So you’re surfing the online poker cash games out there and are trying to determine where you want to take your action. You have the heads-up games, but you don’t really consider yourself as a heads-up player. Then you have the six-handed games and the full ring games. How do you know which one to choose? Well, it can be a tough decision to make, but the good news is that there are definitely things that can help push you one way or the other. It’s not an easy decision by a long shot, and you may not even be able to tell right away what type of game is best for your style of play, but playing over time is the best option, and then evaluation where you stand and how you feel.
For starters, I would recommend starting out at the lower stakes for both if you haven’t played each before. If you want to try out the six-handed action that the $0.01/$0.02 tables as well as at the nine-handed tables, do this and see how you feel about the way that each plays. You’ll find that there are multiple key differences which we’ll touch on below, but these are things that can help make your decision just a bit easier.
Multi-Tabling
For starters, if you are going to be multi-tabling with a good number of tables at the same time, I probably wouldn’t be playing six-handed. You are going to find that the action will be back on you before you even realize it, and playing a ton of hands at the same time is just going to turn into a big cluster and may be frustrating. This can also lead to making a mistake or two that can be very costly. If you’re a fan of multi-tabling more than two to three games at one time, then I’d lean towards playing in the full ring games. There’s no reason to multi-table five or six different six-handed games at the same time, unless you want to just have your computer flashing at you over and over again since the action is on you!
Multi-tabling is fun, but in all honesty, you should really never go beyond five or six tables at once, even in a full ring game situation. The best plan of action to have when it comes to multi-tabling is to figure out where your confidence level stands based on who many tables you can play at once. Start out either with the play money tables or the lowest limits possible first, and figure out what you feel comfortable with. Never force the action and try to play outside of your limits. Playing smart and within your comfort zone will make all the difference.
Looking to Play More Hands, Less Multi-Tabling
This is when the six-handed play is perfect for players. If you are a fan of playing a good number of hands on a few tables, then look at six-handed action. Simply playing one or two full ring games can be a bit boring for some players, but playing one or two six-handed tables can be a whole different story. Six-handed tables not only seem to play faster, but you’ll see more hands per hour than you would at a table that features nine players. This doesn’t mean that you should get crazy, but the part about playing six-handed compared to nine-handed is that hands are stronger when facing fewer opponents. For example, if you have a pair of Aces on the flop, that hand will be much, much stronger than against a nine-handed table (where it’s already a solid hand).
For those players who like the action, enjoy opening with a wider range of hands and like to try to make hands with cards like suited connectors or low pocket pairs, then six-handed play may be perfect for you potentially.
Utilizing Position Often
Honestly, in six-handed cash game poker, there isn’t much to consider with position. Even if you are the first player to act at the table and are “under the gun” there are only three players acting after you make your decision. This means that you can pretty much play your hands from anywhere, and playing position isn’t nearly as much of a concern. With that said, playing out of position post flop is still something you’ll want to avoid. Now, if you want to take advantage of your position or try to steal blinds and pots more often from the button or from late position, then nine handed play is where you’ll be able to do that at. You won’t be able to do it everytime obviously, but playing position is much more effective against a full table of eight other players.
