Shorthanded Play (2-4NL and higher)

[NiceCatch]

Ok Neon, I like the advice. How about playing against a guy like Papagallo? I actually found I had the most success by tightening up and not taking alot of flops.. to me, the math of it is if he's going to be betting $18 to steal my $2 or $5 blind (because he raises so much in position preflop), I only need to play (and win) between one-third and one-ninth of the hands in which he raises to recoup my blinds. I also noticed that when I slowed down preflop, he did too... I think he realized I was just trying to pick him off. I guess my point is, aggression against an ultra aggressive player is not always necessary... is it?

But then there are those who would say fight aggression with aggression... re-raise preflop. I dunno... like I said before, doing this type of thing out of position, with no real preflop read possible sounds like suicide.

BTW, it seems to me like there are a fair number of games at Pokerroom where everyone is seeing the flop for $5, but where the pots are staying pretty small. When players "get out of line" and start raising preflop, the others just wait for an opportunity to trap them... I guess it's just a real cat-and-mouse game.

I ask again: is high bankroll variance a given in top-stakes SH NL?

Neon, one other question: do you agree with me when I say the the 2-4NL 5max and 6max games at PokerRoom are much softer than the SH 5-10NL games?

[neon]

First of all, I think some of this depends on HOW short-handed the game is at the moment. A three-handed table is a lot different than five-handed, and someone like Papa can run over a really short table if you let him. I don't know if you've noticed, but he raises the same amount every time preflop ($18) and will then fire the same amount ($33) on the flop provided the hand is HU. Against players like Papa, or TFO Moose or Poker Nerve, and others on the site who play like those guys, I usually fight fire with fire. When I have position, I'll call a lot of flop bets with nothing to take pots away on later streets, and occasionally show. And then, when you have a big made hand on them, play it the same way, and you'll get your big hands paid off. If you're only coming out swinging when you have a cinch, you won't get much action from the really good players in those games.

And again, it really comes down to hand reading skills and picking your spots. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with folding a lot of hands, either, especially out of position.

As per bankroll swings, I would hardly call the "5-10" games at PR ( which are actually 2-5 blinds) "top stakes," but yeah, there's gonna be more variance. And yeah, as a general rule, the 5-10 games are tougher than the 2-4 games. Some players who do really well in the 2-4 games don't do so well making the step up. But the more you play the game the more you'll become accustomed to it and feel more comfortable with the stakes and start to really get a feel for the types of hands that are likely to be out there. You'll feel more comfortable trying things like a delayed bluff, and you'll become more adept at picking the spots to make plays like this. Mixing up your play like this will also go a long way toward getting paid off on your big hands . . .

I gotta go to bed. See you at the tables . . .

[creedofhubris]

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I would suggest identifying one or two weak players to target. At a 5-person table, you only need one fish to feed everyone.

Another thing to look for is a table with a lot of limping. If you are the most aggressive person preflop, that is a good sign.

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Tables with fish are of course ideal, but at least reasonably rare at the site I play at (Pokerroom.com). Interestingly, I've found that aggressive play will get people killed; players will start playing back, or will tighten up and wait for a hand. Consistently stealing blinds is really tough, because the regulars are good enough that they just won't allow it; they'll adjust their play.

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Coincidentally enough, I also play at pokerroom, although I usually play the full ring games, unless I find a shorthanded table that I like (at least one very passive, bad player with a big stack, or lots of people seeing every fllop.) My advice is to avoid playing with the very aggressive winning players: papagallo and Moose and _fil. you're going to be playing for your stack a LOT with the last two, and papa is almost impossible to trap.

It's really a $2/$5 game, despite what they call it at the site.