Harrington: Online 6 Flashcards
Full ring
An online game with 9 seats. Live versions can have up to 11
6 max
An online game with 6 seats.
Range
The set of hands you choose to play in a given situation.
Reasons 6-max tables play differently than full ring:
- Players have wider ranges
- Multitabling’s more difficult in 6-max
- The blinds are less disadvantaged
- There is more skill in 6 max
Why do players have a wider range in 6 max?
The hands you need to probably have the best one broaden with the decrease in players
What happens in most full ring games when they’re short handed?
Play continues as usual, without adjusting for the decrease in players
Why do the increased ranges in 6-max games increase the skill required?
The wider ranges allow for more calls, re-raises, & bluffs, which generates more action. This calls for better decision making, which puts pressure on weaker players.
Why is multi-tabling more difficult in 6 max?
The increased pace/number of hands
Why are the blinds less disadvantaged in 6-max?
Any hand in a blind is in relatively better position in 6-max because of the increased ranges.
How does ABC poker fare in 6-max?
Much more poorly than in full ring games, as it’s hard to keep up with the aggression.
What benefit does 6-hand practice grant in full ring games?
When they’re short handed you’ll have an edge over players that don’t adjust their style.
If you’re skilled what should happen to your bankroll in 6 vs full ring?
It should expand about the same, but 6-max will be more volatile due to the increased number of all in showdowns
Which table should build skill more quickly?
6-max, the decision making required to succeed is greater, making more opportunities for improvement.
UTG
Under the gun-left of BB
UTG +1
Left of under the gun. Not used for 6 max
MP
Middle position. Left of UTG position(s), 2nd to act in 6-max
MP+1
Left of middle position. Not used in 6-max
HJ
Hijack. Left of MP +1. Not used in 6-max
CO
Cutoff. Left of MP (or HJ for full ring)
BTN
Button, the position
SB
Small blind, the position
BB
Big blind, the position
What are the two axis of player classification?
Tight and loose
Aggressive and passive
Tight and loose refer to
How many hands the player is willing to play before the flop
Aggressive and passive refer to
How a player will play a hand once they’ve entered the pot. Aggressive players bet and raise, passive players check and call
What are the four types of players?
- Tight and aggressive
- Tight and passive
- Loose and aggressive
- loose and passive
The four principles of No Limit Hold’em
- The Strength Principle
- The Aggression Principle
- The Betting Principle
- The Deception principle
The Strength Principle
In general, you want to bet with your strong hands, call or check with your hands of middle strength, and fold or bluff with your weak hands
Checking is better than betting with a middling hand because…
If you bet and they fold you haven’t gained much, if you bet and they re-raise you may have to throw away a hand that would have won.
Why bluff your worthless hands?
If you bet and are re-raised you can fold at no extra cost. Doing this with a marginal hand may mean you may fold the winner
The aggression principle
In general aggression (betting and raising) is better than passivity (checking and calling)
Why is aggressive better in poker?
Being aggressive gives you two ways to win (showdown and opponents folding) vs one (showdown) for passive
Folding equity
Value we gain when we make our opponents give up.
All bets have this, but calling and checking have none
Folding equity
The betting principle
In general, a bet should do one of three things:
1. Force a better hand to fold
2. Force a weaker hand to call
3. Force a draw to put more money in the pot to see another card
We bet to force a better hand to fold…
So we can win pots that would probably otherwise be lost
We bet to force a weaker hand to call…
To build a pot we’re favored to win
We bet to force drawing hands to call…
To charge them to see that card
When the board is dangerous but you probably have the better hand, and weaker hands will probably fold, what is your goal?
To get to the showdown as cheaply as possible
The deception principle
In general, you never want to do the anything all the time
The deception principle is more important…
The better your opponents are
When is straightforward play closest to optimal?
When your opponents aren’t paying attention
Why is deception important?
Otherwise they can read your strategy and get in your OODA loop
What hands you play should be a function of…
Your own style, how you perceive other players at the table, and perhaps, most importantly, how they perceive you.
Instead of trying to describe one range as best, we…
Describe situations where one range is better than others.
Lower Broadway cards and suited connectors, require more judgment, because…
You find yourself with more middle pairs and drawing hands.
When can you favor looser ranges under the gun?
When you have confidence in your ability relative to the table
If the table is loose, you should blank. Conversely?
Tighten your range. Conversely, if it’s tight you can loosen.
When the table reacts to your style, you should…
Adapt.
Why can you raise with more hands in later positions?
- There are a few fewer players behind you, so there’s a better chance no one has a hand they want to play.
- There’s a better chance you will have position on any opponent after the flop.
An example percent to open with, as starting under the gun at 10% of hands
10/15/22/30
Opening from the small blind is different because…
The remaining player will have position on you
In the small blind, use your position for the button, unless…
The big blind calls frequently and uses his position well. Then tighten up.
Bet sizes for opening raises
Min raise-twice the size of the big blind
Standard raise-three or 3.5 big blinds pot sized is in this range (3.5)
A big raise 5 to 6 big blinds is considered a big raise.
To put in a pot sized raise, you must…
Put in enough money to call any existing raise, then add an amount equal to the size of the new pot.
The two advantages, in general, of a pot sized raise
- It’s large enough to deny your opponents, great calling, odds with speculative hands.
- It’s small enough to allow hands of moderate strength to play against you.
What size are most raises in no limit Hold’em?
