Short handed play
tonyj...@home.com
have a lot of difficulty when it gets down to 5 or 6 handed. Last nite
was a perfect example. I was struggling through but up a bit when the
table got short.I then proceeded to drop a rack in a couple of hours. I
realize that in a short game drawing hands are usually unplayable
(depending on the pot), but I normally get into trouble after the flop.
How good a hand is 2nd or third pair? How good is A-K if the flop
doesn't hit? Before the flop I raise a lot more with middle pairs but I
have difficulty making decisions after a flop when overcards appear. Can
you now start playing weak aces and kings pre-flop? I realize that some
of these questions are game/player specific, but any advice I can get I
would appreciate.
Tony
Abdul Jalib
> I've been playing poker for a couple years now with good results but I
> have a lot of difficulty when it gets down to 5 or 6 handed.
6-handed isn't really my idea of short-handed, but okay.
> Last nite
> was a perfect example. I was struggling through but up a bit when the
> table got short.I then proceeded to drop a rack in a couple of hours.
A rack in a couple of hours is nothing, when short-handed.
> I realize that in a short game drawing hands are usually unplayable
> (depending on the pot), but I normally get into trouble after the flop.
In a heads-up pot, you do have to play your draws, and play them hard.
You have two 1-pair draws that might be good, plus your draw, plus your
chance of winning the pot by bluffing your opponent out. So despite
the fact that you don't have odds to hit your draw, you have to stay
with the hand.
> How good a hand is 2nd or third pair?
Second pair is like top pair. Third pair is like second pair.
Ignore the top card on the flop.
> How good is A-K if the flop doesn't hit?
Monstrous. Bet for value until you get raised, and then consider
semibluff reraising like you have AA. Go to the showdown. On
the river you may wish to just check-call rather than bet, though
it depends.
> Before the flop I raise a lot more with middle pairs but I
> have difficulty making decisions after a flop when overcards appear.
Don't consider folding until 3 overcards hit or your opponent 3-bets
you. Play hard in order to get overcards to fold and to find out if
you're beat. If you're going to fold, fold sooner rather than later.
If you have position on the turn and it's checked to you, bet now even
if you think you are beat so that you buy the right to check it down on
the river. If you make it to the river and are facing a bet, almost
always call.
> Can you now start playing weak aces and kings pre-flop?
It depends on your position. Mostly those are playable only
when opening on the button. The weakest kings are debatable
for opening on the button.
> I realize that some of these questions are game/player specific,
> but any advice I can get I would appreciate.
Basic advice: crank your aggression and looseness way up. Pot odds
dictate that you very frequently contest the pot with bets and raises,
even when you don't have much of a hand. Your opponent cannot fold
if you do not bet or raise.
--
Abdul