Playing at short tables
Most cash tables cannot run at full capacity for long periods of time. There will be inevitable periods when you are forced to play against multiple opponents. Playing at short tables will change the dynamics of the game and require you to adjust your strategy. Many players ignore the fact that the game they started five minutes ago has now changed.
A 6-max table turned into a 4-max table will be more aggressive. One of the keys to success in poker is being able to make an adjustment at any time. You can make more than just adjustments, you have to make sure you know how to change every aspect of your game. It doesn’t make any sense to stress out when one or two players have left the table.
It might be optimal to narrow your range when one or two players join you at a short table, but tight play becomes ineffective when your opponents start playing more aggressively.
Adjusting
How exactly can a player adjust to the table if several players are eliminated? There are several aspects to consider. If you’ve been playing at a very loose table, but when several loose players have left the table, is it worth maintaining the same style of play? It is likely that you can extend your range to adjust to a loose style of play, but you will have to give up the extended range after they leave.
Everything you do when playing poker online must have a reason. The reason you expand your range is to have loose players at the table, and when the loose players leave the table, you can narrow your range. Sure, it’s a bit of an odd example, but it’s telling – you shouldn’t be relaxed with fewer players at the table. It’s worth being more aggressive when there are fewer players at the table.
If you play tight while everyone else plays more aggressively, you will slowly die from blood loss as the other players suck blood out of you like mosquitoes. You might wonder how profitable aggressive play can be if the other players play similarly. The fact that most players are not set up for the game on the short table, you may be the only player who understands what’s going on. This will give you an advantage over players who remain tight at the table.
