Mastering Six Player Max Hold 'Em Games
Six player max hold 'em ring games vary from the full table games in a few areas that if you aren't prepared for will cause you to have a losing session. The largest difference by far is the speed at which the game is played. Typically in a full table game you can avoid mixing it up in a lot of pots without having the blinds demolish your chip stack. In a six handed game, however, the blinds will reach you much faster forcing more action.
If you're playing online you'll notice that the hands played per hour is much higher in a six handed game than in a full table. If four players at the table fold, you're left with two players going to the flop. If one bets and the other guy hasn't connected with anything worth while on the board, you have a winner. In full table games where you have 33% of the table seeing the flop you'll see more turns and rivers than at a six handed game with 33% of the table seeing the flop.
The number of players seeing flops is a very important number to look at when selecting your six handed table. The higher the percentage, the more players are taking flops. This number will tell you if the table is playing tight or loose. A loose table may be more profitable for a tight aggressive player than a tight table, as you have more opponents to extract chips from. On the other hand, a tight table may be more profitable for a loose player to steal pots from.
Momentum plays a larger factor in table play with fewer players. In a full table game it is much more difficult to control the pace of the game than in a six handed situation. By keeping your opponents on their toes with pre-flop raises and semi-bluffs you can set them up for the knock out blow as soon as you pick up a strong hand.
However, you need to think more about your hand selection when deciding which pots to enter into. Drawing with two card gap hands such as 10 7 can be less profitable in a six handed game than in a full table. Why? You have less opponents in the hand to begin with, which alters both your pot odds and investment odds. If you're heads up against an opponent at a six handed game with an open ended straight draw who bets the pot at you your call is nowhere near profitable, even if you think you could take his stack if you hit. In a full table game where you have more opponents in the hand the same pot sized bet could turn in your favor if additional opponents make the call.
By far the most important factor to winning or losing in a short handed game is your bankroll management strategy. Being that the blinds will be reaching you much faster its important to enter into the game with enough chips to manage the blinds. In a full table game you can come into the table with a lot less chips and just wait for a winning hand. In six handed you'll see a lot less hands for the same amount of chips. If you start playing three hands per round, your chip stack will go even faster.
By choosing the right table for your playing style, entering the table with the right amount of chips, and taking control of the momentum at the table you'll be mopping the floor with your opponents in no time.

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