The G-Spot:
Shorthanded No-Limit Hold'em

Players love them, but cookie-cutter strategies don't cut it. Adaptation is the name of the game, especially if you play shorthanded no-limit hold'em. Many writing about shorthanded poker says, "play more poker hands than you would in a typical fullhanded game," but it doesn't say how to play more hands.

For those accustomed to fullhanded no-limit hold'em ring games, shorthanded play can be a scary departure. Loosening up and "playing more hands" can be really tough if you're used to playing tight, snug poker. However, shorthanded no-limit hold'em is much more profitable than its fullhanded counterpart if you're skilled at the art. To reap the shorthanded profits awaiting you, you need to shift your worldview.

The Most Important Number In Hold'em

If you're heads up, your opponent will miss the flop approximately two-thirds of the time. This number doesn't mean much in fullhanded ring games because three or more opponents usually see the flop, meaning that someone will typically hit the flop. Fullhanded poker is about staying out of trouble when you have little or nothing and extracting value when you have something.

In shorthanded games, multiway pots are rare. Postflop, you're often playing in heads-up situations in which neither you nor your opponent has anything. To profit at shorthanded no limit hold'em, you need to learn how to win a majority of these hands. Shorthanded play is about winning with nothing.

Bet!

You can’t win with nothing unless you bet. Put pressure on your opponents and make them fold. By constantly putting pressure on your opponents, you also set them up to make big mistakes against you when you have big hands. By being aggressive with a wide range of hands, you force your opponents to devalue your hand distributions and start playing hands they aren’t accustomed to playing a lot of poker hands.

How To Be Aggressive

The key to playing aggressively is to know your foes. Against tight, timid foes, you may be able to raise preflop with any two cards and take down pots on the flop by mindlessly firing out continuation bets. Against trickier opponents who start reraising you preflop, you may need to slow down.

Aggression is important, but like everything else, there's a time and place for it, even in shorthanded no-limit hold'em, a game in which the aggressor typically carries a huge advantage. Always pay close attention to your opponents�pick up their betting patterns and their tells. Strive to be aggressive, but know that being predictably aggressive is about as bad as being predictably anything else. Pressure and confuse your opponents, and their stacks will eventually be yours!

Tony Guerrera is the author of Killer Poker By The Numbers.
Visit him online at www.killerpokerbythenumbers.com

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