Not everyone enjoys playing nine or ten-handed poker. I, for one, can’t stand sitting around and waiting for eight other players to act. For people like me, the solution is easy: play short-handed poker. Nearly every single poker room offers games with six or even four players at the poker table, which means that if you’re an action-junkie, six-handed poker is for you. However, there are several changes that you’ll need to make to your game in order to become a successful short-handed player. With that in mind, let’s review a few tips to becoming a winner.

1. Open up your range. This is probably the biggest mistake that the majority of people making the transition into short-handed poker make. They sit around and wait for aces or kings and then fold if those don’t come. However, it’s short-handed poker. You have to open up your range of hands that you’re willing to play. If you pick up J-3 suited, why not raise with it if you’re the first to act? With so few people at the table, there won’t be that many players to act behind you. Their hands may be equally as lousy. Hands like 3-3 and 2-2, which are likely beatable in larger-sized tables, are very hard to defeat in short-handed poker. Take advantage of your position and open up your range of hands. We’ll talk more about position as well.
2. Start small. There is a lot of action in short-handed poker. It’s nearly always your turn to act. Just when you thought you could get away, your online poker table will start flashing and it’ll once again be your turn to act. With the number of hands you’ll be involved in, it’s important to start small. Drop down one level from your nine or ten-handed game when you start playing short-handed poker. When you start experiencing success like you’re used to, feel free to bump yourself up one level.
3. Control your ego. Even though you have a lot of opportunities to play, make sure to hold your ego in check. You don’t have to win every single pot. Yes, you’ll be seeing more flops, raising more, and calling more. However, you’ll also be folding more. It’s important to remember that you’re playing the same game as you are at larger tables. Therefore, there’s no need to bully people around or try to become involved in every pot. Yes, you need to be more aggressive, but do so with a level head. It’s also important to note that you’ll take more bad and marginal beats in short-handed play because you’re involved in a lot more hands. Don’t get frustrated; you’ll be dishing out beats to others as well.
4. Play position. The old adage is extremely important in short-handed poker. At any given moment, you’ll only have a few people acting behind you. For the same reason, being the first into the pot is even more critical. It’s very profitable to be the initial raiser in short-handed poker. Make sure that you stay aggressive (depending on the cards on the board, of course) and keep in mind that you were the initial bettor. Short-handed poker is all about playing well post-flop against a truncated number of opponents. By the same token, pay extra special attention to who is seated on your immediate right and left, as the three of you represent at least half of the table. If you raise, will the player to your left call? If the player to your right raises, does he actually have a hand?
5. It’s not about your cards. In short-handed play, your success does not ride on what cards you’re dealt. Instead, your success or failure hinges on your ability to read how other players will react to your moves. When there are fewer players at the table, your ability to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each player will determine whether you’ll walk away a winner or a loser. Make sure to take diligent notes on each player by using the tools that each online poker site provides you with.

So there you have it. Take these five tips and make your way to the six and four-handed tables at your favorite online poker room. If you do, you’re sure to be a winner.