my first attempt at 6max - how'd I du

Thought I'd give this short handed thing a try since all the cool kids are doing it...

How do you play, just keep hitting the 'raise' button right?

HAND 1:

Button ($19.85)
SB ($23.90)
BB ($10.35)
UTG ($38.15)
Hero ($31.45)

Preflop: Hero is MP with K, K.
1 fold, Hero raises to $1, 1 fold, SB calls $0.90, 1 fold.

Flop: ($2.25) 6, 4, J (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $2, SB calls $2.

Turn: ($6.25) 2 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $4, SB calls $4.

River: ($14.25) 3 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $5, SB raises to $16.9, Hero folds.


HAND 2 - pretend I raised PF

UTG ($14.40)
MP ($29.40)
Hero ($28.05)
SB ($54.55)
BB ($30.05)

Preflop: Hero is Button with Q, J.
2 folds, Hero calls $0.25, 1 fold, BB checks.

Flop: ($0.60) A, Q, 9 (2 players)
BB bets $0.5, Hero calls $0.50.

Turn: ($1.60) Q (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $1, BB calls $1.

River: ($3.60) 2 (2 players)
BB checks, Hero bets $3, BB raises to $7.5, Hero calls $4.50.



HAND 3 - who else stacks off here?

BB ($23.45)
UTG ($85.65)
Hero ($24.45)
Button ($52.45)
SB ($25.30)

Preflop: Hero is MP with A, K.
UTG raises to $0.5, Hero raises to $2, Button calls $2, 2 folds, UTG calls $1.50.

Flop: ($6.35) K, 2, 4 (3 players)
UTG checks, Hero bets $4, Button folds, UTG raises to $8, Hero calls $4.

Turn: ($22.35) T (2 players)
UTG bets $14, Hero calls $14.



HAND 4

UTG ($4.15)
MP ($13.65)
CO ($36.90)
Hero ($52.70)
SB ($21)
BB ($10)

Preflop: Hero is Button with T, Q.
3 folds, Hero raises to $1, SB raises to $3, 1 fold, Hero calls $2.

Flop: ($6.25) 4, T, Q (2 players)
SB bets $3, Hero raises to $10, SB calls $7.

Turn: ($26.25) 2 (2 players)
SB checks, Hero bets $10, SB calls $8 (All-In).

River: ($44.25) 4 (2 players, 1 all-in)


HAND 5 - BB was a loose raiser

UTG ($15.55)
MP ($39.85)
Button ($1.65)
Hero ($25.45)
BB ($16.80)

Preflop: Hero is SB with 7, 5.
3 folds, Hero completes, BB raises to $1, Hero calls $0.75.

Flop: ($2) A, 6, T (2 players)
Hero checks, BB bets $2, Hero raises to $5, *pause* BB calls $3.

Turn: ($12) Q (2 players)
Hero bets $6, BB folds.

These all look pretty fine, although I'm at the same place as you, I've just moved from FR to 6max. I've played 2500 hands there so far and am doing well. It's an interesting transition though, I've gone from being a nothingy multitabling profitable nit at FR to a semi-loose aggressive type. I'm personally finding 6max great fun, as there are less nits, and you have to learn to play poker at 6max, whereas there isn't that much poker necessary at low-stakes full ring.

Hand 1: Check the river every single time. No hand you beat will ever call. (Not 4 card straight to an A) and you have to fold to a raise.

Hand 2: If you raise preflop, you'd likely just take down the pot and it'd be very risky to call his lead. Fine as played.

Hand 3: That's tough. Very difficult. The only hands that make any sense are bluffs, 22, or 44 (possibly KT). Reads would be very, very important here. Is he the type that plays every pot? If so, he might think that KQ/KJ is good here. If you're going to call the turn, you might as well push, given that you're calling any bet on the river anyways. At least put some pressure on your opponent.

Hand 4: Raise is fine (though aggressive) should fold to a reraise preflop. Likely dominated. Fine as played, (sorry about the bad beat, at least you got your $ in while ahead).

Hand 5: Very well played. (representing 2 pair).

Originally Posted by yorib

Hand 1: Check the river every single time. No hand you beat will ever call.

I disagree. You're losing value if you always worry about straights when the action makes it almost impossible that someone could have the card that fills the straight. Bet $8 and you'll usually get called if he has a jack (which he probably does). I'd almost be tempted to call the all-in because it seems so improbable that he could have a five.

OP: I think the first three hands are OK. For the last two, just because it's 6-max doesn't mean you should be calling big raises pre-flop in bad situations with bad hands. A hand like QT suited isn't going to hit enough flop very hard that you can afford to call the $2 re-raise. Limping in the SB and calling a raise with a hand like 75 isn't the way to deal with an agressive player. That's a good flop to play back at him on though.

