6 player max games

[Penguinfan]

How do you adjust strategy or hand selection in these games? Vebtured into one of those rooms today and left quickly, every hand was raised pre-flop at least once and Jack hi won a few of them, very confusing.

[Tuff Luck]

j hi?

if it won a few times then that means people are raising preflop with crap..

odd. Ive never played those rooms online, but I've done a lot of small tables at home games of course.

[Penguinfan]

Maybe the table I was at was just crazy, it was only 1/2 so that may explain it. Seemed like I was in all the hands when AJ lost to AK with an A on the board and the ones I wasn't invloved in a guy with K7 wins when he gets a 7 on the turn or river, it was just very odd and I really didn't see a decent strategy.

[Talking Poker]

6 player max limit HE is my specialty. Like anything else poker, winning strategy is extremely complex... but to oversimplify it:

Play big cards only (none of that K7 suited crap that I see people play all day long). Play aggressively. Position is important.

[2Tone]

TP, do you find 6 player max consistently more profitable than a full ring game? It it because your aggression is rewarded? People more likely to stay in with inferior hands? Some other secret?

More specific question – are you more likely to defend your blinds than in a full game, or not necessarily?

[brokeagain]

9-10 handed games are for pussies. every time i play live, and a player leaves the game there is always one prick who gets so impatient about the seat being filled. these are the players i love to target. the most profitable times i have ever had are in short games. a poker room at 3 am is the place to be.

[ChipFish]

I actually prefer the full ring games simply for the fact I can surf the net, read the paper, put a puzzle together, re-string my tennis raquet or whatever in between hands.

I have started leaning back into the 6-max games because I realize there is decent money to be made there. (Although I did get killed at the 5-10 game on Stars Tuesday night.... )
Stupid ChipFish
Losing a big pot right at the start, following that up with poor play, and not taking my customary cooling-down walk to avoid tilt put a dent in my wallet last night.

[Talking Poker]

I do find them more profitable. My preferred style of play seems to suit the game, the faster play helps me stay focused and not get bored, and I can get a LOT more hands in per hour - usually close to 100 per table, and I play 2 or 3 tables at once.

As for defending my blinds more, absolutely not.

[nutbag]

I have no real patience , which hurts my game alot(even at the 6-max tables), but I find it more interesting for the low limits I play, the variance is much higher. Also, if you can isolate a table with two clueless people, you have a huge advantage at table, compared to a ten person table where the advantage is lessened.

[Aequitas58]

[quote=Talking Poker]6 player max limit HE is my specialty. Like anything else poker, winning strategy is extremely complex... but to oversimplify it:

Play big cards only (none of that K7 suited crap that I see people play all day long). Play aggressively. Position is important.[/QUOTE]

Funny, that's also a winning strategy for Party's cheap SnGs.

[Frontin]

What hands would you play in 6max? K7s seems like a possible playable hand in late position for 6max, given the amount of blinds you'll be paying.

[GeoffM]

It's also a lot easier to multi-table when you play 10 man ring games.

[PShabi]

I don't really like to go into my pre flop strategies, because I may play you some day.

but, you've really got to loosen up in a 6 handed game. For instance, one of my requirements is that I'll play a hand if the cards add up to 20 (in a 10 man game).

In a short handed game, I'll play cards when they're both an 8 or better. I'll also raise in late position with hands like Q5 suited, and I'll even play Jack suited, both hands I would fold without hesitation in full games. If you have an Ace in these games, a raise is not a bad play, even if you have a poor kicker and you're offsuit.

Also, you need to follow preflop aggression with post flop aggression. So, say you raise on the button with Ace 8 offsuit and the flop comes K-7-2.

If they check around to you on the flop you need to bet out. Be aggressive.

[PShabi]

With all due respect, say I'm on the button in a six man game, and only one man called before me. I've got one limper and the blinds left to act after me.

I would raise K7 suited everytime. I don't agree with your big card theory in a short handed game, especially when not everyone is in. You have to take your starting hands requirement down here a little, not play everything though. Then you have to be aggressive, as you said.

I'm not saying raise on the flop when you don't have anything. But when you hit, play hard.

When I get short-handed, my aggressive approach gets people on their heels a bit.

[Penguinfan]

HHMM, seems like there is disention among the ranks reguarding this type of game. For the time being I am back to the SNG and 10 handed games, though I am starting to play LOW BLIND NL, .50/1.00 usually and finding it more attractive than the 6-max games. Although suck outs and bad play get to be expensive quick.

Played a hand late last night had KQs flop of QQ7 turn 8 river 3 and had 25 dollars into the pot only to see AQ in his hand, tough to figure all four Q's in play, but thats the way it goes I guess. That hand completely wiped out any profit I made plus some, but I'll be back at it.

[Talking Poker]

Sounds like you and I play these games quite a bit differently. I wouldn't even consider playing some of the hands you mentioned. The rule of 20 is a good starting point, but I disagree with a lot of what you wrote earlier. What % of flops do you see - do you know?

Do you mind if I ask how well you do in these short handed games? Do you know how many BBs you win per hour? I'm just curious. And before anyone says anything, yes, I realize we aren't comparing apples to apples, but it's better than comparing nothing to nothing.

[PShabi]

I don't purposely sit in short handed games. This is just my strategy when, in a 10 handed game, it gets short handed from people leaving, or folding to the button.

So, I don't have stats.

I should've specified that. I would adjust a little more if it was set up to be a shorthanded game.

[GeoffM]

See, this is the great thing about Omaha. EVen if the table is short, I still stay fairly tight and play similar hands regardless.

Hold-em is a bit different, but I tend to play any and every Ax in a short handed table. Smart or not?

[Talking Poker]

Ah, I see. Well, I certainly won't ay I'm right and you're wrong here, but I will say that I suspect there is a leak in your shothanded game... namely your Q5 suited type of hands. These hands are worthless in any limit game.... NL is a different story entirely (just ask Gus Hansen), but in limit, playing "big-little" is a losing proposition in the long run.

[PShabi]

You may be right. The thing is, I'm very tight unless it gets short-handed. I'll fold a 8 in early position everytime, for instance. Also, I've been making some pretty damn good BB/hour rates lately so it's hard to see if it's hurting me or not.

So, what I'm going to do, is make note of how many times I play these hands and see what the results are when I do. I'll do it for 25 hours and see how I fare.


Thanks for helping improve my game.

PS Do you play at Party and under what name? Maybe I'll look you up for a friendly competition.

[PShabi]

Not bad in my opionion. If I have an Ace in late position, I'll raise and unraised short-handed pot everytime. I like to follow that with a bet if it's checked to me on the flop.

Aggressive plays are good for me in these situations. I've had two shots to win the pot with a raise on the flop and a bet afterward. Gives everybody the chance to fold. It's probably a better play in a higher limit game but I've been making money.

[PShabi]

NO MORE K SUITED IN LATE POSITION. DIDN'T TAKE 25 HOURS.

[Talking Poker]

Hey, no problem - Talking (about) Poker helps me improve my game too...

One thin to keep in mind - Playing in a 10 seated game the gets short seated isn't the same as playing in a 6 player max game. Yes, there may be 6 players in both rings, but one is people used to playing a full ring, and you can probably exploit that better than the people who have been playing 6 max all day.

[Talking Poker]

hahaha - That's great!

Glad to hear you took the time to analyzie this and improve your game. Isn't it just a GREAT feeling when you plug a leak???