6 Max Poker

6 max poker games have gained in popularity in the online poker world over the past few years. You will notice the short handed tables populating the games lobby with many players migrating across from full ring tables.

Because of the increased pressure from the blinds compared to a 10 handed table, 6 max players will play in the blinds 1/3 of the time, which forces you to play marginal hands. This adds to the excitement of the game because you get to see more flops and make more decisions, instead of just waiting for a premium hand and playing straight forward poker.

Of course, this attracts more gamblers to 6 max games and generally the game is more aggressive in nature compared to full ring games, but you can never accuse 6 max games of being boring, especially if you are multi-tabling 6 max tables.

Interestingly, because of the aggressive nature of the games experienced players have the potential to win more then what they would at normal full ring games. The secret to doing well at 6 max poker tables is playing well post flop. If you can make fewer mistakes then your opponents post flop, you will make a killing playing 6 max poker online.

Now let’s take a look at a few strategies that will allow you to make a smooth transition from 9 handed tables to 5-6 handed tables. The most important strategy to keep in mind at 6 max poker games is starting hand selection by position, hand strength, and playing style adjustments. Understanding these key concepts will develop you into an successful 6 max player.

Making The Necessary Adjustments For 6 Max Poker Games

Since the dynamics of the game are different in 6 max games, as you would expect, there are certain adjustments which need to be made in order to beat the game on a consistent basis. It is necessary to open up your game especially in late position and to play more hands. It’s still important to open raise with a tight range in early position because there are other players still to act behind you, but in late position, which is the CO and the BTN in 6 max games, you want to be raising 30% or more of your hands and really step on the gas.

On the other hand, if you don’t make the necessary adjustments and play like a rock (very tight), you will be crushed in 6 max games. The blinds come too quickly and you will get blinded out if you only wait for premium starting hands to raise with. You cannot afford to play that tight. You need to loosen up a little bit, look to be stealing the blinds and re-steal against the aggressive stealers whenever you think they are just trying to steal the blinds.

If you find yourself getting outplayed by the loose aggressive players in 6 max games, then you will need to evaluate your game. The aggressive nature of 6 max games is not for everyone. It can be very difficult playing in games when you have very aggressive players who are directly to your left. By taking into account your seating position, starting hands, and game dynamics, it can change the way you look at poker and make you an overall solid poker player, even for 6 max games.

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