The 10 Max to 6 Max Transition... What specifically needs to change?

[MasterShakes]

I'm considering making the move from 10 Max to 6 Max. The 10 Max games at the 25 are plenty good, and the 50 games are good but not exactly great. The 6-Max games appear to be good at every level.

Yes, I know that I need to be "more aggressive". I know that I need to be more willing to play hands like KJ, AJ, and KT. I know that I need to raise more often.

What about drawing hands? Can these still work at these tables? Is position still just as important at these tables when it comes to playing these hands?

Should I be more willing to get all-in with marginal hands? If so, how much would this change the variance?

How many of you would recommend making the 10-Max to 6-Max switch?

[MasterShakes]

Thoughts? Anybody?

[greenage]

What about drawing hands? Can these still work at these tables?

I think so, the $25 games that I’ve played in are pretty passive.

Is position still just as important at these tables when it comes to playing these hands?

Yes, I think so.

Should I be more willing to get all-in with marginal hands? If so, how much would this change the variance?

Not sure how you define marginal, but I still want a pretty strong hand to go all-in, with 2-pair or bettor.

How many of you would recommend making the 10-Max to 6-Max switch?

I don’t like full handed games in general, and full handed NL can be annoyingly slow. I like six-max for the speed, but you have to play more marginal situations, not necessarily all-in though.

GL,
greenage

[fsuplayer]

My post is similar, so Ill bump this one up too.

fsuplayer

[Leo Bello]

I have played around 30K hands. Most of them learning at 10 handed. I tried to switch to 6 handed, and find I still need to work on my skills. First of all, no more multi-tabling. At 10 handed, I play 3 tables at once. At 6 handed, I can handle only one or I miss tells and misread opponents. The tables are more fun, but they bring a greater variance and I had to loosen up a bit.
anyway, it will depend on you.

[luckycharms]

PLAY THE PEOPLE.

There are only about half the amount of people to analyze... see who goes all-in with what, analyze the table structure since it will be far simpler.

[rdale]

I prefer 6 handed as it moves faster and is easier to develop reads on opponents as more hands are being played by each. Here are some of my thoughts on the six handed games, I don't consider a nl game to be short handed until it is three players, and am pretty much a rock most of the time. The 6 handed games bring some real live ones, that up the aggression way too much, and much can be said for a rocked up game. Tight is still right, the loose as a goose 6 handed nl players still get busted up. Position is really important, and with fewer players potentially seeing the flop there is more buying opportunity when an A checks to you in the cutoff and you hold KJs or 55 that missed. Betting middle pair in later position like you mean it, is also a valid play at most tables, as it is often currently the best hand.

On a normal table that is pretty passive preflop, and weak post flop, which is the tables I seek out:
I like to play super tight in the first two seats, and loosen up a bit in the cut off or on the button, and play the small blind pretty tight, taking any pair, suited 2 gappers and unsuited connecting cards, unsuited face cards, and sometimes a low kicker suited face card that I drop if getting lots of heat and hit top pair. I found people bet middle pair often enough in the short game that A2 isn't all that bad from the small blind, I just let it go before I get in kicker in the blind trouble.

The thing I found that is the most important to adjust for is the tightness/looseness of table. It changes my raising hands drastically, a tight table I raise more hands all pairs 88 and up, as well as AQo and up as well as AJs. My thinking is mostly pocket pairs hoping for a set are calling me on a tight table, I bet the flop regardless, and fold if I get heat and no help. A loose table I drop the drawing hands from being a raising hand and based on position raise TT and up, the later the position the more likely I am to raise TT. A super loose table and I limp with everything but AA-QQ and hammer away with those, there is no reason to go nuts preflop when JJ is going to get called in 5 spots for a big raise, if I spike a set or remain an over pair I'm still going to get action post flop, but not put my self in position of doing something silly with a marginal hand. The super loose tables I see things like KJs being raised with position, and hands that if I limped in early with QQ, I'm going to tear the raiser up most of the time. They also tend to do things like push in on a gutshot with an A, and any flush draw, so it isn't like there is a lack of money going in the pot, when your hand is more defined and you know where you are likely to stand. I prefer playing a little more passively the looser it gets, and save the money for when I'm way far ahead, but that is my style.

I guess the aggression level of the game changes the way I play as well, and I start playing pairs for sets or pairs for over pairs, and skip playing suited cards all together. The more passive the game is the looser I am, adding suited connectors and the like.

I tend to play my opponents based on my reads more than playing 10 handed, as I've played many more hands with the same opponents and feel like I have a solid grasp on a lot of them. At Prima the six handed tables are filled with the regulars pretty frequently at the 1-2 and up, I don't know about elsewhere. I take simple notes on the opponents such as "Show him the cards" if he is a calling station, "Raise when he bets weak", "Super Solid", "Skilled Loose Aggressive", "Bluffs too much" or "If he checks the turn bet into him he missed and will fold most hands". It saves me the time of figuring out this guy that I play once every two weeks, or I may eventually meet at a larger buy in game.

Hope this is something close to strategy and tactics that help you and that you find the 6 handed games as much fun as I.