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Hypermegachi's 6-Max Texas Hold'em Limit Guide - Blind Steals - The Swings
I'm sure most of you have heard of the 300BB rule for full ring. And if you haven't you probably shouldn't be reading this guide. 300BB is the MINIMUM you should have for 6max. Don't even think about playing shorthanded without being properly bankrolled. I've taken 40BB swings up and down playing shorthanded within an hour or 2 (I've heard of people taking 100BB swings as well). Since you're playing many more marginal hands than normal, you'll be going to showdowns thinking you'll only win 60% of the time. Full ring, often you shouldn't go to showdown without being 80% sure you'll win. This amounts to way more swings than usual. Not being properly bankrolled is just asking the poker gods to bust you.
Anyways, on to more strategies...
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Defending Blind Steals
Playing the blinds well against a possible blind steal is very difficult. For one, playing the player is much more important. One of the many benefits of playing shorthanded is you get to improve your reading skills. This will transfer well when you move up limits, which tend to have better players (but still plenty fish in the sea).
If you suspect a steal, call with anything connected, anything suited, ace rag, king good kicker. If you feel like being aggressive, you can reraise with the slightly better hands and bet out on the flop no matter what comes. Most of the time I'll bet out on the flop if I suspect it's a steal. If they reraise, I'll relook at the board and put them on a hand. Playing the blinds against a steal is very dependent on your read on the player, so you just need to be in this situation lots of times before you get good.
Against thinking tight aggressive players I’ll reraise preflop. You may be dominated, you may not be. But the point is when you reraise, even with hands just barely callable, you are telling that player to screw off and not try again next time. Postflop, it is a constant battle of betting, check raising, check calling, reraising, capping, the whole deal. Your reading skills are put to the test!
Against passive players tight and loose, if you like your hand enough then call, and bet out on the flop. Fold to a raise. These players are too straightforward to try any tricky plays. If they call, they are probably on a draw. So bet the turn again if it’s a blank, and they will probably fold. If they call again, bet marginal and better hands. Check/call weak hands. Check/fold high card hands unless it's AK or AQ etc.
Against loose aggressives, well either call down, or go into a raising war. They will often show you crap at the showdown, but that doesn't mean they won't hit 2 pair with 53o. I like to call the preflop bet, and then call down with marginal hands, and fold everything else.
It takes lots and lots of experience to play well against blind steals. And since they happen infrequently, you can’t really assess how good your blind play is until you have a shitload of hands. You expect to break even in the long run…which beats losing all those blinds.
And a further note, heads up, ace high is a pretty good hand, especially if the board is ragged. Your opponents probably raised with face cards. With all unders you can be pretty sure they missed too. AK and AQ are strong hands because they don't run into kicker problems.
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Blind Stealing
Being in position is a huge advantage when you are blind stealing. You get to see what your opponents are doing. If you flop a monster, and they are defending their blinds, and they bet out, you can wait for the turn, and raise them there. You can take free cards, and do free showdowns. Bet if you think there’s more than a 50% chance they’ll fold or you have the best hand. Take the free cards and free showdowns if you think there is very little chance they’ll fold, and you have a weak hand.
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