What Hands Not To Play In Texas Holdem

• What Hands Not To Play In Texas Hold'em
• What Hands Should I Play In Texas Holdem
• Texas Holdem Hands Pdf
• Texas Holdem Hands In Order

Make sure you learn the best starting hands in Texas Hold'em poker and how to play them, as well as the worst starting hands to play. Playing the former and folding the latter will immediately make you a better player. Once you've got the basics of how to play, make sure to understand how your position at the table can help or hurt you. ‎Play Texas Holdem Poker Online against millions of players all around the world and prove your mega poker skills! Mega Hit Poker is designed to offer the BEST POKER EXPERIENCE POSSIBLE in a hand held device! Become a Champion in our Top Player Mode and prove that you are better than the rest! There are only 7 poker hands you need to know to start playing No Limit Texas Holdem. Our Texas Hold'em Strategy page will give you some basic advice on how not to lose all your chips on the first day. Pick from FREE Texas Holdem Download for PC, FREE Texas Holdem Download for Windows, FREE Texas Holdem Download for Android, Texas Hold'em. In Texas Hold’em Poker, you can ‘play the board’, or use a combination of pocket cards and community cards to form the strongest 5-card hand. As the legends of poker always say, “Texas Hold’em is an easy game to learn, but a tough game to master!”.

Sometimes the best texas hold em hand is made by the five shared cards on their own. If they were 10-10-10-10-A and you had 9-9 your hole cards would not play as there is a four-of-a-kind of higher value already showing. There are two ways a hand.

One of the first books I ever read about Texas holdem strategy was Phil Hellmuth’s Play Poker Like the Pros. And one of the first lessons I learned from that book was the importance of tight play before the flop. Hellmuth presents a list of the top 10 starting hands in Texas holdem, and he suggests that you ONLY play hands from that list.

His list is a little different from the one I present below, though. His list consists of any pocket pair of 7s or better, plus ace king suited and ace queen suited.

My list is less bull-ish on pocket pairs, though. I also include some more high hands that have suited and connected value.

Of course, you should consider any guide to Texas holdem starting hands to be like training wheels on a bicycle. They’re great at first—maybe even necessary—but eventually, you shouldn’t need a starting hands chart at all. You’re just able to make good decisions based on the situations you’re in.

1- Pocket Aces

Unless you’re completely unfamiliar with poker or you’ve been living under a rock, you already know that pocket aces are the strongest starting hand in Texas holdem. It’s also one of the easiest hands to play correctly. Just bet and raise with it.

Since it’s impossible for any of the other players in the hand to have a better starting hand, betting and raising with pocket aces is always correct.

I have read that some players like to check with pocket aces if they’re in first position at a full table. The idea is that someone behind you will bet and maybe someone will even raise, giving you the opportunity to re-raise and maybe even put them all-in. (This applies mostly to no limit games.)

My friend Wes insists that checking with pocket aces is always a mistake, even in this limited set of circumstances. Sometimes I check with pocket aces just to get on his nerves.

Anyway, pocket aces pretty much play themselves. They often win even if the hand doesn’t improve over the course of the flop, turn, and river.

2- Pocket Kings

Playing pocket kings preflop is also dead simple. You just bet and raise with this hand repeatedly. Your goal should be to get all your chips into the pot before the flop. The only way you can possibly be dominated when you have pocket kings is if one of your opponents has pocket aces. And your opponents usually DON’T have pocket aces.

What Hands Not To Play In Texas Hold'em

You’ll get calls from players with pocket jacks, pocket queens, or ace king or ace queen suited. In all those situations, you’re the favorite, so getting your money in the pot in that situation is the right thing to do.

Pocket kings get tricky when an ace shows up on the flop. Now you have to start thinking about what you’re going to do next.

You want to avoid making the mistake of overplaying your hand in this situation. Pocket kings aren’t the nuts, and once the flop has hit, the strength of your hand has likely changed. It’s okay to fold.

Position is important when that ace hits, because if you’re in late position, you can get a feel for what your opponent might be holding.

Don’t be afraid to fold pocket kings when an ace shows up on the flop, though. You shouldn’t automatically give up on the hand, either, but don’t play it like it’s the nuts.

Lots of players, especially newcomers or beginners, are really bullish on aces preflop—even if their other card is low in value and not of the same suit. Be willing to give your opponent credit for having that ace I the hole.

3- Pocket Queens

It’s even more important to avoid getting married to pocket queens than it is to avoid marrying pocket kings. You should bet and raise with pocket queens before the flop, although maybe less aggressively than you would aces or kings. You then need to be cautious if you see a king or an ace on the flop.

