Getting more out of it

[RevToby]

I've been playing for about two years now, almost entirely on four 3/6 tables (sometimes five or six tables). I've made almost $20K in that time, with only $5.3K made in the last year due to less time put in (graduated college, got a job.)

Lately, I've been wanting to switch to a new game. I can beat the 3/6 game, but to the tune of about 1.7-1.8 BB/100. I have many friends who make at least $50/h and have less experience than me, but they play different games.

Keep in mind that after two years of playing 3/6 limit, my play style is very by-the-numbers. I don't look to make fancy plays, I just grind things out and play the cards right. I often tell my friends that it doesn't even feel like poker, because I'm often not playing the man (likely an aspect of my play I need to alter a bit).

The three options I've seen for a new game, and I'd like some feedback on are:

- $25/$50 buy-in NL cash games.

These seem good for my playstyle, since you get to be tight, without the pressure of a tournament where blinds go up. I've played maybe 100-200 hands of this game, and right now I have trouble making the hard decisions (whether or not to fold top pair to a big bet facing a scary board, etc.)

I've also had problems finding a good book that focuses primarily on NL cash games.

$30-$100 NL Tournaments

A lot of people I work with make $50-$150/h on these games, often running four tables at once. They all play very tight until it gets down to 4-5 people, then they get very aggressive when no one wants to be knocked out. My success at tournaments has been inconsistent at best, and I don't feel I'm at a point where I could make significant profits off the game. Granted, this is likely due to inexperience.

5/10 Short

The preferred game of my east coast friends. Seems a lot less automatic than full 3/6 games with more psychology involved. Everyone who does well at this game swears by it, but it seems that it requires more aggression than I'm used to.

Tighten up my 3/6 game

Maybe this is my best option? Should I be reading these forums more to improve my game, and do better than 1.8 BB/100? My sample size for the last year is about 40,000 hands of 3/6.

Some feedback on these questions would be extremely helpful. I feel like I should be able to make more money per hour, but I could use some guidance getting there.

[Webster]

2 years and only 20K playing 4 3/6 tables? how mane hands have you played??? 20K is a pretty small number for so many hands.

I'm not cutting or doubting but geez - I've done that in 1/2 up to 2/4 playing 2 tables at 2BB/100.

BUT - to your question - your making $43 an hour play 4 tables of 3/6 at 1.7BB/100.

What's your hurry - does you friend hand 2 years experinece and has he gone through a month long bad beat yet.

Try 5/10 full table - same players that are in 3/6 - just bigger banks. But not 4 tables at once.

[RevToby]

I've played very little between last July and this July- abut 40,000 hands of 3/6, with a pretty huge downswing at the start. I also ramped up to four tables during my previous $15K year, so that may explain a little.

I have a lot of friends who play online for a living and do very well, and know a few people who started after me but make good money doing multi-tournaments or multi-NL.

As far as the 5-10 full game goes, I played about 7,000 hands of it a few months back, and after an initial surge I took a big downswing, and moved back down to 3/6 with only a little profit at the level to show for my hours. At the time, I asked around here for some opinions on 5/10 full, and many seemed to think it was one of the hardest games to beat. The play level seems to be higher with a lot more aggression, and most of my friends who play the 5/10 short game do so because they couldn't beat the 5/10 full.

[crunchy1]

[ QUOTE ]
I've also had problems finding a good book that focuses primarily on NL cash games.

[/ QUOTE ]

Pot-Limit and No-Limit Poker

[Webster]

I have heard that also but when I had PE - man - they are the same exact fish I saw in 2/4 and 3/6. I have not played THAT much in 5/10 but the little I have it's the same feel EXCEPT - some are tricky at the RIGHT time (as opposed to being tricky and odd random times).

I have also tried NL and you can win more in NL IF you are a good player, but there are fewer good players.

THUS- that is the extend of my flawed knowledge (hay - I'm honest).

All I know is that 5/10 games are in the 40% flops all over the place which seems tighter then 90% of the 3/6 games.

[shant]

Move up to 5/10 6-max. It can be a brutal game, but the skills that you pick up are absolutely necessary to your growth. After you feel like you have a good sample at 5/10 6-max, move up to 10/20 6-max or full.

[RevToby]

Since I haven't read much literature on the subject, what are the keys to adjusting your play for short handed, for someone who is very used to playing full?

By brutal, are we talking that I should expect to lose a significant amount of bankroll? If that's the case, it seems like it might be a better idea to get used to the game at 3/6

[RevToby]

5/10 does seem to be looser pre-flop, but with a lot more aggression and three-betting, especially after the flop.

That's the main reason I stepped down from 5/10- I was having trouble getting a read on hands after the flop, while it's usually pretty easy to tell at 3/6.

[ds914]

I just moved from 3/6 full to 3/6 6-max. It's substantially improved my play from the blinds and my aggression, and I found it a million times more interesting. Plus you can get in many more hands per hour.

Consider it. All the horrible players from 3/6 moved to 3/6 6-max. It's soooooo nice to see them all again.

[shant]

[ QUOTE ]
Since I haven't read much literature on the subject, what are the keys to adjusting your play for short handed, for someone who is very used to playing full?

By brutal, are we talking that I should expect to lose a significant amount of bankroll? If that's the case, it seems like it might be a better idea to get used to the game at 3/6

[/ QUOTE ]
Sure, you can do 3/6 6-max too. However, you have the bankroll for the other. By brutal I meant there are serious swings. I broke-even after 25K hands, I went up 400BB and then back down 400BB. I didn't lose any part of my bankroll but I learned a lot about dealing with the emotional side of the game and improving my play.

Check out the Heads Up and Short Handed forum for strategy on 6-max games. Also, search in that forum for the starting hand charts posted by "MEbenhoe" and that should be good to get you started. Hope that helps.