Short Tables,
Beginner Strategies
August 18 2008
Unlike a brick and mortar casino, short-handed tables are very common online. These tables are also very popular for poker novices because they often have increased action and faster play.
When playing at a short-handed table you must loosen up your play and increase the number of starting hands you consider playable. However you don’t want to loosen up too much. Your aim should be to find and walk that fine line between playing too loose and too tight.
At a short-handed table the blinds will find their way around the table with greater frequency and will take chips out of your stack much quicker if you play too many hands and do not win consistently. The more hands you play, the more hands you have to win to make a profit.
Not only do you have to loosen up your play pre-flop, but you also must be very aggressive on the turn and river. With your opponents also playing less attractive hands, you must bet and raise constantly to keep them from chasing after draws when they miss on the flop. Being aggressive when you have a hand – and when you don’t and are attempting a bluff – is essential in short-handed poker to keep your stack growing instead of shrinking.
Short-handed poker is often compared to playing in a late position at a full table and having most of the table folded ahead of you. Thinking about your hand from this perspective can help you decide what to do in certain situations. Don’t fall into a pattern though, because early position is still early position, after all.
The number of players at the table should always influence how you play your cards and how you address certain situations. Remember this and it should help you stay out of trouble and avoid too many mistakes when playing short-handed.
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