Beating six handed games

Cash / Marcus Bateman / 05 July 2010 / Leave a Comment

Before the online explosion, short handed games were much harder to come across in poker, simply because casinos basically always just ran nine or ten handed games to save on dealer costs and floor space.

With the explosion of online poker however, six handed games have become incredibly commonplace, and they provide one of the most enjoyable and profitable gaming experiences available if approached correctly.

Short handed poker is always a much more complex game than full ring games. As the cost per hand is much higher (due to the blinds coming through you much quicker), you have to play a much wider range of hands than you ever would in a full ring game, and this makes the game both more complex, as well as more profitable - if you can stay on top of the extra decisions.

As you are making much more complex decisions in six handed games, it is crucial that you understand the basics of pot control, bet sizing, and showdown value before you start frequenting these games. Although a basic tight/aggressive style is enough to beat low stake full ring games, in six handed games you have to be playing a much more sophisticated style in order to stop the antes swallowing you up.

Six handed poker effectively accentuates any edge you have/don't have against opponents. If you are a winning player in the game, you will win much more and much faster; if you are a losing player, you will lose much more and at a higher rate than usual. Profit is made or lost in poker on the turnover of decisions, and as this rises, so do the amounts won or lost. This is the primary reason that most professionals much prefer short handed poker - it is a much more complex game that throws up much harder spots for weak players, with the result that their edge increases hugely.

Learning the ins and outs of how to mix up your game in short handed games is absolutely crucial both to cash and tournament success (always remember that to win a tournament at some point you will have to play short handed). Although a more complex game, the rewards are huge if it can be mastered, and it gives one of the best poker experiences possible due to the extra factors and action.

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