Short-Handed Play Basics

When a full table becomes short-handed at critical junctures in tournaments, you have a situation where the large blinds are coming around twice as fast, and also there could be only 4 or 5 players playing at a table. Waiting for the "nuts" to come is a bad strategy as your stack will get eaten by the blinds. Thus, the situation dictates that you must play more aggressively.

Second, Aces and Kings have more worth at table with less players than they would with a full-handed table. High cards become more valuable. Thus, this also enables you to play looser than you would normally at a full-handed table.

Playing draws at short-handed tables is generally disfavored. Generally, not enough people will call to make the draw profitable.

Of course, position, your opponents tendencies and game situations are all still relevant factors in deciding how loose to play.

One view was that these starting hands were acceptable in these situations.

Any Pairs 55+
A10 or higher
KQ
QJ
JT

Others said just about any ace was acceptable to play as it was unlikely an opponent would have one. But I think experience should be your guide in playing weak aces. This view also approved of K9 or better on the same theory.

There are many different views as to how loose one can play. Much will also be dictated by the size of your chip stack.

One common theme was to always raise when you went in; no limping so you put the burden on your opponet to call or fold. In any event, your raise and his response will give you valuable information.

[channing73ny]

thx four your input i found it very interestin im always loking for things too improve my game and i know that wass is the place too go thx once again have a great day

Short tabled as I call it. The play over all is loser, but you still have to be careful if you do not know your opponents.

True position plays big but you still got to be careful. It is easier to trap yourself into a bad call or push. I will drop low pairs. I also want to see a cheap flop so I can play the flop to put doubt into the opponents.

Just played a Ks Js where the flop showed the other three Ks and had to let them catch a hand in turn and river or do a bluff. The cards on the felt tell me more what I have to do may it be dropping low pairs for an example.

unless you're the chip leader raising too much will just get ya into trouble after flop play is much better to get more aggressive

Well I've got ot say I have a little trouble when it comes to a short-handed table in a big tournament, probably it is because I feel satisfied for how I've played and I'm already in the money, or simply 'cause I'm tired, so i just relax and lose focus on the game.
Aggressiveness is the key in my opinion: when blinds get higher players usually get tighter and you've got to take advantage of it by raising much more than you usually do and trying to win many hands and steal blinds preflop.