I almost never fold pocket queens before the flop, because the odds of my opponent having pocket kings or pocket aces are so low.

But the odds that someone still in the hand on the flop has one king or one ace preflop are good, so if I see one of those cards on the flop, I start getting more cautious. If I’m first to act, I’m usually good for a continuation bet, but if I get raised or re-raised, I’m willing to get away from the hand.

If I’m in late position with pocket queens, I’m often good for a bet if no one has acted, but I’m probably not going to raise or re-raise aggressive players in early position.

Pocket queens are a great hand, but they’re not the same as pocket kings or aces and shouldn’t be played as if they were.

4- Ace King Suited

Ace king is often called “big slick,” and if the 2 cards are suited, some players call the hand “super slick.” Players fall in love with this hand, as well they should, but it’s important to remember that ace king suited is a speculative hand. If you don’t catch something that helps on the flop, ace king is one you need to be willing to get away from on the flop.

In David Sklansky’s hand groupings, the best possible hands are in “Group 1.” These hands include pocket jacks, queens, kings, or aces. They also include ace king suited.

But there’s a big difference between ace king suited and any of these pocket pairs. In fact, even pocket jacks has a huge difference in strength from pocket aces.

The trick to playing ace king is to avoid overvaluing the hand. Yes, you should bet and probably even raise with this hand preflop. You just need to be ready to get away from the hand on the flop.

It’s also important to pay attention to your opponents’ tendencies. Ace king suited is easily dominated by pocket queens, kings, or aces.

But you also have lots of possibilities with this hand, including the possible nut flush. My favorite move in Texas holdem is to hit 4 to a flush with ace king suited and then play it really aggressively.

This is a classic semi-bluff. You probably don’t have the best hand on the flop, but you still have a roughly 1/3 chance of hitting the nut flush. Combine that with the possibility that your opponents might fold in the face of your aggression, and you have a situation with a lot of expected value.

5- Pocket Jacks

This is the lowest pair in David Sklansky’s top tier hand grouping. This might also be the biggest trouble hand in Texas holdem. It’s easy to overvalue pocket jacks, especially if you haven’t had a lot of playable hand in your time at the table. (I don’t know anyone who enjoys folding for an hour straight.)

The most important factor to consider when playing pocket jacks is position. If you’re in early position, betting or raising with pocket jacks is a good idea, but be cautious when someone plays back against you. From late position, raising is okay against a single opponent, but against multiple bettors and raisers, you might be in trouble.

When the flop hits, it’s time to pay attention. You’ll see overcards on the flop 2/3 of the time, and chances are good that someone has at least a queen in the hole if they’re still in the pot with you. What you’re really hoping for with pocket jacks is to pick up a small pot uncontested preflop, or to hit the flop hard enough that you can play back at someone with big cards.

Pocket jacks are almost always playable, but they’re small pot hands that you need to be willing to get away from.

6- Pocket 10s

I still raise preflop with pocket 10s, especially if I’m in late position, but I’m more cautious with them in late position. I’m almost always in trouble when a high card hits on the flop, and if 2 high cards hit on the flop, I gotta get out of there.

The best case scenario with pocket 10s is the same as with any smaller pair. You’re really hoping to hit a set, which happens rarely, but when it does… you’re going to win a big pot.

Don’t be afraid of making a continuation bet on the flop, though. Just be ready to get away from the hand if one of your opponents starts playing back at you.

Don’t forget, though, that your opponent doesn’t know what you’re holding. Even if an overcard hits, it might not be the overcard that your opponent needs. By making a continuation bet, you can sometimes get your opponent to fold and take down a small pot right away on the flop.

The number of players makes a difference, too—especially preflop. If you’re playing at a full table, your pocket 10s might or might not be the best hand. But if you’re playing at a table with 5 or 6 players, it’s often going to be the best preflop hand out there. This means you should play it aggressively before the flop.

7- Ace King (Not Suited)

Ace king offsuit doesn’t play much differently than ace skin suited, but the difference is big. If you can run the guys holding smaller pairs off before the flop, you’ll be doing well. If you miss the flop, you really have no choice but to slow down. Since you don’t have the flush potential or the semi-bluff potential with the unsuited ace king, it’s a trickier hand to play.

Still, ace king is a premium hand, because you have 6 cards that will improve your hand on the flop. If you see an ace on the flop, you have the best possible pair with the best possible kicker. If you see a king on the flop, you have the top visible pair with the best possible kicker. Someone with pocket aces has you beat, but that’s unlikely.