Originally Posted by mcatdog

Originally Posted by yorib

Hand 1: Check the river every single time. No hand you beat will ever call.

I disagree. You're losing value if you always worry about straights when the action makes it almost impossible that someone could have the card that fills the straight. Bet $8 and you'll usually get called if he has a jack (which he probably does). I'd almost be tempted to call the all-in because it seems so improbable that he could have a five.
.

I agree here. You're betting for value but you have to put in a realistic bet. The 1/3 pot bet is just too easy to interpret as weakness, so you don't know if his raise is strong or not.

But this could so easily be a TPGK that I think you have to call it without a solid read.

Originally Posted by Ash256

These all look pretty fine, although I'm at the same place as you, I've just moved from FR to 6max. I've played 2500 hands there so far and am doing well. It's an interesting transition though, I've gone from being a nothingy multitabling profitable nit at FR to a semi-loose aggressive type. I'm personally finding 6max great fun, as there are less nits, and you have to learn to play poker at 6max, whereas there isn't that much poker necessary at low-stakes full ring.

I agree with you Ash, it does seem like it is less about nut camping and more about poker. How loose have you become? I went from 15/7 to about 21/11

Originally Posted by Anosmic

Originally Posted by mcatdog

Originally Posted by yorib

Hand 1: Check the river every single time. No hand you beat will ever call.

I disagree. You're losing value if you always worry about straights when the action makes it almost impossible that someone could have the card that fills the straight. Bet $8 and you'll usually get called if he has a jack (which he probably does). I'd almost be tempted to call the all-in because it seems so improbable that he could have a five.
.

I agree here. You're betting for value but you have to put in a realistic bet. The 1/3 pot bet is just too easy to interpret as weakness, so you don't know if his raise is strong or not.

But this could so easily be a TPGK that I think you have to call it without a solid read.

yeah, I think my river bet was weak, but I pretty much figured I was beat by then anyways. This screamed set or 2pair with 64 to me after they called the big turn bet.

Originally Posted by mcatdog

OP: I think the first three hands are OK. For the last two, just because it's 6-max doesn't mean you should be calling big raises pre-flop in bad situations with bad hands. A hand like QT suited isn't going to hit enough flop very hard that you can afford to call the $2 re-raise.

Can you explain this a bit more? I think I've over-adjusted to this from FR.
I raise more short handed but everyone's re-raising range has widened so I could see this costing me money if I fold to most re-raises. Are we saying muck most dominated hands (AJs, KQ, AQ) after a re-raise? (unless in position, against a loose raiser, etc)

I've gone from 22/8.5 to 40/20. I aint been on PT that long, is 40/20 LAG at 6max?

Whoops, I completely misread the board I thought it was 2345 not 2346 (so an A made a straight).

I agree with :

Anosmic wrote:
mcatdog wrote:
yorib wrote:
Hand 1: Check the river every single time. No hand you beat will ever call.


I disagree. You're losing value if you always worry about straights when the action makes it almost impossible that someone could have the card that fills the straight. Bet $8 and you'll usually get called if he has a jack (which he probably does). I'd almost be tempted to call the all-in because it seems so improbable that he could have a five.
.


I agree here. You're betting for value but you have to put in a realistic bet. The 1/3 pot bet is just too easy to interpret as weakness, so you don't know if his raise is strong or not.

But this could so easily be a TPGK that I think you have to call it without a solid read.

Originally Posted by Ash256

I've gone from 22/8.5 to 40/20. I aint been on PT that long, is 40/20 LAG at 6max?

Don't know what your sample size is but, yeah, it's laggy. Everyone's different 'cause it's a style thing but it wouldn't hurt to tighten up a little.

Originally Posted by Warpe

Originally Posted by Ash256

I've gone from 22/8.5 to 40/20. I aint been on PT that long, is 40/20 LAG at 6max?

Don't know what your sample size is but, yeah, it's laggy. Everyone's different 'cause it's a style thing but it wouldn't hurt to tighten up a little.

I've never played LAG before, I'm enjoying it... I think I'll stay like it a bit longer, then tighten up a bit... I'm learning a hell of a lot about the game by doing it, and I'm learning to understand other LAGs. It's also improving my postflop play, again, I'm learning how to play poker rather than betting top pair and folding middle pair. Also, the games where I'm at (and that I like to find) are fullstack nitfests, so I take a great deal of pleasure in ripping the table to pieces and forcing players to play back at me.

Just remember, make sure when you are going to play loose you are in position.

You'll definitely realize soon that you are playing too loose.