I am the worst short-handed Poker Player ever!!!

TripleAce

This is getting ridiculous now. I play a good number of MTT tournaments online almost every night on iPoker for 20$, 30$, 25$ and 50$ , the average field is on around 300 players where the top 10% cash. On these tournaments I cash around 30% of the times and get the the Final Table around 10% of the time. A couple of weeks ago I reached 4 Final Tables on the same evening.

I enjoy MTT a great deal, however from time to time when I have some time constrains I play STT (10-handed or rarely 6-handed) and….I suck!!! In STT where usually 30% of the field cash, I probably cash only 20% of the times and way too many times I get eliminated in 4th place.

I just seem to play badly when the table gets short-handed. This is also why both online and live I end MTT in 3rd or 4th place way too many time and only a few times I got to actually win it…this frustrates me because we all know there is a huge different of prices between finishing 1st or 3rd/4th….. different story when I get heads up where I usually decline any type of deal live as I know I win 70% of the times (I used to play a lot of HU Games online).

Is anyone having the same problem with Short-Handed Poker here? I adjust my play when we get to short-handed games and play hands (ie. A-10, A-9, K-J, K-10, etc) that I wouldn’t probably play on a full-ring table, however I always seem to miss something.

Is there any tip you could give to improve short-handed poker, or a book you could advise?

Thank you all for your advises.

con_leche

1. Early stages, STT widen your opening range in LP, especially if folded to.

2. Mid-stages, use a sharp gear change and widen your opening range again, [in LP or OTB]. [Prob just before introduction of 100 level in standard 1,500 blind STT on I-poker].

3. Late stages. Open push more frequently, or raise 2.75 -3 BB OTB if you have more than about 14 BB.

You should always be trying to stay above 10 BB, as opposed to blinding down.

TripleAce

Thank you for your advices. I usually play the “Double Stack” STT on iPoker – this usually allows me to play a tight game for longer time. However if then I double up with some good hand, once the game gets short-handed I start having problem.

I like post-flop play and slow-play/trapping opponents, and I feel very uncomfortable against aggressive pre-flop players as I don’t like coin-flipping my tourney, especially when I am around average stack. Taking note of your valid points.

doke

TripleAce wrote: »

Is there any tip you could give to improve short-handed poker, or a book you could advise?

Cards are less important than reads and stack sizes when you're shorthanded, particularly shorthanded on the bubble as is the case in STTs. Watch how the other players are adjusting. You need to spend more time on questions like:

Is the big stack coasting?
Has the medium stack tightened up waiting for someone to get knocked out?
Is the short stack suddenly pushing every second hand?
What's your table image?
Who do you think will want to avoid confrontations with your stack and who will want to gamble?

All these things are as big a factor in what pots you decide to enter as your cards.

You should also almost never ever be limping preflop. Raise or fold.

Conbro

Surely youre not as bad as Macel Luske

TripleAce

Can anyone advise a good Sit & Go book? I checked in Amazon and there are a few - anyone read any of these? Any advice?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Sit+%27n+Go+Strategy+&Go.x=6&Go.y=10

dwayman

Sit 'n Go Strategy: Expert Advice for Beating One-Table Poker Tournaments by Collin Moshman is a good read. Well written with solid advice if your stuck. Some interesting points on what hand to play at each stage and is written by someone who really has played alot of STTs.

Sounds like you play a bit to tight which probably suits MTTs. I found that when I read advice for STTs I try and new stratagy, and I end up tightening up and stop winning as much.

Call me butter, I'm on a roll...

sirpsycho

this is interesting:

http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:Xqiw--h051YJ:ftrain.blogspot.com/2004/08/sng-strategy-at-last.html+sng+strategy&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=ie

con_leche

For the double stack STTs, you need to open your game up a little.

These games suit people who have good post flop skills. Many players cruise to the last 3-4 by playing many small pots, often without showdown, and very rarely endangering their whole stack.

This means you should be calling or raising with more speculative holdings in position.

Pay attention to table dynamics, so you know who to make moves on, re-pop etc., and know when you can play those draws aggressively.

If you have a good shortstacked game, and play your standard premium MTT opening hands well, then just play the regular STTs with shallower stacks.