A lot of players have trouble with big slick, but you needn’t have trouble with it. Play it strong preflop, then slow down on the flop if you miss the flop. If you hit the flop, hit the gas. Most of the time, especially at the lower stakes, all you need to do to play profitable poker is to fold your bad cards and bet and raise with your good cards.

Some advanced players will call this “ABC poker.”

But ABC poker is the beginning of poker wisdom. If you can’t play good ABC poker, you’ll have no chance of doing well with more complicated, multi-level strategies.

8- Ace Queen Suited

I’ve seen poker writers call ace queen suited the worst possible best hand. I’m not sure that’s the case, but ace queen suited is much weaker than ace king suited, even though a lot of players don’t make a distinction.

At a full table, you’re probably going to do just as well by folding ace queen suited from early position as anywhere else. If you’re in middle or late position, ace queen suited is a betting and raising hand, but it’s a hard hand to play from early position.

If there’s a lot of betting and raising preflop, the only sensible move is to fold the ace queen suited and wait for a better hand. Chances are that if a lot of people are betting and raising, someone has a reasonably high pair or at least ace king. In either of those cases, your ace queen suited is thoroughly dominated. Don’t put money in the pot if you’re sure you’re dominated.

The best time and way to play ace queen suited is when you have position and everyone else has demonstrated weakness. You’re hoping to hit an ace or a queen on the flop. You also have a shot at the nut flush, but that gap between ace and queen represents a king which can be a lot of trouble.

It’s easy to miss the flop entirely with ace queen suited, too. If that’s the case with you, it might be your best bet to not bet at all, but just check and fold.

Ace queen suited is considered a trouble hand, but it doesn’t have to be. You just need to be willing to fold it in the face of aggression or in the face of a flop that doesn’t fit your cards.

9- Ace Jack Suited

I don’t play ace jack unsuited at all, and ace jack suited is only barely playable. I’d really rather have a pair of 8s or 9s than ace jack suited. In fact, ace jack suited has all the same problems as ace queen suited, only more so.

Ace jack suited is really best suited for play from late position when you see weakness from your opponents. It might also be more playable at a short-handed table.

You need to hit the flop hard with this hand if you’re going to get into a confrontation with another player. Even if the highest card on the flop is a jack, you’re still very vulnerable to other higher cards on the turn and the river.

Of course, your best case scenario is to hit a big flush, but that’s unusual. But that possibility warrants mentioning, because without the flush possibility, ace jack isn’t even playable most of the time.

I’ve seen ace queen suited called the worst best starting hand, but I think that’s because more people realize just how weak ace jack suited really is. If they weren’t sure about that, ace jack suited would certainly be at least as bad.

10- King Queen Suited

I like king queen suited. I think it’s an easy hand to play.

If you’re in early position, limp in with king queen suited, but only if you’re at a passive table. If you’re at an aggressive table, you’re probably better off folding king queen suited from early position.

You can also limp with king queen suited from middle or later position, and if everyone seems weak, you can even raise with king queen suited from late position.

One of the beauties of king queen suited is that it’s pretty easy to tell where you’re at after the flop. You either have a flush or a strong flush draw, or you don’t. You either have a straight or a strong straight draw, or you don’t. You’ve either hit a high pair or not. Either way, you have an okay kicker.

You should never play king queen suited as aggressively as pocket aces or pocket kings, but this shouldn’t be a trouble hand, either. Pay attention to your position, and pay attention to how well the flop fits your hand. Then play accordingly.

Conclusion

You can safely ignore any of this advice about the top 10 Texas holdem starting hands and still win at poker. This is a card game, not chess. So many factors, including random chance, affect your outcome that even if you make mistakes, you can come out ahead.

In fact, with only a little bit of searching, you’ll find other lists of the top 10 starting hands in Texas holdem that include different hands from what I’ve included here. I think most people will agree that between this list and 1 or 2 of those other lists, almost all the playable opening hands will be covered.

If you’re playing for lower stakes, ABC poker should be enough to make you profitable. Bet and raise when you think you have the best hand, and fold or check when you think someone else does.

Which hands would you include on your list of the top 10 Texas holdem starting hands and why?

Full ring poker tables, or those with a 9 or 10-player max, are a good place to learn no-limit Texas holdem. The reason why is because you don’t see the blinds as often, meaning full ring tables are a cheaper way to practice.

