3-handed games

Originally posted by sensei77
I was wondering how much you have to change your game and what is the difference between pure 3-handed games versus playing 6 handed and folded to button. Is it vertically the same situation????

Do you have to make changes to
-pre and postflop ranges
-value/bluffing/semibluffing ranges etc
-can you afford to be somewhat passive what you can be in 6max games

you have to open your ranges up in 3 handed compared to 6max due to the blinds going faster around. So it isnt the same as folded to button in 6max as the blinds still have to go through more players than in a pure 3 handed.

3 handed = your not in the blinds 1 round out of 3
6handed = 4 out of 6 not in blinds.

id say that the less players at the table the more aggressive you have to be.

Best is to stay away from 3-handed because of the rake, unless you play $20/$40 higher (or something like that). Small stakes heads up is a big big nono for the same reason. You can beat the players but not the rake.

A good game is still a good game I recon. Can be profitable 3-way even though the rake is higher. I dont play that much 3ways though, mostly for game starting. But you kinda end up playing loads and loads of hands against the same people the whole time, so I'de say thats where the difference is, in how you adapt to their play. And if you only play profitable tables the game isnt gonna differ that much from late pos play with two bad players. Theyre not gonna make life difficult for you... Well, I dont make any bigger changes... unless I can tell they are changing their play... Not sure if this post was even remotely helpful...

Playing 3 way is mostly just to start or continue a game with weak villains. How long you have to play 3 way is just a factor of site and how long games take to start.

That said once you are 3 way you need to get reads on villains as fast as you can. Playing 8 tables in this situation is not good. I want to know how my villains play post flop, their aggression and what ranges they play from each position. Do they cold call in the small blind, 3bet from the BB HU etc.?

On the positive side you get to play a lot of hands and can quickly assess there post flop plays. The game should become very aggressive as it is almost always HU and any pair is a good hand. C/R will be wide and any player playing fit/fold will be a target to play a lot of hands. Steal wide, once you have a feel for the post flop play of your villains your stealing range is going to go to 65%, if they are tough post flop then it is time to get a new table unless more will be joining quickly and you have position on incoming players.

If you playing a lot of HU or 3 way table starting, you gain two ways you will get position on more rec. players and your steal/blind vs blind play will greatly improve. Table starting is an important ability in the long run. Rake is high so find a good table or leave and try to rejoin if table improves or start a new one.

Also, don't play at higher stakes than your regular game. You don't want to run into a reg and lose a chunk of your roll. Taking shots at higher stakes is best done with full tables, and even FR can be good to dampen variance when playing higher. 100BB loss is 200BB win to make back up at .5/1 to 1/2 or 2/4.

I normally and only play 3handed when some reg is playing hu agains rec player and I join in

What if a rec player is wtsd monkey (wtsd near 50). Is there really money to be made playing very loose, when you really cant barrel off and have to give up lots of hands.

that question sides my other question which is sb vs BB situations. Is there any difference in these when you play 3handed or 6handed. I mean in both ranges are already very wide.

Also is there any situation and against what kind of opponentsyou dont want to 3bet 56s, 67s, 87s, 89s, T9s type of hands from BB vs sb open.

^^^
3 way I think WTSD will quickly move to around 50% since A high and bottom pair become very close to value hands. Playing a rec player should always be profitable once you figure out how they play a made hand vs a A high or just some draw. The reg. is the problem but that can be mitigated with seat selection.

Playing 3 way, is mostly to keep or get a game up to 5 or 6 players, has it isn't really all the profitable, but have position on a weaker player is how the money is made in LHE.

BB suited connectors like you mentioned, should be either 3bet, balance your monster range or all your hands can be just called, as SB will cbet very close to 100% and you can then raise to make up the missing bet. If you play 100% call though you have to bet/bluff a balanced range or sb can easily exploit your play.

I usually, just 3bet in big blind, since I try to have a weaker player to my right and I don't really have to hide my range.