[Gelford]

OK. resident nolimidonk speaking up. Like 42it (nice to se you posting here and helping out, good stuff Frank) I am a 6 max player, So I'll let phydaux be the nerd and ignore full ring.

So what is this preflop about ??

Is it really the stacks ?? (God I hate that Sklansky book)


Actually, no ... it is still the blinds, just like in limit, a game of poker starts out as a struggle for the blinds and that is actually still the name of the game if you play shorthanded NL hold'em (6max or less).

Can it be about the stacks, sure ... but most people that talk about aiming for the stacks play low stakes where the PLAYERS they are facing are exploitable in one way or the other and so will stack off frequently. In a game like this, you can run tight as hell and just get paid off on your top pairs and set and laugh all the way to the bank. But does this make shorthanded NL a game about the stacks, no not really, it is still about the blinds against competent players.


So how do we construct our starting hands ... well there are the premiums, those are good, but other than that, we are looking for hands with a little extra, which makes pps and soooted cards in various forms good. Most of the time, your cards are irrelevant as you go raise, cbet end off hand, but once in a while you will hit a litte extra.

That is why from the above:

[ QUOTE ]

UTG: 22+; A9o+; A2s+; 54s+; 64s+; Kjo+; Qto+; Jto+; J8s+; Q9s+; K9s+.


[/ QUOTE ]

Is horrid imho, as A9o+;Kjo+; Qto+; Jto+ are disasters waiting to happens (unless you have a read on the player you are targeting that he is hopeless)


While

[ QUOTE ]

utg: AJo+ (drop AJo if you get 3bet alot or you expect 3 or more callers semi-regularly)
A7s+
SCs 56s thru JTs
PPs 44+
KQs, KJs

HJ:
Add A5s+, some suited 2gappers, KTs, QJs

CO:
Add any suited Ace, any suited 2gapper, decent suited 3gappers (J7s),
33/22, ATo, KQo, KJo, KTo, QJo, unsuited connectors

Button:
Add unsuited 2gappers, random suited stuff and whatever you can get away with given the blinds' tendencies. Stay away from A2o-A9o though for now, they're RIO nightmares even with position.

[/ QUOTE ]

Looks much better, note the comment about AJo in ep.


Also note, that being loose is an insurance against setmining, as sure you will stack off against sets with tptk, but most of the time villian upon hitting his set (which is difficult) will only win a cbet from you, since you are in there with a wide range of hands.


(There is nothing wrong with being snaredrum tight, but table conditions are not always such, that it is optimal.)