But most players don’t remain exclusive to these games. They often branch out to shorthanded tables, either for a different cash game experience or because they’re forced to in tournaments.

Shorthanded poker requires a different approach than full ring, because you’re dealing with fewer players. But the upside is that you can also make more money due to a greater volume of hands.

If you’re new to shorthanded poker, keep reading as I cover everything a beginner should know. Specifically, I’ll discuss more about this game, why you should play smaller tables, and what shorthanded Texas holdem strategy is.

What is Shorthanded Texas Holdem?

A shorthanded poker table features 6 or fewer players. You’ll also see these tables referred to as 6-max games.

6-max cash games never allow more than six players to enter the game. You’ll see a good number of these in online poker lobbies.

Poker tournaments begin with full ring tables, but they see shorthanded tables develop as more players are eliminated.

One of the tournament director’s jobs is to spot these shorthanded tables and consolidate them with larger tables.

6-max games play faster than full ring tables in both live and online play. Here are some common averages for different types of poker tables.

• 6-max online table = 80 hands per hour
• Full ring online table= 60 hands
• 6-max live table = 30 hands
• Full ring live table = 20 hands

Why Should You Play Shorthanded Texas Holdem?

Here are the three best reasons to play shorthanded Texas holdem.

1. More action.
2. Less folding.
3. More hands per hour for profitable players.

Many recreational poker players become bored with folding hand after hand. But this is the dynamic in full ring games, because more players mean the potential for a stronger winning hand.

Tables with six or fewer players don’t see as strong of winning hands. This means that you can play a wider range of cards and still have a chance of taking the pot down.

Shorthanded holdem players will appreciate the fact that they won’t be folding as many hands on average.

If you’re a successful holdem player, then you’ll also like how shorthanded games can increase your profits. The fact that you see more hands also means that you have additional chances to win money.

How Does Shorthanded Texas Holdem Differ from Full Ring Holdem?

I’ve already covered the basics of how shorthanded Texas holdem differs from full ring games. But how does the overall strategy and gameplay change?

The biggest strategy change comes with what kind of starting hands you should be willing to play.

A tight-aggressive (TAG) approach works best in full ring games, where you can sit back and play premium hands. But the blinds will really eat your chip stack in shorthanded cash games and tournaments.

For example, you might not normally raise with AJ in middle position on a 9-player table. But this can be a good hand to raise within a shorthanded game.

It’s good to be aggressive on the button in unraised pots. But this is especially important on smaller tables, where raising with any decent hand can take the pot down.

Overall, 6-max games play faster and more aggressively than what you’ll see at full ring tables. Furthermore, many of these shorthanded pots are won before the flop.

Strategy for Short Handed Texas Holdem

The general strategy between full ring and shorthanded holdem is that the latter requires more aggressive play.

Of course, this doesn’t tell you anything specific. This is why I’m going to cover 7 tips that all shorthanded Texas holdem beginners should know.

1 – Play Tight in the Beginning

This tip contradicts what I’ve discussed so far. Nevertheless, you should play almost as tight as you do in full ring games when starting out in shorthanded holdem.

Playing aggressively leads to more losses for players that don’t have a good feel for smaller tables. And inexperienced 6-max players sometimes get carried away by playing too many hands.

A good full ring player only plays around 15-20% of their hands on average. A good shorthanded player will play 25-35% of their hands.

The number of hands you play shouldn’t increase by a tremendous amount, such as 45-55%. Instead, you want to gradually increase your playable hand range.

A beginner should focus on playing premium hands, along with a few hands outside the lines of big pocket pairs, mid pocket pairs, and high suited connectors.

The goal is to increase your playable hand range as you become more confident in your skills and in analyzing opponents. I’ll discuss more on what hands you should play in Tip #3.

2 – Raise into Hands – Don’t Limp

One of the keys to becoming a successful poker player is realizing that your strategy should vary based on opponents and the table dynamic. But a good general poker strategy rule is that you want to make preflop raises into unopened pots, or those that haven’t seen a raise yet.

Here are three goals that you accomplish by raising preflop in unopened pots:

1. You show hand strength.
2. You force players to pay to see the flop.
3. You build fold equity for post-flop play.

Beginning with the first point, raising shows players that you likely have a strong hand. Therefore, they’re less likely to try and bluff you out of the pot.

Regarding the second goal, you want to limit the number of players who see the flop when you have a strong hand.

Your goal should be to isolate a single player so that you have a better chance of winning the hand if it goes to the showdown. Contrast this to multiple players seeing the flop, which decreases the chances that your strong cards will eventually win the hand.

