How To Spot Weak Shorthanded Players?

How can you tell in a shorhanded game who the weak players are, as the game by anture is loose/agressive.


I mean the obvious read may be someone who stays in with 2nd pair weak kicker and no backdoor flush or straight draws.


What are some other ways of reading a soft table or weak players? Passive tables are better but are there more specifics??

Anybody read any good books or essays on short play? DOn't use acronyms SPELL OUT where to find it!!!

I wouldn't consider second pair weak kicker as nearly as accurate as sticking with a weak pair (2's thru 6's) all the way to river. The former hand is not that bad, odds-wise in a short-handed game, compared to the latter. To me, playing a weak pair in a short-handed game is no different than in a full game. If the set doesn't flop without a good draw, folded it. A weak pair is a two-outer, second pair-weak kicker is a five-outer.


The information in this forum is invaluable to learning the short-handed and heads up games. Of course, the best primer is the short-handed chapter of Hold'em Poker for Advanced Players (HPFAP).

HPFAP players was my bible, it was the first and most informative book I read. I was looking for different examples and I find the information in HPFAP to be geared more towards higher stakes 10/20 and above although most of it applies to lower stakes as well.

Heads up on the flop I'm very likely to see a showdown with 2nd pair, bottom pair, and even ace high, regardless of my kicker. If you see the flop 3 or 4 handed things are a little different, but 2nd pair is still nothing to sneeze at.


Usually the worst short handed players are the ones that aren't there all the time, aren't making large buy ins ($1000 is a reasonable buyin for shorthanded 10-20), and are calling (as opposed to raising) in position.

As Pokerbase said, the weak players are the ones that are often calling. In SH you should raise or fold in *most* situations. By calling you are either giving away the fact that you are uncertain about the strength of your hand or admitting you are drawing. Or- you are trapping.


Bad players will also overbet, and have no idea where they are in a hand.

Here's an example i see all the time:

You are in late pos with A10... you raised preflop, sb and bb call. Something like A39 on the flop, checked to you, bet call call. Then a J comes on the turn, and they BET INTO YOU. You raise, he RERAISES. At the showdown the bettor shows J5 or something.


Of course, the original bet may have been correct depending on your table image at the time, but to RERAISE is a HUGE -EV bet. Players like these are all over the online rooms. They think shorthanded is an excuse to play any and all hands, and to bet the shit out of them if they remotely hit. They never ever seem to put players on any hands.


Card reading is soooo essential in a shorthanded game. Hear me now and believe me later- if you dont have good reading skills you are dead in the water.