So there you are with only a few players left at the poker table. Do you change the way you play? Yes, when the game is “short-handed” you must change the way you play the game. Here are a few tips to succeed when playing Texas Hold’em short-handed.
Don’t wait for premium hands. Hand selection is not as important as it is when the table is full. You can’t afford to fold most hands when the blinds start rapidly increasing. Playing a lot of hands will cause players to think you are “tilting.” If players are convinced that you are tilting they will be inclined to call your hands. When they call chances are you will have a decent hand and take the pot from them.
When you feel that the game is getting out of hand because crazy hands are being played- put on the brakes. Being able to see that the game is getting wild is a strategy in itself. Let the few players left battle it out with weak hands. Participating in this kind of play will only cause your chip stack to dwindle quicker. This is the time to just tighten up your play and observe your opponents.
Another key strategy in shorthanded Texas Hold’em is to lead the betting scene. You are showing your weakness if you are only calling your opponents. The person that bets is in charge. It’s hard to land an unexpected flop when your opponent is forcing to call large bets to see the flop. You will always end up folding in fear and therefore never hit an unexpected hand. If you are holding a mediocre hand you should re-raise before the flop even happens. This will put the ball back in your opponent’s court and make him think you have something strong. If he or she has been betting constantly, you can assume that their hand is mediocre at best.
The last strategy that is the key to being successful in shorthanded Texas Hold’em is avoiding predictability. You have already lost if your opponents can predict your next move. Keep this from happening by switching up the way you play each hand. Slow play good cards one hand but then play the next good hand heavy. If players recognized that you slow played the last hand they will be led to think that you don’t have a hand if you are betting heavy right off the bat. Always challenge your opponents by raising the bet on the river. The chances of them folding are next to none if they have called you all the way to the river. On the other hand, don’t raise on the river if you are bluffing because, like I said before, the chances of them calling the raise are high.
These tips and strategies can increase your chip stack when playing shorthanded Texas Hold’em. Remember, these are only to be used when there are three players left at the table. These strategies are not meant to be used when playing at a full table.
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