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Originally Posted by VARoadstter I am now even more curious to know more about your read of your opponents. At 6-max, I can easilly study each opponent and keep tabs on how I feel they are playing their hands. Did you have a read on your opponents or do you find that your reads really didn't factor into your decision? |
The fact that this was a 6-seat table was probably the key to this hand. This is why I was virtually certain my opponent didn’t have a higher pocket pair, and why I was probably ahead all the way. You will hardly ever see someone limp in early position with a premium pair at a 6-seat table, because (1) there’s too few players left to catch a hand and raise, allowing the limp-re-raise strategy to work, and (2) limping is very common in this game, so if you don’t raise with a solid hand then its at your own peril. If you limp with a premium hand, you’re much more likely to trap yourself because there will likely be 2 or 3 other players in the hand. The small-blind is an auto-call with anything.
My reads frequently factor into the decision. On-line, I limit my play to 2 tables. I have even better results if I stick to one table and pay close attention, but this is difficult since there is so little information to gather with on-line play. I like live play better because there is so much player info to absorb and keep me occupied. I’m not one of these spastic players that need constant action -- just the opposite, actually -- but a single on-line cash table will test even the most stoic player.
6-seat tables seem to create a unique brand of holdem, and causes players to change their game more than full ring games. Some of the obvious categories of players can be tagged and exploited. These are categories that exists at all games generally, but the weakness of each category seem to be amplified at 6-seat tables, where you can really take advantage:
1. Too loose. Loose pre-flop play is almost a must, but many players continue to play too loose on the flop and afterward. Wait for a solid hand against these players, and they will typically pay off. Do not bluff, because they like to call with a huge range of hands. I’m still amazed at the calls with any pair.
2. Too tight. These players treat the 6-seat game like a full ring game. Primarily, this means that they are too tight pre-flop. This predictability helps your game -- when they come in for a raise, you know that have a strong hand. These players also probably play too tight on the flop and after, and are generally more susceptible to bluffs. You can routinely make a flop bet of about 1/2 of the pot on the flop, and as long as this pays off 1 out of every 3 tries then you are ahead.
3. Big bluffers. These players enter a lot of pots, and routinely make a bet or raise with any two cards. Waiting for a strong hand on the flop can take a lot of this player’s stack over the course of a session. Some of these players love to show you the bluff -- mark the player and stick around. Remember to keep your emotions in check when you get burned the first time he shows you a bluff.
4. Solid players. They are playing like you. Ideally, they see more flops, and proceed normally on the flop (as at a full table), with adjustments based on the style of the opponent. Avoid pots with these players, to the extent possible, since the other styles of play are so much more easily exploited. Beating the best players brings pride, beating the easy players brings money.
Stack size also plays a big factor in the 6-seat games. My perception is that big stacks are given more respect in these games than in the full games. This opens the door to more bluffing. Where I’ve run into trouble with my own play is when I build up a stack, I loosen up too much, bluff a bit too much, and then get called by the “too loose” player with middle or bottom pair. Then I’m saying to myself “Damn, he would have been beat with just top pair.”
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