Full-ring nit walks onto Highway SixMax, film at 11

[ChipStorm]

It's time to take up the shorthanded game, which I absolutely suck at, judging from prior forays. So I really would appreciate some guidance here.

I've built some basic playing confidence in a weak-tight, ABC, SSNL full-ring game. It's been a consistent winner for months. Now it's time to focus on reads, opponents... all that stuff you 6-maxers care about that we can safely ignore in full-ring. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

So I want to move over, and not gradually. Like, today.

What's my plan? Stay a nit until I get a feel? Drop a level for now? Both? What should I be thinking about to avoid blowing myself up?

[CappyAA]

I'd drop a level, drop the number of tables, and start by looking at your stats. Your VPIP should go up as well as your PFR%. I'd start by working on your late position play. You can start playing much more hands from the CO and Button. If others limp in first, you can limp in with any suited connectors, pairs, even other connectors and suited gappers. The word open limp from these two positions should not even be in your vocabulary. Any hand worth playing is worth raising if it folds to you in the CO or Button. Try to creep your VPIP/PFR up a little bit.

Note that you don't have to change that much. I used to be a full ring player too. I've successfully made the transition and my stats are around 23/13 as opposed to 19/10. Just play your comfort level and try to add things slowly to your repetoire. Post hands that you have questions with.

[vulturesrow]

Im of the opinion that you dont need to massively change your playing style right off the bat. I was a pretty tight FR player, and I didnt change my standards much when I switched over. I wouldnt loosen up much until you get comfortable. As to moving down a level, its really up to you. I think sometimes this causes people to be too comfortable and not play their best poker. But it can be argued the other way as well. As long as you are adequately bankrolled, Id stay at the level you are at.

[ChipStorm]

Good stuff Cappy, thanks....

1. Cut tables in half
2. Play CO & BTN aggressively
3. Open up the range just slightly

[4_2_it]

[ QUOTE ]
Good stuff Cappy, thanks....

1. Cut tables in half
2. Play CO & BTN aggressively
3. Open up the range just slightly

[/ QUOTE ]

Start with that. You can add to it later. Just remember that HU play at 6-max is much different than FR, especially if it was HU before the flop.

[Jamougha]

[ QUOTE ]
Just remember that HU play at 6-max is much different than FR, especially if it was HU before the flop.

[/ QUOTE ]

Really? Could you elaborate, I haven't played FR in a looong time.

Chip,

Yup, 6-max is mainly about playing your CO/Button aggressively. I think stats anywhere from 20/10 to 30/20 could be successful, (apparently I play a 23/14 game) but it's important to gain and maintain the initiative.

[ajmargarine]

I'm with vulture. Be a nit like you were at FR. Don't change too much. Play less tables for sure.

[mjws00]

Nit makes 6-max decisions post-flop VERY easy. Problem is blinds start to hurt and you will see many hands going to extremely inferior holdings. If you open up your game slowly you can stay at the same level. Essentially you are just going to play more marginals as you get confident in your opponenent's average hand strength. Villians will notice more quickly if you are nit/rock, and may not be quite as quick to pay you off. But it's low variance while you adjust.

I'll freely admit to being brutalized when taking my LAG game up a few levels. But if I revert to TAG and open up slowly the transitions are simple. Only real risk is if you loosen up way too far too fast.

Good luck. Short-handed is a blast.

[BalugaWhale]

emphasize position pf. When you're UTG in 6max, you're still UTG. When you're on the button in 6max, you're still on the button. Emphasize that and you'll be juuuuuuuuust fiiiiiiiiine.

[4_2_it]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Just remember that HU play at 6-max is much different than FR, especially if it was HU before the flop.

[/ QUOTE ]

Really? Could you elaborate, I haven't played FR in a looong time.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll try. I was thinking about random card distribution over 9 hands vs 6 hands (18 cards being dealt instead of 12). Multi-way pots are more dangerous when you have a decent, but not especially strong hand.

In 6-max, you see more HU battles (CO or Button vs. one of the blinds) where your K8s in the CO is a monster on a K23r flop.

I noticed that I had to adjust to the fact that I didn't need the flop to hit me hard in order to have a decently strong hand in 6-max.