A short-handed game is
one that has either three, four, or five
players. If you're watching a short-handed
game in progress for the first time, it will
look like a wild and crazy mess, with the
calling, betting and raising not making any
apparent sense at all.
If you see the players
in a short-handed game raising all the time
with questionable cards, calling with even
worse cards, betting with nothing, giving
their opponents no respect, and being
extremely proud of their ace-high or pair of
4s at the end of the hand, you know you're
watching a game that is full of players who
are experts at short-handed play.
Here is a list of
points to keep in mind if you find yourself
in a short-handed game:
1. Players whose usual
style of play is loose and aggressive will
unknowingly be playing a good game when it's
short-handed. Short-handed play is
characterized by continuous, unrelenting
betting and raising, so players who already
play that way will have a leg up on the
game.
2. You should change
your playing style from tight-aggressive to
mostly loose-aggressive. If you play your
usual tight game, the blinds will eat you
up, and you'll be folding before the flop
too often.
3. Big cards are worth
more. AK, KJ, and QJs will win without much
improvement against three players more often
than they will against nine players.
4. Because big hands
win more easily, you can raise preflop with
many more hands than you would in a full
game. If you have a good handle on the other
aspects of a short-handed game, you can
usually raise preflop any time both of your
cards are an 8 or above.
5. Because there is a
lot of preflop raising when it's
short-handed, you should always raise before
the flop when you hold AA, KK, QQ, AKs, and
other big cards. Since players expect that
you'll raise anyway, the raise actually
helps disguise your strength.
6. Forget that your
cards are suited, if they are. It doesn't
take a flush to win every time. In fact, you
don't have to try to make flushes or
straights, because two high cards will often
be enough to win. Usually, you won't be
getting the correct odds to draw to a flush
or straight, but that's no problem, since
you're actually betting on just the high
rank value of your cards.
7. Because most pots
will be raised before the flop, small pairs
and suited connectors go way down in value.
It costs a lot of money to raise with
, flop a draw, and pay to draw, only to miss
the
draw or make a pair of
6s on the river. Think ahead.
8. Do not routinely
play hands with a 2, 3, or 4 in them. That
is like playing with only one card, because
you'll always get overcards. Again, think
ahead.
9. Don't forget to
gear it up a notch. Call when you might
normally fold with that marginal hand. Raise
when you would normally just call. Reraise a
little more liberally. Check-raise more
often. Call more often on the river with
what would be a weak or second best hand in
a full game.
10. Gaining skill at
short-handed play will definitelty help you
in your usual full game. Many times almost
everyone will fold in a full game. At that
point it's as if you are playing
short-handed, especially if you're in late
position. Consider what you know about
playing in late position, stealing the
blinds and reading players.
|