Anyone here have even semi extensive experience with this? I've been thinking about heading to pokerstars because of that VIP program (free 50 inch plasma TV sounds good to me) and it seems like if I want to play a lot one of the things I'll regularly be playing in is 3 and 4 handed $30/$60 games. My only real experience playing this shorthanded is when my 6 max tables lose a few players or in stupid little cash games with my friends. Articles, general thoughts, anything?

I don't if I should try giving any advice to someone playing 30/60, but I read this e-book a while back that had a pretty good section on 3 and 4 handed games(especially 3 handed). A lot of that might be basic to you, but I believe it's worth a try.

That chapter seems to be the same as one part of a chapter in King Yao's book (which I strongly recommend).

I've been playing mostly HU and 3-4 handed for my SH LHE games, and I love it. Most people don't adjust appropriately. Granted, I play at very low limits, but it wouldn't surprise me if some people still didn't adjust properly even in 30/60 (although I imagine that it is in more subtle ways).

I like 2-4 handed because:

- you get lots of HU pots, so you can play one people's weaknesses with more precision

- you play to the river a lot, so you get to see what cards they play and how they are playing them (i.e., fast reads)

- lots of people seem to play incorrectly preflop giving GREAT odds to the SB or BB to play a wide range of hands

- players seem to go through transistions (e.g., CS to weak-tight, LAG to CS, etc.) that adds an interesting psychological dimension to a game. if you can pick up when and how they transition (seems to be more involuntary than "changing gears" intentionally), you own them.


Misc. Notes:

- you'll make the most money from weak-tight players, even if they are only slightly so. defining weak-tight is a key to identifying good marks.

- one word of caution -- it's probably not worth playing good players (if you can correctly identify them). the rake will eat you up on most sites until you get to really big numbers. if you know you have an edge of 2bb/100 or more, go for it. but at 1bb/100, i'd look for greener pastures unless i was playing 100/200 or higher. as a point of reference, i put my edge at over 5 bb/100 against most of my opponents (doubt it will stay that high as i move up).

- well, another word of caution -- variance is a bitch. you've experienced this at 6max, but i think that you could easily double the variance HU, and increase it to somewhere in between HU and 6max for 3-4 handed. negreanu's blog posts on his HU adventures seem to demonstrate the point well (100bb downswings in a single session when he was allegedly playing well).

- you may want to consider propping. i've heard that people make $50/hr (plus poker winnings) at 5/10 2-4 handed. i imagine that you would make more at the limits you play at. i'm not sure if it is worth it, though, since you have to give up site and table selection.

- it sucks when you get someone (usu. weak-tight) who catches some cards in the first ten hands or so, takes a bunch of chips from you, and then bolts for the perfect hit-and-run. i have a special kind of hate for these people.

- consider playing at non-peak times... some of the most weak-tight play i have observed at high HU lhe is in the morning EST.


FWIW, I'm making this my back-up game after plo8 (it's just too damn profitable). i think i can move up aggressively this year (and that is, in fact, a big if) i can get enough hands in. i'm contemplating goals now, but i have seen some SOFT games (weak-tight players) at the $100/$200 HU tables on the cryptos (some players are good, too, of course).

again, take this with a grain of salt, as all of my experience is at lower limits. anyway, i hope it helps.