6 Player Max Starting Hands

[Talking Poker]

Welcome to the forum! Love seeing new faces around here...

I am a winning 6 max HE player. In fact, I would say it's my best game. I play 2-3 tables at a tiome (4 is a little too fast for me, but I've done it), and I earn about 3 BBs per 100 hands per table.

Ok, now that my "credentials" are out of the way.... Like anything else in poker, the answer is usually "It depends," but hopefully I can give you some general rules of thumb and starting points from which to build your own system.

One more disclaimer - I believe that I play this game a little bit looser and a little but more aggressively than the average winning player. Does this cost me money in the long run? I'm not sure. I'm happy with my results, so like they say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." I guess all I'm suggesting is if anything, especially as you are starting out with this game, play a little tighter than I do, not looser.

And now, finally, on to your questions...


Again, I'm no expert, but I do pretty well with this game... so hopefully you can uses these guidelines for your preflop play. after the flop, well, that a whole other discussion!

GL.

[excel]

Hi,

What stakes do you play at?

Thanks for the info talkingpoker. Do you use Poker Tracker or anything to track your hands and therefore see which hands are profitable in each position over a large number of hands.

My main quandry is the QJ, JT, KT, QT playing from UTG, I want to play them and raising in with them, but I cant say Ive got alot of confidence in them. Anyone that calls has surely got a better hand, although you play them.

Also in late the Q9, J9, K9, T9, hands which are very borderline, are they profitable long term?

Im really looking to tighten up my game, and the above hands are borderline for me.

Ive been playing the suited connectors and one gaps, but Im going to cut those out, Im trying to have a little break from playing and have a real good think about what hands to play etc

SirFWALGMan let me know if you find that 6 player article thanks.

Thanks again Talking Poker, what you say makes good sense, how did u learn 6 player, did you teach yourself over time what was good and what wasnt?

[Talking Poker]

I'm not really sure how my 6 max game developed, and I certinly don't know that it is the best, which is why I hesitate to tell how how to play all those borderline hands. As you have seen, it's not like there is tons of readily available reading material on the subject matter.

A friend of mine convinced me to give the 6 max tables a try - he had been doing VERY well with them. So I did, and I found myself winning from Day 1. Just kepy playing and playing, and eventually started tweaking how I played. It seemed to work, although I must admit, I don't think I make any more now than I did from the start. I didn't use Poker Tracker until I already had 30,000+ hands under my belt.

I mostly play $5/$10, but I've played as high as $15/30 on occasion. In my experience, the $10/20 games are the toughest out there. $15/30 is definitely softer.

One word of caution - there are large swings in shorthanded games. Your bankroll can change FAST in both directions. You need to be mentally prepared for that...

[excel]

If on the button in a 6 player game, what hands are worth calling with and how many players would you want in the pot to justify the call?

All of these? and what else?

AA-TT,AKs, AK, Aqs, AQ,AJ,KQs,KQ


I know its considered not good in general to call raises, but with 6 player being aggressive, surely folding to much on the button is wasting the best position.