6 vs 9 handed

[fees]

I've already had one thread locked, I'm sorry if I was vague I'm new to poker forums but hopefully this is specific enough.
In small stakes, .25/.5 or .5/1 NL ring games, what are the pro's and con's of 6 and 9 handed? What are the reasons for prefering one or the other? Does one have *potential* for a better hourly rate? If you multitable how much of a disadvantage are you at playing 6 handed? These are specific things I'm curious about, but any input is appreciated. Thanks!
Ryan

[DWarrior]

This probably belongs in the Beginners section. I'm not sure if it's answered in any stickies though.

9max:
- play tighter PF
- less sticky decisions post-flop because your hands are stronger
- more straight forward poker
- populated by extreme nits
- less hands/hr entered
- easier to multi-table
- expect to see 2 set miners per table

6max:
- play more hands pf
- thus, more marginal situations
- more post-flop play
- play more hands/hr
- harder to multi-table
- more read dependant
- more hands played with bad players
- more opportunities to see how bad players play
- higher variance

The general rule I've heard was: better players prefer shorter tables because it gives them more opportunities to use their skills and play vs bad opponents.

[fees]

Wow, thanks thats really good insight. How many tables do you consider reasonable for 6/9 handed, respectively?

[DWarrior]

There's no set answer, it depends on your level of concentration and skills.

I play 6max. If you're just starting out, you should play 2-3 to allow yourself to build good habits. You shouldn't be 4-tabling when tired (I do, and regret it every time), and it's also harder to get reads. I can't play 6+ tables at the moment because I find I can't keep up and can't remember the decisions I've made. That being said, there are a lot of players who 6-12 table 6max with no problems (I think most regs here). I think there's one guy here who 24-tables 6max. It really depends on your level of skill. As your poker skills increase, more decisions become automatic and thus you can make more of them per hour. When learning, you want to be able to think about every street to build up good habits, so if you try to 4+ table, you may find you're making poor decisions out of habit.

I remember when I played 10max it was easier to 4-table. I'm sure I could 8-table it now if I were still playing it because you're supposed to play extremely tight in the early positions.