The best way to thin the field out is with a raise worth 3x the big blind (bb). This is just enough to where few players won’t call with speculative hands, but also low enough to where you can get out of the hand cheaply when re-raised.

Of course, I’m not saying that you should fold to every re-raise. But if you’re holding pocket jacks or AK and worried that somebody has a better hand, you won’t feel as bad about sacrificing 3xbb.

As for the third goal, building fold equity increases the chances that you can take down the pot before the showdown.

This goes back to the first point of showing hand strength. When players believe that you have a good preflop hand, they’re more likely to think that you’ll flop a strong hand.

This sets you up for good continuation betting (c-betting) scenarios in case you miss the flop. A c-bet combined with fold equity is more likely to convince your opponent to fold and help you take the pot.

Limping is a passive move that doesn’t show hand strength or build fold equity. Furthermore, it’s likely that you’ll be re-raised by somebody who thinks they can steal the pot.

It makes sense to limp into pots in specific situations, like when your table is full of calling stations whom you can out-play post-flop. But most of the time, you should either fold, raise, re-raise, or call a raise/re-raise.

3 – Play in Position

The most desirable position to be in on any poker table is the dealer’s seat (a.k.a. the button) because you act last after other players. This means you have more info on opponents and can use their betting actions to judge their hand strength.

In contrast, the worst spots to be in are the seats closest to the dealer’s left (a.k.a. early position). Anybody raising from the spots should have good hand strength because they must make their bets before anybody else.

Here are the different table positions in a 6-max game:

• Early position = Small blind, big blind, seat to big blind’s left (under the gun or “UTG” ).
• Middle position = Seat to UTG’s left.
• Late position = Seat to the button’s right (a.k.a. the cut-off or “CO”) and the button.

The great thing about playing from the CO and late position is that you act after other players. If an early position TAG player makes a 3x-4xbb raise, you can fold something like KQs that you might otherwise play.

Early position is at a huge disadvantage because they could easily be re-raised by a later player. This is why you should narrow your hand range from this spot and avoid playing speculative hands.

The blinds act last before the flop. But they’re still considered early position because they act before everybody post-flop.

Middle position is aptly named because they’re sitting in an in-between spot. You can raise with a wider range here in unopened pots, but you still need to worry about the button and CO.

You’ll see table position play a heavy factor in the starting hand advice listed below.

4 – Follow a Starting Poker Hand Chart

I can’t stress enough how important is to base your strategy on the situation. This means that you shouldn’t always have a strict strategy for starting hands.

But a starting hand chart helps immensely in the beginning as you learn shorthanded Texas holdem.

If you’re coming from full ring holdem, or you’re new to poker overall, then you won’t have a good idea on what starting hands to play. But by following a chart, you can quickly master what hands play well on a shorthanded table.

Here’s a starting hand chart that shows when to raise, call, and 3-bet from each 6-max position. (Note that “s” means suited.)

Small Blind

• Raise = AA, KK, QQ, JJ, TT, 99, AKs, AK, AQs, AQ, AJs, AJ, KQs
• Limp = 88, 77, 66
• 3-bet (third bet on a street) = AA, KK, QQ

Big Blind

• Raise = AA, KK, QQ, JJ, TT, 99, AKs, AK, AQs, AQ, AJs, AJ, KQs
• Limp = N/A
• 3-bet = AA, KK, QQ

Under the Gun

• Raise = Most pocket pairs (AA to 44), AKs, AK, AQs, AQ, AJs, AJ, KQs
• Limp = No hands
• 3-bet = AA, KK, QQ

Middle Position

• Raise = Any pocket pair (22+); suited ace hands from AKs to A9s; offsuit ace hands from AK to AJ; and KQs, KQ, QJs
• Limp = Low pocket pairs (a.k.a. “set mining”); AKs, AK, AQs, AQ, KQs
• 3-bet = AA, KK, QQ

Cut-off

• Raise = Any pocket pair (22+); suited ace hands from AKs to A6s; offsuit ace hands from AK to AT; other suited hands from KQs to T8s; and other offsuit hands from KQ to JT
• Limp = Middle and lower pocket pairs
• 3-bet = AA, KK, QQ, JJ

Button

• Raise = Any pocket pair (22+); any suited Ax combo; offsuit ace hands from AK to A9; other suited hands from KQs to 86s; other offsuit hands from KQ to T9
• Limp = Middle and lower pocket pairs
• 3-bet = AA, KK, QQ, JJ

What Hands Should I Play In Texas Holdem

You can see that there’s an overlap in hands you should raise and limp with regarding certain suited connectors and pocket pairs. I suggest either raising or folding these overlapping cards (no limping) until you have a better understanding of your opponents and the table dynamic.

