I have started playing a lot of short handed no limit holdem cash games since the 1st of the year and there a few things that I have noticed.
1. Position is #1.
I have always put a lot of value on your position at the table, but it seems more important at the short handed tables than just about any other game. In tourneys and SNGs, position is important but plays more of a factor at the later stages. In NL SH games, position is key on every hand. Being last to act allows you to get a lot better feel on where your hand stands, take free cards if you determine you are behind, and force your opponents to make tough decisions with less information.
2. An image somewhere between Loose Aggressive (LAG) and Tight Aggressive (TAG) seems ideal.
I really heavily on a TAG image for tourneys, but NL SH cash games are a completely different animal. I feel like I want an image somewhere between LAG and TAG at a NL SH cash game for a couple of reasons.
- If your image is too tight, you will not get any action on your big hands and will not be able to build big pots when you have monsters.
- If your image is too loose, you will get called down in a lot of spots by people that should be folding to your bets. (i.e. - middle pair, etc.) This can be beneficial to your bottom line, but you will have to change gears and wait for a premium hand.
- An image somewhere in between at the right table should get you a lot of action on premium hands by people that are willing to call you down with only top pair. You should also be able to take down a lot of pots by getting people off of mediocre hands.
- People seem to call with a lot weaker hands pre-flop out of position when your image is somewhat loose and then let the hands go if they don't hit the flop. In my experience, this adds up to a profitable table.
3. How the other players view you is key. (Know their styles, emotional state and thought processes.)
- This is the major factor in making $$ at a NL SH table in my opinion. Position and image matter a lot, but if you have a great read on your opponents playing style, emotional state, thought processes, and how he/she views you then you should be able to take down some pots with well timed bluffs, extract the maximum amounts of chips with premium hands, and make those tough laydowns a lot easier.
Example 1 - Losing on a bluff added up to more profits
The other night I was playing a $1/$2 NL SH cash game and bought in for the $200 Max. Shortly after joining the table I made a big bet in position into a large pot when I pegged the other player as weak. He called me down with a hand he had no business being involved in and won the pot. From this point on he didn't respect any bet or raise that I made. He re-raised me a lot and would not fold to any bet that I made..... so, I waited. I raised from the cutoff with 67s and he called from the BB. The flop came 775. Against most opponents, I either make a small bet or no bet in this spot, but this guy was calling any bet that I made. I overbet the pot, trying to make it look like I was attempting to steal the pot. Bingo, he called. The turn was a 3. He checked and I made a large bet again, which he called. The river was a 5 giving the board two pair. He checked and I instantly pushed all in. I was figuring him for a big Ace and that he might call with two pair on board and his Ace kicker. He thought for a few minutes and then called with A3. Just like that I had my money back and then some. If not for my earlier hands against him and the lack of respect he was giving my bets, I would have made a lot less money on this hand.
A few hands later I picked up 88 in the SB. The same guy was steaming and raising every hand since the above hand. I flat called his raise. The flop came J82. I checked and he bet big into the pot. I thought and called. Turn was a 5. I checked and he bet big again. The river was an 8 giving me quads and a board of J8258. The pot was pretty big and the guy was steaming. I went all in and he called me with J10. He had top pair with a 10 kicker and was willing to put the rest of his stack in against me because he thought I was full of it.
I went form being down $150+ shortly after joining the table to being up around $280, all because of one player's view of me.
Example 2 - Laying down KK
I seem to have a lot of trouble getting away from KK in NL SH games. I am usually playing fairly loose, so it is sometimes hard to tell the difference between someone making a move on me or having a big hand like AA. I did lose a minimum amount of $$ the other night with it, because of my read on an opponent. There was a fairly tight player at my table. He was up some, but was only playing premium hands. In a hour of play, I don't think he ever re-raised anyone without the nuts. He opened preflop UTG for $6. I raised to $16 on the button with KK and he immediately re-raised to $60. I thought and thought and figured that he was only making that move with AA and laid down my KK. He showed his AA and I felt a lot better. I probably would have lost most of my stack against a lot of other players, but because I had a very good feel for this opponent, I only lost $16.
Anyway, I think it is always important to remember your position, table image and what is going through the other players minds when playing short handed NL holdem.
Good luck at the tables,
cmitch
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