Short-handed: Deficient By Definition

[Al Mirpuri]

Where is the edge shorthanded?

The fish cannot drop a hand that's why they lose.

However, shorthanded it is right to give nearly as much action as the fish do. Their play comes nearer to being correct.

Who would play shorthanded or heads up out of choice?

[Magikist]

I am new to shorthanded, so take my comments for what they're worth...

Your premise is faulty if it's assuming that it's correct in shorthanded play to call down with any piece of the board. Indeed, a pair is more powerful against fewer opponents. But it's still wrong to call down indiscriminately, which is a trademark of poor players.

I find that those who play shorthanded overvalue hitting the board. They become so loose preflop, truly thinking that any two can win. A HUGE edge is in the preflop game. In many full ring games I've found that even the mediocre players are more or less competent preflop. However, this is just not so at the shorthanded level. I've found opponents who routinely call raises with dominated holdings.

Postflop, players make more mistakes drawing to gutshots and seven outers where the pot odds aren't justifying a call.

Your argument is way off base. The action the fish generate shorthanded is even MORE exploitable when a good player makes the proper adjustments. More hands per hour means more mistakes per hour. It's gold.

[RustyCJ]

Something I read said that since shorthanded play allows for more hands played per hour, you are forced to make more decisions per hour, everytime you are making better decisions than your opponent, you win.

The value of hands change drastically shorthanded, KJo for example, I pitch this in EP in a full game but on a 6 max table I will raise with it UTG.

Yes loose players are playing more correctly, but they also tend to overvalue hands, like small suited connectors, such as 76, often times they won't have the odds to be drawing.

[stripsqueez]

i figure short handed is about playing the man not the ball - there is more opportunity to create and exploit weakness in your opponents game - unlike a ring game where the more important skill is the technical requirements of the game

chooks are still oblivious to what an appropriate amount of aggresion is and how many hands to play just like a ring game so multi tabling short handed games a default formula will still generate a decent edge

stripsqueez - chickenhawk

[vector]

I used to share your point of view, and it kept me away from the short handed games for a long time.

It is correct to play more hands short handed, and fish do exactly this. But they play too many hands, they are innapropriately aggressive, or too passive when they should be aggressive, they call down with any piece of the flop etc.

If they stuck to their loose full ring game fishiness they might better approach correct play, but they don't, they loosen up even more, cause they "know" when you play short handed you have to play loose.

I also agree with OP's that with more hands an hour, and more playable hands proportionally, you get to make more correct decisions per hour, while the fish make more incorrect decisions per hour. That adds up to more money for those who play correctly, basic FTOP stuff.

It takes some adjusting but I now know there is definitely money to be made short handed.

[CORed]

Would you rather play against six opponents chasing bad or marginal draws or two?

Do you want to play against opponents who will cap the flop with middle pair, bad kicker?

If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then short handed is the game to play.

Although short handed makes small pairs more valuable, which helps the fish, it also reduces the value of straight and flush draws, which works against them. Also, the preflop play in Party short-handed games is atrocious, even at 10/20.

[Al Mirpuri]

[ QUOTE ]
Where is the edge shorthanded?

The fish cannot drop a hand that's why they lose.

However, shorthanded it is right to give nearly as much action as the fish do. Their play comes nearer to being correct.

Who would play shorthanded or heads up out of choice?

[/ QUOTE ]

Now that you have explained it to me, I have seen the light.

Thanks, one and all.