Also note that these starting hands are for a shorthanded table with six players. You should loosen up your starting hand requirements even more when there are 5 or fewer players.

5 – Gradually Become More Aggressive

A starting hand chart should only serve as a base when learning shorthanded Texas holdem. The ultimate goal is to open up your play and take advantage of more opportunities.

This allows you to steal more pots and blinds, which is crucial with blind orbits coming around more often.

But the key is to gradually become more aggressive, rather than forcing raises and re-raises just to create a looser table image. Too many beginners read about becoming more aggressive, then force the action.

New shorthanded players should instead let their aggression come naturally as they gain experience. You’ll eventually recognize certain situations that allow you to open up your hand range and take advantage of the situation.

One great thing about playing aggressively is that it allows you to win pots through two ways.

1. Forcing opponents to fold.
2. Having the best hand at the showdown.

If you’re only limping into pots and calling raises, then you can’t win uncontested pots. Instead, you need to rely on having the best cards in these situations.

Once again, the key is to gain experience at shorthanded tables before opening up your hand range.

Start out by playing tight on shorthanded tables (Tip #1), then continue observing situations where it’s profitable to play aggressively with a wider range of hands.

6 – Changing Gears when Tournament Play Becomes Short Handed

You’ll run into shorthanded situations as poker tournaments move along. This is especially the case if you play online sit and go’s (SNGs), which consist of a single table.

You’ll also experience situations where play goes from shorthanded to full ring when multi-table tournaments consolidate tables.

In either case, you need the ability to change gears once play becomes full ring or shorthanded.

Full ring play requires a tighter style and starting hand requirements. The reason why is because you need a better overall hand to win in these situations.

But you should open up your play as soon as you see the table reduced to six or fewer players. This isn’t overly difficult as long as you’re paying attention and remember that you need to switch up your play on shorthanded tables.

It pays to be experienced with both full and 6-max up tables when making this happen. This is why I suggest that tournament players spend time in all different types of tourneys, so they can develop these skills.

MTTs start with full ring tables and see shorthanded tables develop along the way. But you can also find online 6-max tournaments that allow you to practice shorthand play.

As mentioned before, SNGs are great for practicing the transition from full ring to shorthanded play. You don’t have to play deep into SNGs to experience 6-max play, because they end relatively quickly.

Cash games make for good practice too, whether you need to work on 6-max or full ring play. But these aren’t perfect when practicing for tournaments, because you’re not dealing with short-stacked situations.

Cash players can reload their chip stacks at any time. Tournament players, on the other hand, are dealing with finite stacks.

Texas Holdem Hands Pdf

This is why it’s nice to get specific experience in shorthanded tourney play. Doing so combines different stack sizes with the aggressive play that happens on 6-max tables.

7 – Always Consider that Your Opponent may Have Something

One more tip for shorthanded Texas holdem is to always consider that opponents can have a hand.

Shorthanded tables feature more semi-bluffing and pot stealing on a per-hand basis. But this doesn’t mean that players are bluffing every other hand.

You should assume that a player has good cards until you have more information on them. Don’t fall into the trap of worrying about bluffs just because 6-max players are more aggressive.

Keep an eye on your opponents and study their tendencies. If a TAG player is betting aggressively from early position, then it’s a sign that they probably have a great starting hand.

Texas Holdem Hands In Order

You’re better off folding and assuming they have something, rather than losing a much-bigger pot later on.

But if a loose-aggressive player is constantly trying to steal the blinds from late position, there’s a chance that they’re semi-bluffing.

The key is to build profiles on your opponents, then use this info to catch the small percentage of the time when you‘re being bluffed.

Conclusion

Poker fundamentals transition well across tables of any size. But you should still note the key differences when moving from a full ring to a shorthanded table.

The main thing that you should do is play more hands on 6-max tables. This helps you counteract the greater frequency of blinds and win more uncontested pots.

Beginners should slowly transition into being more aggressive. Use the starting hand chart that I covered before until you develop a good feel for 6-max play.

Of course, individual tables will call on you to vary your strategy based on the situation. And this is where experience helps you adapt to different situations.

In summary, shorthanded Texas holdem is a faster-paced game that’s really fun once you get the hang of the strategy. And if you become really good at these tables, you’re going to make even more money due to playing more hands per hour.