6-Max Tables

[Ajax410]

Quick question about 6-max tables.

I've never played these tables, but I'm curious how, if I should find myself sitting at one one night, I should go about doing it. Do I loosen up significantly when it comes to starting hands? Do I raise more and call less?

It seems like I'm pretty solid at short-handed play, but I have enough trouble trying to keep my VP$IP below 20% as it is, and I feel like a 6-max table will just cause me to play more hands. Is 25% a good target number here?

Also, do you find yourself raising draws more in a 6-max table? Raising with marginal hands like mid-pair decent kicker? I'm just curious about the changes in strategy that accompany having 2-4 fewer people at the table.

Ajax

[Entity]

There's a shorthanded forum here that really helps with 6max.

Play a little looser (my VPIP is ~20-25% depending on the game), raise more preflop, and be prepared to raise/bet with more marginal hands. Learn to make reads on your opposition much better.

Raising semibluffs is more profitable, but pumping draws is often less profitable.

The great thing I've found about 6max is that I find more 6-handed pots at 6max than I do at full ring games in 1/2. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Rob

[Entity]

I should also note that while I generally aim for a 20-25% VPIP (25% max, and I'm happy with 15%-25%), tightening up significantly can also be very profitable at 6max tables, since your opposition is generally playing marginal hands too far. Some of my VPIP 12% sessions have been great sessions, since I realized that my opponents would play TPNK with TONS of aggression, and I'd simply wait for times when I could use that to my advantage, netting huge (15-20BB) pots in the process.

Rob

[Bez]

I think Ed Miller advises playing as though it's a 10 handed game but the first 4 players have folded. Raise when first in more of the time and steal the blinds more. You must be very aggressive to be successful.

[helpmeout]

Aggression really helps shorthanded.

You can really crush passive opponents once you get a read on them. The ones who bet and raise so little are so easy to beat because they fold to continued aggression when they miss the flop and turn. They rarely bet anything less than TP so you can get out when they do bet just not too often or they catch on.

Hands like ATo A9o KJo KTo become more raising hands as well. You also have to go for steals much more often.

When there are only 2-3 people seeing the flop you have to play middle pair type hands aggressively and against only one then bottom pair is good. Your reads really become important here.

You probably want a BR bigger than 300BB because the variance is much higher. You will go up and down a lot in a session.

[Entity]

Oh yeah -- I forgot to mention the variance.

The swings are painful, so have a HUGE bankroll before going into it. 500BB is good; I play with a 650BB bankroll right now.

Dropping 30BB isn't uncommon in one session. The upswings however, are SOOOOOOOO nice.

Emotional state becomes more of a factor, too -- tilt is less of an issue when you're playing 10handed, I find, but when your AA gets cracked by the K4o who raised into you preflop (and you 3-bet), it can be tougher to take. Just get used to it.

Rob

[skirtus]

Ive been gaining some 6-max experience at UB. They have some semi-loose .50-1.00 6 max tables. Its not a bad way to work off some bonus and get some cheap 6 max experience.