Another transitioning to 6max post + a hand...

[AZK]

Hey all,

Been watching the 6max tables and from the talk of other posters have seen how profitable these tables can be. Decided to sit down at the 25 adn give it a whirl before a move up. Got worked pretty good the first 400ish hands down like 2 buyins, but I'm adjusting and starting to get used to the play, I'm having a little bit of a problem adjusting to the play of UTG and UTG+1, I was kind of curious what the general consenus on certain hands were. For instance, in full ring NL, we're taught to avoid trouble hands early like KQo, AJo, KJo, ATo, QJo, QTo etc...but with only 6 people are these an open limp, a raise or just don't bother playing them the first 2 spots in anyway?

I've also kind of made myself only play suited connectors/aces from CO or button, standard or can I also play these in MP? I'm also trying to prevent myself from playing these until I'm at a table with stacks that are deeper than the initial party buyin. I'm having trouble defining what's EP, what's MP etc...since most tables only have 5 playing.

Also, the SB? What sort of hands are we looking to complete with here? K9o is crap, but if I can win a small pot with it, why not complete? thoughts? Keep it the same as with my full ring game?

I've also been searching on 6max posts and coming up with a lot of good stuff, so thanks in advance for all the help. Oh yeah, and 1 hand where I wanted to know what you thought, good, bad, ugly?

I have $25, SB has $12, Button as $109, SB is a lag bad, Button is also loose, not as aggressive, but has been showing down pretty good hands and not showing at all sometimes, he might just be running good. Folded around to him who raises $1.75, SB calls, I call with A /images/graemlins/club.gifK /images/graemlins/club.gif

Flop comes A /images/graemlins/heart.gifT /images/graemlins/spade.gif7 /images/graemlins/club.gif
SB checks, I check, Button bets $4, SB calls, I push. Both call.

Turn K /images/graemlins/diamond.gif, River 9 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

Results (in white)
<font color="white"> Button shows AQo, SB shows A7s, and I suck out hard </font>



A bit too much? Still trying to develop my aggression and what not in these games. Thanks for the comments.

[Yeti]

Firstly, about the hands you want to play. KJo, KQo, AJo, ATo, I will open with these in any spot. I'll also raise a bunch of limpers with some of them if I have position. Small suited aces, although not worth much on the flop are definitely worth opening with in the right seat.

I'm a very aggressive player so you might not want to follow the advice to the tee, but basically, high cards + opening raises = good. Limping with suited connectors in these small stack games is very bad, unless you've all got above buyin stacks and a couple of limpers.

Stick to ABC poker at the $25NL and you will win though, there's no need to start trying to do anything cute or clever.

As for your hand, make it $10 preflop and push the flop.

edit - I forgot to add, the danger with playing hands like KJo as you know is in getting dominated. I'll let you work on your own post flop skills to stop this happening.

If its any help though I found that simply raising preflop and betting the flop was a highly effective strategy in NL25. I found myself taking down tons of pots uncontested.

[AZK]

By open, I assume you mean open raising? KJo UTG? interesting.

As for the hand, I've been playing deeper stacks for the past few weeks, so I'm used to keeping the pot small with AK, mental slip with the party structure. Thanks for the info.

[soah]

Big offsuit hands pick up more value when playing shorthanded.

Big offsuit hands pick up more value when playing with shallow stacks.

So if you are playing shorthanded and shortstacked, big offsuit hands are pretty strong. Obviously you still have to dump them if someone raises in front of you but they work just fine if you are the one controlling the action. With only five opponents you won't run into a premium hand very often. Even if you raise with KJ and get called by KQ you can still pick up the pot on the flop when you both miss. Many players will call raises with ace/rag, king/rag, any suited cards, any connectors, and other trash that doesn't even have a name. Two face cards will do very well against that range of hands.

[Yeti]

Very well put soah /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[AZK]

Thanks for the info.

[Ben]

Yeah, a very good post.

-Ben