Getting Started on 6 max.

AcidJoe

I have been thinking of giving 6 max a try for a while to change things up. I have read a few posts on here regarding starting hands etc. With the biggest piece of advice that keeps coming up is never limp, rarely cold call. In terms of bankroll what do you recommend for 2 or 3 tabling 6 max? I will probably just start with 1 and work my way up. I'm also assuming I'll find far more aggression here.

Any advice would be appreciated thanks.

GTA Poker

What limit Joe?

I think if you go with a standard 300bb for full table that 500 is more appropriate for 6max.

ALso, be prepared for much greater swings.

AcidJoe

1/2 and 2/4 nothing too big. I know the swings will be wilder that's why I asked the question. In the few times I've tried 6 max losing $80 in 2/4 is nothing.

GTA Poker

I actually find that at those limits that being hyper aggressive isn't extremely beneficial as most players will see a flop in any position for as many bets as necessary if they see cards they like. Use aggression for value but not to blow people off of hands. Multitabling6max at 5 10 and sometimes 10 20 (when I played cash games online a while back) is tougher than full table as selective aggression and reading players is even more important than at a full ring table. Also, you are almost always involved in more hands at once than at a full ring game. I'd try 2 tabling first and then going from there. Good luck.

ScoobyD

I'm also assuming I'll find far more aggression here.

Not necessarily, depends heavily on your table. In general, I think you'll find some weak players in general. Figuring out whether they're LP or LA is the trick. Top pair no kicker is much stronger, and often 2nd pair on the flop is good. Knowing when you can value bet bottom pair into a calling station the whole way and when you have to call the river with BP or A high against a frequent bluffer is the trick. In general, with fewer opponents, low suited connectors are worth less (fewer opponents, less implied odds value), and high card strength hands (stuff like KJo, KTo) are worth more since you're dominated less often. This doesn't mean that you should be cold calling with those hands, but in general, you should usually be entering the pot with a raise with them...

If you like fast action, short games are a pleasant break from the grind of full ring. Probably drop a level from what you're typically playing full ring just to get your feet wet (and due to the swingier nature of the game).

moose

I pretty much follow Dave's advice in this thread. Works pretty well for me.

http://pokerforum.ca/forum/index.php?topic=5431.0

hockref

I emailed John from the original post and now have the chart mentioned. Should be attached if I did this right.

The file is to large but if you email me I will send it to you.

Cheers,
Steve

moose

I tried the chart but I like Dave's advice better.

KISS seems the way to go.

AcidJoe

I generally follow dave's advice. However I think he's missing some bets (in his desire to keep it simple). Believe me folded to me on the button 6 max I'm not limping AQo. As a starting point it does hit the KISS thing dead on and lets you make less mistakes than your opponents.

hockref

I think the chart would help if I can memorize the key spots.

I tried playijng with it today and spent way to much time lining up the chart for my action rather than paying attention to the table.

Steve

moose

AcidJoe wrote:

I generally follow dave's advice.  However I think he's missing some bets (in his desire to keep it simple).  Believe me folded to me on the button 6 max I'm not limping AQo.  As a starting point it does hit the KISS thing dead on and lets you make less mistakes than your opponents. 

His instructions say limp with ANY ace and raise with ANY suited.  It does not mean ignore std full table raising hands.  Where it gets me in trouble is if I limp and get raised behind me.  I don't know if I am ahead to say KJo or behind to Ax that beats me. 

If instead I use the chart, as Steve said, you lose too much by constantly reading through the chart, however it eliminates the limp with weak A problem.

In full ring I won't be playing a weak A so I can be more confident if I am ahead when an A flops.  Any advice?

Next time I play I will get a selection of maybe 3-4 hands that we can discuss.

AcidJoe

Like I said Dave was keeping it fairly simple. My thinking on the weak A is if I get raised behind and I close the betting I call. If I don't I look at the people behind me and figure out how likely I'm to get raised.

AcidJoe

I know people said the variance was huge, but earlier today playing at 2/4 One table up about $95 and the other table down about $80. Big difference seemed to be on the up table I caught one nut flush draw and the other table missed one nut flush draw and missed one open ended straight. If you catch these guys will pay you off.

moose

AcidJoe wrote:

Like I said Dave was keeping it fairly simple.  My thinking on the weak A is if I get raised behind and I close the betting I call.  If I don't I look at the people behind me and figure out how likely I'm to get raised. 

You don't see a lot of donk limp reraising preflop. I'm more worried on the flop.

Let's say an A falls. I'm out of position. If I bet and get smooth called, it could be a donk call or I could be behind to a larger A. If I check and the raiser bets, he could just be cont. betting, hoping no-one holds an A.

Aggression is so important in 6 max, if you check at any point, people will bet just to push you off. But often times if you keep betting a weak A, you find that you got called down to the river by a stronger A.

Anyone able to post the odds of say one, two or three A being held preflop in a six-max table? I've seen it for 10 max.

AcidJoe

you don't see a lot of limp re raise. But on Tribeca you see a lot of calling stations that seem to hit. They will call you with bottom pair of gutshots all the way. A lot of them seem to wait till the river to explode with betting making you wonder after they hit the turn.