Online Poker Labs

This will be the first in a series of articles about low-limit, shorthanded games, meaning limits from NL10 to NL50. In these articles, we will discuss the basic strategy of the game. Preflop and postflop will be described in detail. We will also consider the most difficult pocket hands and the best way of playing them. To gain a better understanding of these games, we suggest reading these articles carefully before you start.

Have you already won your first bankroll on a micro-limit, full-handed table? Maybe you already have $200-300 in your account and want to go further. The best idea is to switch to shorthanded tables (six players max) to play low-limits NL10. The strategy of playing preflop-postflop will be given later. An NL10 game differs greatly from an NL50 game, but the basic concepts are the same. The difference is in the number of weak contenders who could potentially provide you with a lot of money. Now your job is to keep moving from NL10 to NL50, following the rules of bankroll management.

The first thing to notice about shorthanded tables is how many more hands you play using a wider range of pocket cards. If you learn how to play aggressively, you will surely have less opponents on the postflop.

Don’t underestimate the importance of keeping an eye on your contenders and how they play. This is vital in a shorthanded game. You will often have familiar opponents here. Many find it helpful to take notes on how each opponent plays in various situations. You may want to use a program like Poker Tracker to help you keep track. It’s more likely that you’ll be able to predict your opponents’ next move by keeping detailed notes. This will certainly help you take the bank. All big poker rooms allow you to make notes through their client program. Many players don’t take advantage of the opportunity and can lose a lot while playing big pots or raking in a small pay-off with the middle combinations.

Many people often stay in a game on the micro limit full-handed tables just calling in the Big Blind. The best you can hope for here is to win big pots from weak opponents or a multi pot (when many players participate in a pot), hitting a strong draw in the late stages of the game. When you play a shorthanded game, a significant portion of the profit consists of winning small pots. The more expensive the game, the more significant this part is. So, a lot depends on how aggressive you choose to play.

Remember that your opponents at a shorthanded table are watching you just as much as you are watching them. So, your game only with strong hands will stop bringing you profit pretty soon. In shorthanded games, much more depends on your game face and bluffing. If you can master those skills, you’ll have more luck on a shorthanded table. Keep in mind, there are less people to read and usually much easier to read them.

Shorthanded games are much more dynamic than full-handed games. In shorthanded games, you will often see that people are playing with their whole stack. Discipline is key in this game. It is quite possible to easily find yourself in a tilt even after having lost several big pots. The consequences of losing the tilt will be hard on your bankroll. The most important thing to remember is that one or two bad bets don’t determine the game. Even if you have lost the pot due to your own mistake, don’t take it too close to heart - just learn from your mistake and avoid it in the future. If you find the quality of your game changing due to some big loses, leave the tables immediately even if you are trying to get your money back. The worst thing you could do in this situation is move to a higher limit table. A lot of players lose their bankrolls in exactly this way. If you are going to be a professional player, do not give in to local failures.

You should play with a more conservative bankroll in a shorthanded game. If you are sure you have a stable profit playing a definite limit game, you could move to a higher limit game only if you have a great deal of money saved; about 50 buy-ins. In other words, in order to move to NL20, you should have $1000, in order to move to NL50, you should have no less than $2500.

The next few articles will consider the basic strategy of a shorthanded, low-limit game. Preflop and postflop strategy will be described in detail. Read the articles carefully and then try to get some experience at the table.

Good luck!