The size of the pot or a little less
If you bet too big…
Only great hands will call and you’re at best a small favorite to win
If you bet, too small…
You’re giving every reasonable hand correct odds to call your bet
The benefit of always opening with the same size raise:
It denies opponents information about your hand via bet size
You may want to make bigger raises from early positions, because…
You have stronger hands, but are out of position. This gives you bigger pots, with better hands, and should discourage other players from entering in position.
You may want to make smaller bets in late position because…
You tend to have weaker hands, but be in position
At higher levels, you may consider standardizing opening bets by:
Selecting a starting size based on position e.g.
UTG-4
MP-3.5
CO-3
BTN-2.5
Concerning limping:
It isn’t absurd for very good players who can employ it occasionally as part of a balanced strategy involving some speculative hands, and some strong ones. The best advice: don’t do it.
3-bet
The initial re-raise before the flop
Why is it called a 3- bet
The BB is the first, the raise is the second, the third is the re-raise
In the early days of Holdem three bets or four bets signified
A very strong hand or only AA/KK respectively
Against players who open with a wide variety of hands and fold frequently against a three bet…
You can exploit this with almost any hand and still make a profit if you lose every hand they call.
When should you bluff 3–bet every time?
When $won x win% - $lost x loose% is positive
Light 3-betting
Re-raising with hands like small pairs, suited connectors, and medium Broadway cards to pocket a tidy profit, and exploit the disguised nature after the flop.
What shortly followed light 3-betting?
Light 4-betting
Heads up flop
Just two players after the flop
Multiway flop
More than two players after the flop
Post flop aggressor
Whoever made the last (or only) raise pre-flop. They announced they have the best hand pre-flop, and will most likely bet post-flop.
Post-flop: position
Gives you extra reason to stay in the hand.
Post flop betting: monster hand
Almost certainly the best hand and will remain so. Well suited for big pots, but your opponent may not cooperate.
Post flop betting: very strong hands-sets, two pair
Likely to win and worth betting. Can run into trouble if a draw connects, but should make a lot of money, long-term.
Post flop betting: strong hands- overpair, top pairs
Work horse hands. Worth betting on the flop and may win there.
If a heads up opponent sticks around after you bet the flop (top pair/over pair) it’s probably because they…
- Can beat that hand
- Is drawing a really big hand
- Plans to bluff you off your hand later
If you have top pair/over pair at the river, and a lot of money is going into the pot…
You’re probably beaten
Post flop betting: medium hands (pairs below top)
Maybe best, but are vulnerable. Goal: to get to showdown cheaply.
Post flop betting: drawing hands, (flush and straight draws, plus combination draws)
Playing these hands well is crucial in no limit hold’em because they have the capability of taking your opponents full stack when you connect. In general, you have the odds to call on the flop, maybe not the river.
Post flop betting: nothing hands (no draw, no pairs)
Your bluffing hands will come from these. You’ll win some of them.
Multiway flop general betting changes
Hands at showdown tend to be stronger.
With a very strong hand, never slow play.
With a strong or medium hand, you need a stronger hand to bet.
With a drawing hand, you can accept smaller odds than usual
if you’re planning to bluff circumstances must be better than usual to justify your move
The likelihood that a players betting action represents his true strength is directly proportional to…
The number of players in the pot
Why should you almost never slow play a monster hand in multiway pots?
There’s a better chance that someone can call. If they can, you want to bet.
With a strong hand or top pair/top kicker in a multiway pot, you will…
Still mostly bet, but being extra careful when encountering resistance
Value bets:
When you think you have the best hand and bet to get money in the pot and discourage, drawing hands
Bluffs are particularly effective if:
The flop might have helped a lot of hands you would have raised pre-flop
Semi – Bluff
A bet or raise on the flop or turn with a drawing hand, which is usually not the best now but has outs to become the best hand
A true bluff usually has…
No outs or very little chance to become the best hand
Continuation bet:
A bet on the flop by the pre-flop aggressor.
A typical good player will make a continuation bet between
60 and 70% of the time after raising pre-flop
Donk bets are
A lead off bet on the flop, made by a player before the pre-flop aggressor
Why not Donk bet?
If you have a hand worth betting it’s usually worth letting the pre flop aggressor make a continuation bet and then re-raise
Flop texture
A term for describing the characteristics of the flop
Rainbow flop
Three different suits
Two tone flop:
Two suits on the flop
Monotone flop
Three suited cards
Combine flop texture and pre-flop betting to answer these three questions
- How good a hand do I have now
- Given my opponents pre-flop action, should the flop have helped them?
- Given my pre-flop actions, should my opponent think the flop helped me?
Post flop: made hand
High pair or better
At post flop as pre-flop aggressor, when do you have a difficult decision?
When you missed the flop and have to consider a continuation bet vs. checking to try for a free card.
Dry flop
Just one high card, not ace, three widely separated cards and no cards of the same suit
What makes it easy to continuation bet a dry flop when one opponent calls?
Very few hands a person calls with connect with dry flops.
When someone calls pre-flop raises, they usually have…
Medium to small pairs
An ace w/ medium to small kicker
Medium suited connectors
Two medium suited cards like J9 or 97
Wet flops
Connects strongly with many medium hands a caller can be expected to have
If you didn’t connect strongly with a wet flop, the prudent play is…
Check out
Paired flop
Flops with a pair. Medium/low pairs are unlikely to connect for raisers. A good spot to bet if you have it, or bluff vs 1. If you have a pair (but not trips) there are a lot of cards you wouldn’t like to see
Ace high flops are…
A natural place for a continuation bet, even if you don’t have an ace. However, these play a little different as weaker players will often call with Ax, while stronger players will fold with weaker kickers and 3-bet with AK & sometimes AQ
