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Server Time: 10/11/2008 5:49:56 AM PACIFIC |
 lo-limit short handed, Eric Bush, 9. Aug 2002 08:39 | ||
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| I need help. Everytime I sit down at a five handed table on line, or a full game ends up being short handed, I get torn to shreads. I have no strategy. Well, that is to say my strategy of playing big cards very aggressively seems to be costing me too much money. I never seem to push anyone out pre flop, especially either blind, and then the flop comes three rags and lo and behold they have one. So they of course check to me, I bet my two big cards, hoping they'll fold, one or both of them call. Turn misses me, they check, and I guess this is where I go wrong. I nearly always bet. One or both either calls or raises, and I end up losing too much money on the hand. Maybe I'm running really bad, like for the past couple of months, and if I'd hit a flop once in a while I might win a hand. Should I play more passively pre-flop, flop, turn? Should I stay aggressive so that when I do hit they pay me off? I'm thinking about never raising pre flop, still only playing those big cards or maybe suited connectors, and firing only when I have first or second pair. (of course staying in when I have pot odds after the flop) Think this will work? Does anyone have any advice? Signed, Flopless in Jax. (Eric) PS. Why hasn't anyone posted lately? | ||
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| Re: lo-limit short handed, Andrew Wells, 14. Aug 2002 17:35 | ||
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| First of all, your variance is going to be larger playing shorthanded. Expect bigger money swings. Just playing big cards fast is not going to be enough because you won't get two big cards and win with them often enough to compensate for the blinds and rake. You will have to play medium pocket pairs and reraise with them before the flop. You also need to understand that when you make a raise from the button against just the blinds that this situation is more frequent shorthanded so you can expect to be called by the big blind or reraised by the small blind more often as they don't necessarily expect you to have a huge hand. In this situation you should still always bring it in for a raise, even with a hand like K8o or Q9o. You're going to be in situations where you won't have top pair on the flop, but you need to vary your play. Don't always bet the flop if you're checked to, whether you paired or not. Many players will lead out on the turn from first position, especially if heads up, if the flop is checked around. They expect you to have nothing or believe that they were trying for a checkraise on the flop. If someone always tries to pick up the pot on the turn like this, your ace high nothing that missed the flop and turn is often still the best hand. Here's a specific example of varying your play. You have AJo on the button, no one opens, and you correctly raise the blinds. Only the big blind calls, and checks to you with a flop like Q 7 4 rainbow. Instead of betting, sometimes check behind and see the turn. You plan to raise on the turn with whatever comes off. You should get called less often this way than if you automatically bet the flop and turn. If you are called, and checked to again on the river, you just check it down unless you improved. If you get bet into on the river and don't improve you have to consider the blind to have queens or better, or is bluffing. You probably won't get bluffed much at all in low limit on the river until the other players have seen you make this move on the turn successfully a few times. There is much more to playing well when shorthanded then can be put into a simple response to your post. Just remember that position is even more important shorthanded than a full ring, and you need to be able to read hands well. You will have to semibluff more, and this includes checkraising with mediocre holdings on the flop like bottom pair with an overcard kicker. Remember that you won't be able to just play good cards shorthanded, you are going to have to outplay your opponents too. Shorthanded, you must be prepared to mix up your play more often since aware opponents will get a line on your play much faster than in a full game. Hope this helps you get back on track. | ||
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| Re: lo-limit short handed, Eric Bush, 15. Aug 2002 06:59 | ||
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| Thank you Andrew, This was most helpful. I haven't been doing any of these things you mention to vary my play. Thanks again. Eric | ||
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| Re: lo-limit short handed, Greys, 16. Aug 2002 01:24 | ||
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| Eric, Good advice from andrew. I would strongly suggest that you read "Hold 'Em Poker for Advanced Players" by Sklansky and malmuth. They have a great chapter on playing short handed that would really help you. Just keep in mind that shorthanded play is a whole different ballgame than with a full table. Even recognizing that a table is getting short can be a big advantage over non-observant players. To give you an idea of the difference in play, a schmuck that simply fires chips in heads-up play is almost playing correctly. With fewer players at the table, you must begin to make this adjustment. Just my 2 cents. Greys | ||
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| Re: lo-limit short handed, Eric Bush, 16. Aug 2002 07:42 | ||
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| on 14. Aug 2002 17:35 Andrew Wells wrote: > First of all, your variance is going to be larger playing shorthanded. Expect bigger > money swings. Just playing big cards fast is not going to be enough because you won't > get two big cards and win with them often enough to compensate for the blinds and > rake. You will have to play medium pocket pairs and reraise with them before the > flop. You also need to understand that when you make a raise from the button against > just the blinds that this situation is more frequent shorthanded so you can expect to > be called by the big blind or reraised by the small blind more often as they don't > necessarily expect you to have a huge hand. In this situation you should still always > bring it in for a raise, even with a hand like K8o or Q9o. You're going to be in > situations where you won't have top pair on the flop, but you need to vary your play. > Don't always bet the flop if you're checked to, whether you paired or not. Many > players will lead out on the turn from first position, especially if heads up, if the > flop is checked around. They expect you to have nothing or believe that they were > trying for a checkraise on the flop. If someone always tries to pick up the pot on > the turn like this, your ace high nothing that missed the flop and turn is often > still the best hand. Here's a specific example of varying your play. You have AJo on > the button, no one opens, and you correctly raise the blinds. Only the big blind > calls, and checks to you with a flop like Q 7 4 rainbow. Instead of betting, > sometimes check behind and see the turn. You plan to raise on the turn with whatever > comes off. You should get called less often this way than if you automatically bet > the flop and turn. If you are called, and checked to again on the river, you just > check it down unless you improved. If you get bet into on the river and don't improve > you have to consider the blind to have queens or better, or is bluffing. You probably > won't get bluffed much at all in low limit on the river until the other players have > seen you make this move on the turn successfully a few times. There is much more to > playing well when shorthanded then can be put into a simple response to your post. > Just remember that position is even more important shorthanded than a full ring, and > you need to be able to read hands well. You will have to semibluff more, and this > includes checkraising with mediocre holdings on the flop like bottom pair with an > overcard kicker. Remember that you won't be able to just play good cards shorthanded, > you are going to have to outplay your opponents too. Shorthanded, you must be > prepared to mix up your play more often since aware opponents will get a line on your > play much faster than in a full game. Hope this helps you get back on track. I tried much of what you just talked about in a 5 handed on line game last night. I had much more success. It was only a 1-2 table, and the play varied from 3-5 people at the table. Generally, there were 3 people, at least, seeing each flop. I decided to play aggressive in whatever postion as long as I had the big cards. I also played more aggressively (than I had in the past) with mediocre cards, as long as I had position. The 'check the flop' and 'raise the turn' on the button worked beautifully the one time I tried it. (thank you, that was worth about $8). I got caught pushing big cards, with no pairs, early on and intially was down about 15 bucks, but then I started to make some big hands and got paid off for all but one of them. I ended up winning about $25 and decided to git while the gittin was good. Thanks for all of the advise from everyone! Eric B | ||
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| Re: lo-limit short handed, G V Martin, 20. Aug 2002 10:19 | ||
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| Eric this is what I do in this case. Play pre-flop using early and middle position hands or group I II and III hands. Be ready to fold if flop don't match your hand. If I am still in before the turn I will bet or raise at this point. If I have a lock on the turn ,raise. Bluffing won't work unless you have won some hands before. Its a no-foldem game by the river. If you stay aggressive till you get a hit your not playing poker but playing the slots lol. hope this helps ------------GV | ||
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