Playing Short Handed

Often thought of as a bad thing, short-handed games are now a favorable choice especially with online players looking for fast paced action. There is nothing wrong with these 5 or 6 player tables, but it is important to take a look at some of the differences between half-full and completely full tables in order to adjust your game and maximize your profits.

Playing loose is one of the most important aspects of being a winning short-handed player. Loosening up is required to win enough pots to make up for the fact that you will be forced to place your blinds twice as often. You need to play loose to overcome the more frequent blinds. More obvious is the fact that you can play looser because there are fewer cards in play. Therefore your mediocre hands become more powerful and are profitable to play. Contrary to popular belief, playing loose is not playing any two cards. You must still take position, opponents and game situations into consideration before deciding how much to loosen up your normal game.

Poker is a game of situations. Just as certain hands fair better when there is a full table, others do well with fewer players. When playing at a table with 6 or less opponents, high cards become more valuable. Suited low or medium connected cards become less valuable. Playing suited connectors short-handed will often leave you on a draw without sufficient pot odds to make calling profitable. Conversely, playing high cards even Ace/low or K/low is often the correct play. Playing your high cards puts you in a situation where if you hit top pair you are unlikely to run into a higher kicker. Even if you don't make a pair, you may steal the pot with a high card if your opponent also misses.

Position is highly regarded in Texas Hold’em no matter how many players are sitting at the table. However, position plays a more unique role in a short-handed game. By leveraging your position at a short-handed table you may be able to steal more blinds and offset the impact of increased blind frequency. Stealing blinds and winning small pots early will give you a great advantage over other players. Every blind or small pot you win is like getting a free round of play. You are using someone else's money to ante on your next round. To improve your chances of stealing blinds or winning pots early, it is important to show power in the opening round of betting. If you have good position and feel you have the best hand, do not hesitate to raise. In most cases you will not get everyone to fold but you will usually be able to scare them out after the flop if they fail to hit the board.

Short-handed games are a magnet for loose and poor aggressive players. Poor players choose these tables because they feel it gives them an excuse to play loosely. When playing short-handed you must be able to distinguish good players, who are playing short-handed correctly, from poor players who are playing overly loose. Look for players who are consistently calling or betting draw hands with low cards. These players have loosened their play in the wrong way and will ultimately lose. Avoid players you notice to be raising correctly. These players are raising when they have the best hand, even if that hand is K4. Be aware of who is using position to gain advantage and who is just calling or betting wildly. Once you have identified the truly poor players, short-handed games become a fast paced feeding frenzy.

By adapting your game slightly and knowing why the changes are necessary, you will begin to welcome and even prefer short-handed action. Remember to stay loose, but stay away from draw hands, steal blinds whenever possible and avoid other players who seem to be doing the same thing. Putting this solid game plan into action will ultimately return huge short-handed dividends.