starting hands under 10 players

[memphis57]

How do you use starting hand tables like the ones in SSHE when there are fewer than 10 people? With 9, would you reduce the number of "middle" positions to just 2? With 8, maybe reduce "early" to just 2?

[niin]

Look at the number of players left to act after you to determine your position. So, if 'middle position' has 2-4 players left to act (not counting the blinds), and you have 2-4 players left to act, use your 'middle position' starting hands, regardless of the # people left at the table.

There's some debate on if this is 100% correct, but it's a good general rule of thumb that I used when I used starting hand charts. Worked pretty well.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

Position refers to where you are in relation to the button, not in relation to the blinds. In a 4 handed game, there are only blinds and late position.

The button and the position to its right(the cutoff) are LP. The 3 seats to the right of the cutoff are middle position, and the seats between that and the blinds are early position.

If the table is seven handed, nobody is in EP.

[niin]

I thought that was what I said /images/graemlins/smile.gif