't have a pocket pair), your pocket pair may very well hold up against a non pocket pair. You're going into the flop slightly ahead (if two overcards) and well ahead against just one overcard. However, even in a short handed game, if there is more than one caller, it is much less likely your medium pocket pair will hold up.
Posted Thu Jul 14, 2005 4:31 pm GMT by Flesh2Flesh
To play a maniac - first be sure he really is a maniac. It's tougher to tell in shorthanded games. He might be a very skilled aggressive player (the difference big, but from first glance in SH the styles are very similar). So you've got a maniac... sit at the table, it's very profitable, but you've gotta play it right. Don't stark playing marginal hands. But don't really tighten up. Expect to muck a few hands postflop if you don't hit. Be strong. Don't let the maniac affect you, that's what he wants. Don't go after him, wait for the cards to play and you'll get rewarded.
Against two maniacs play like above, but depending on the preflop betting either tighten up or loose up a bit and play drawing hands.
About pp, they go up in value. Heads-up I would almost always go to the river with them. they're great shorthanded. 88 plays like JJ in fullhanded. Just go for it. But beware of the table. If it's tight, tough players, i'll fold 22-55 preflop except on the button.
Posted Fri Aug 19, 2005 4:22 pm GMT by crack
I am inexperienced at this game but here is my take on your questions.
With Ax I like to raise, I don't want to limp. With a weak Ace I would be happy enough to fold this preflop in early position (UTG, UTg+1) unless the players are very tight. If my kicker is high then I will raise it up.
In late position I will usually raise with an Ace unless it has been raised before me or I have a read against one of the EP players.
Low pocket pairs I usually fold in early position. They have implied value if you flop a set, but you only flop a set about 1 in 10 and there's is a good chance of aggression behind. I don't think these low PP's have much showdown value. So I will generally get rid of them in EP and raise in LP just like the Ace.
If it is tight then perhaps I will play them from EP.
I just let the lags pay me off. I will not loosen up preflop, but perhaps I will postflop if I am HU against one.
Posted Fri Aug 19, 2005 4:52 pm GMT by Aves
http://www.pokerpages.com/articles/archives/index.htm?content=1#pohl
Great set of articles by Jason Pohl that together could be a short handed book in itself.
Posted Mon Sep 05, 2005 6:40 am GMT by BncStylee
I started playing 6 handed games a couple months ago. Not sure if I play it correct against a maniac but it seems to work.
I always try to sit on the left side of a maniac... if he's on my right I leave the table and go back to sit on his left so I can always see his action first...
yesterday for example I had a maniac on my right side who would raise pre-flop around 40% of the time and always bet the flop... all I had to do is re-raise and he would fold... after doing this a several times he started to re-raise - I folded - played more tight and with my next top pair on the flop I re-raised hime again... he didn't realize that I actually have a hand so we went to show-down where I won a nice pot... afterwards he became real week.. still tried his thing but it was easy to tell if he has a hand.. furthermore, if a maniac does have a hand they often try to slowplay it in order to get a big pot...
Posted Mon Sep 05, 2005 7:19 am GMT by BncStylee
seems like I'm not able to type anything in english today without misspelling every other word...  .. that happens after playing poker all night before going to work at 6am..
who can find the most errors in my post above
Posted Thu Sep 15, 2005 3:59 pm GMT by lwestatbus
| BncStylee wrote: | I started playing 6 handed games a couple months ago. Not sure if I play it correct against a maniac but it seems to work.
I always try to sit on the left side of a maniac... if he's on my right I leave the table and go back to sit on his left so I can always see his action first...
yesterday for example I had a maniac on my right side who would raise pre-flop around 40% of the time and always bet the flop... all I had to do is re-raise and he would fold... after doing this a several times he started to re-raise - I folded - played more tight and with my next top pair on the flop I re-raised hime again... he didn't realize that I actually have a hand so we went to show-down where I won a nice pot... afterwards he became real week.. still tried his thing but it was easy to tell if he has a hand.. furthermore, if a maniac does have a hand they often try to slowplay it in order to get a big pot... |
I also prefer six-handed but I have the opposite opinion from BncStylee regarding best place to sit with a maniac. I like to sit on his right with him immediately to my left. If he is going to raise almost every hand before the flop and especially if he is going to bet every hand on the flop this is like giving me the button position!!! Other players adjust their expecations to the maniac who essentially is raising the stakes of the game. Maniac's raise is no surprise as all have come to expect it.
The ideal situation is for me to make a good starting hand, call the big blind, let the maniac raise, let the calls progress back around the table to me, and the reraise. Ditto if the maniac can be reliably counted on to bet the flop. The biggest problem I have with maniacs is that another player with a good hand that they might normally have raised with (and therefore communicated their strength) might not raise and so I don't know if other strong hands are in the pot. Again, letting the maniac serve as a virtual button is a great advantage in my opinion.
BTW, I also like six-handed as is enough people to give me 4 out of 6 hands with a free look at cards while being small enough that you can play lots of hands per hour without play dragging too much. I find that my starting hand requirements go up (less willing to play med-small PP or medium suited connectors) but willingness to play second pair on the flop or some other potential hands goes up. Not scientific but I'm comfortable with it.
Posted Fri Sep 16, 2005 4:36 am GMT by BncStylee
Interesting input... I can see your point as well.. gonna pay attention to this approach when I have a maniac on my left...
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