Pre-flop 6 handed

[triplc]

I have only ventured onto six-handed tables a couple of times with less than stellar results. My first question is, how much can you loosen up pre-flop in terms of opening requirements? In the spirit of Sklansky's 8 groups of hands, what adjustments should be made to them when 6-handed?

Is it as simple as playing the CO and button similarly to 10-handed, and playing UTG like middle postion, or do you open up hands like A7o and similar because bigger hands do better (and I realize this is a generalization) short-handed?

Thanks.

CCC

[ArchAngel71857]

Hi Triplc.

basically, as far as UTG goes, i wouldn't looseen up too much. You can probalby start open raising with thinkgs like ATs but even that is questionable. The main difference is you pretty much drop suited connectors. i really onnly play hands when I'm in the Co or button and most everyone has limped in front of me. Most often in the CO or button it will be folded to you, so you play it like a blind steal. You can basically raise with anything you are going to play in groups 1-4 (maybe) if first in away from UTG. I would be willing to three bet with more hands the later the preflop raiser was in postiion. but i could still fold something like KQs to a UTG raiser.

Play around some at TGC .5/1 6 handed and see what works. It took me about 6-7 hours to get the right feel for it, then 5/10 at Party became very easy.

-AA

[James282]

Hey Arch, your advice is too tight. You need to 3 bet KQs against any raiser in these games. Yipes. These guys aren't thinking about "I'm UTG, time to tighten up". They think "WHAOH!! A4s! KJ! You need to pop them right in the mouth. Isolate them! Every time! Especially at the lowest limits. Also, you need to raise ATs to drive out hands and punish people who like to come in with any 2 suited and aces smaller than AT(you will very commonly get 3 bet by A8 and A9). With position, you should be 3 betting pretty liberally preflop and raising behind most limpers with the hands that you are actually going to play. I do agree with losing most of the smaller suited cards unless preflop conditions are correct.
-James