Longhand or Shorthand

[Soldevi]

I have heard the advise to play Long handed as a beginner, So you don't have to make your decisions too quickly. This looks to be a favored 6-max forum?

Just wondering what you guys think. I've tried both, and I think I play 6-max better. But I don't win a pot every orbit so the blinds chip away at my stack. And when I do snag a pot its usually not a big one.

One more question, what Micro stakes limit do you guys suggest a person starts at? $.01/$.02 seems to behave almost like a play money game. Maybe its my bet sizing. A standard pre-flop raise for me is something like $.10.

Thanks guys

[urbansprawler]

1c/2c is the best place to start; super-soft competition.

Full Ring and 6-max are very much the same, and the difference is overstated. The major differences stem from the 3 EP seats in which players are supposed to play very tight.

6-max:

-Most pots are heads-up postflop.
-Blind stealing and defense are very important.
-3-betting is rampant, even against EP raisers.
-It is often folded to those in LP.

Full-Ring:

-A majority of pots involve 3 or more players.
-Blind stealing and defense decreases in value, as often the original raisers are in EP/MP and their ranges are too tight to profitably play against OOP without premium hands.
-3-betting is rarer, as raisers will often be in EP/MP and their ranges are too tight to 3-bet.
-It is rarely folded to those in the HJ or later.

[couriermike]

Open-raising 3-4bb is standard for any stakes. You don't want to fold out all worse hands. You just want them to put money in while behind (or pay too much to draw).

Postflop value-bet like 75-80% of pot. You'll still get calls from worse and this'll help you chip up while you wait for the big hand. Remember your poker winnings is the difference between them paying you off and you paying them off, so when you reckon to be ahead, bet and get paid.

[tmiby]

POSTFLOP
Sunny Metha and Ed Miller said:
"If you don't know the right amount to bet, make it 2/3 of the pot."

Professional No Limit Hold'em by Ed Miller, Matt Flynn, Sunny Mehta

[Silverthunder]

I have played very little 9 max but I think I noticed the players were a little bit fishier in that setting. If you want to try to move up in limits faster, you could play 9 max. This may not be the best forum or site for you, though.

On the other hand, you will be able to find more material on 6 max, probably educate yourself faster, and move up in the limits quickly that way.

The reason that I play 6 max is that I think it requires more skill than 9 max. Bluffing, and therefore more skill, is crutial in 6 max IMO.

A lot of this depends on what your overall goal is. If you are eventually going to transisiton to live play, I think (and others correct me if I am wrong) that a lot of Casinos only have 9 max so it may be better to get the experience for that.

[chinz]

Fish are playing somewhat equally bad at FR and SH, but your hand range is generally stronger in FR, thus it might be a little easier to beat if you're not that experienced but understand the very basics and valuebetting.

[Michaellawrw]

.01/.02 is perfect. IF it plays like play money I would be very excited to hear that.

Also never hear longhanded before or the term 9max. Some sites(including Cake till recently) have 10 or 11 handed FR games its much easier to refer to it as FR games.

[couriermike]

6max is logically identical to FR with the first three players folding, so alot of information should carry over. Postflop should be the same. Then again I've never played FR except in tournaments.