6max tips?

[Guy McSucker]

Hello,

Not sure whether I just plain suck at the 6-max NL tables on Party, or I'm getting unlucky, or what. Anyway, after a week or so of playing them, I'm breaking even. I don't play poker to break even, so would anyone who's killing these games care to share any tips?

What's the basic strategy? Solid and aggressive, or making plays? Making plays doesn't seem to work for me at the moment... keep getting called...

All pointers appreciated,

Guy.

[hansarnic]

I play mainly short-handed and I find the most important thing by far is to know your players inside out. Exploiting their weaknesses and managing your table image to allow you to do this is more important than the cards you play. But I would imagine this is pretty much impossible at Party given the huge numbers.

My very limited experience of playing NL on Party taught me that the best approach is to wait for a strong hand, play it straighforward and you'll generally get people calling you the whole way with 2nd best.

[Jon Matthews]

I find that a loose aggressive strategy works well there, as well as the 6 max on ladbrokes.

Raise every button, no matter what unless already raised, raise the cutoff loads preferably with live cards rather than dominated hands - and then importantly make the same plays with monsters and you'll take 2 stacks at once since the money is so shallow there.

I'm talking 0.5/1 and 1/2NL here.

Cheers,

Jon.

[Guy McSucker]

Hi Jon,

That's what others have suggested, too, and I fear I am pretty bad at playing the bully. So here's a follow-up question: how do you follow up?

E.g. one limper, you raise on the button to $5 say ($1 big blind), with your "any two". What is your plan if

- only the limper calls, and he checks the flop

- only the limper calls, and he bets a small amount on the flop

- a blind and the limper call.

Clearly you bet/raise if your hand looks good after the flop, but it usually won't. So how often do you follow up if checked to? And how often do you give up if bet into?

Guy.

[Acesover8s]

Guy,

I only have one session at the 6max table at party, and my win rate is something like -200$ an hour, so don't listen to me.

But on a more general front, I found my results got better when I stopped playing 4 tables at once and dropped down to 1 or 2, althought I've having to learn to control my bluffing tendancies.

[1800GAMBLER]

I had 4 tables there and it went fine, i don't think i was giving up that much in missed reads. Just look out for the very loose and the very aggressive.

Be aggressive as possible, bet anything with a chance, make your profits from small pots, but regular small pots. Get a PFR% of around 18%.

[Guy McSucker]

Okay, for those of you who recommend aggressive play, here are a couple of hands. All stacks $50ish, BB is $1.

Number 1:

Folded to me in CO with K9o, I make it $5, button calls.

Flop: K 7 4. Obviously I bet the pot. Button calls.

Turn: 2.

What now? I hate my kicker. If I check he will most likely bet and I'll fold.

Number 2:

Folded to me in SB with J9 of diamonds. Obviously I raise to $4. BB calls.

Flop: Q 9 4. Looks okay, I bet the pot. BB calls.

Turn: 6. Check-check.

River: 6. I bet half pot, he sets me in.

Both times I'm out of position. Aha! Perhaps that's where I'm going wrong. All advice welcomed.

Guy.

[Acesover8s]

[ QUOTE ]
Number 1:

Folded to me in CO with K9o, I make it $5, button calls.

Flop: K 7 4. Obviously I bet the pot. Button calls.

Turn: 2.

What now? I hate my kicker. If I check he will most likely bet and I'll fold.



[/ QUOTE ]

Why?

It's 6 max, on party? If I thought my checking would make him bet I would think of that as a good argument for checking. Unless you know something about this guy, I'd be happy to commit here.

On hand 2, what is your reason for checking the turn? I think you're seeing monsters, Guy.

[Guy McSucker]

You asked:

a) why do I want to fold the turn with my K9 if he bets on the first hand?

b) why check the turn in the second hand?

The answers:

a) because I am weak-tight
b) because I am weak-tight.

You may be right that I am seeing monsters.

I started out very bad at the 6max, lost 7 buyins or so, then had a good run where I won $50 every 100 hands, and now I'm back to losing. Since I'm playing a different game that I'm not used to, and getting in situations I'm not used to, I can't tell the difference between running bad and playing like a feeeeesh.

Guy.

[jdl22]

I understand your pain. I've played 5 or 6 sessions and have 1 small win of $18 at the .5 bb tables to my credit while losing a few hundred in the other sessions.

I think that it just comes down to knowing the variance will go up. It is difficult to stomach losing my stack because I went all in with a hand like your K9 or the second pair mediocre kicker hand you posted when I know that in a full game this is total fishery. I think it's something we've just got to get over (maybe some posting in the psych forum would be good here).

The strange thing for me is that I built up much of my bankroll by going to tables with only 4 people and quickly doubling or tripling my $25 buy in and by the time the table filled up I had the big stack and was able to play accordingly. Now I feel lost playing these tables.

I will try some of the suggestions though, thanks guys.