Six Max Secrets Final

7/25/2019 Six Max Secrets Final

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Hey guys!

Welcome to my newest PLO report called Six Max Secrets.

In the following pages I'm going to teach you four different and valuable secrets that will helpyou beat the six max PLO games in the current environment of online poker.

I've learned these four secrets both from personal experience, and from coaching more than

200 students in the last several years. In my opinion, these are the major keys to not only

becomes a winning player in today's shorthanded games, but also graduating from the low

stakes by using proper fundamentals and make a smooth transition into the mid-stakes games.

Are you ready to learn? Let's move on.


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Look for cheap bluffs

More Late Position Steals

Widen your range versus weaker players

The first secret probably won't surprise you. Even the most novice PLO players understand that

in order to be successful in shorthanded PLO, the presence and importance of aggression

cannot be underestimated. What most players don't understand is HOW to appear more

aggressive than they really are.

The key to Secret #1 is to find that sweet spot where we can play as aggressively as possible

without being too spewy. Ideally, our goal is to have an image that is aggressive enough to get

paid off when we are value betting, but not overly aggressive to the point where none of our

bluffs get any credit.

The best players in the world understand this balance and are always looking for as many

cheap bluffs as possible, so your opponents are forced to think that you're capable of having

bluffs in your range later on in your value betting scenarios.

Another way to appear aggressive is by stealing more from late position. A common mistake

made by many low stakes players is generalizing their HUD statistics. Meaning that if they notice

a given opponent playing a VPIP/PFR of 27/22, they fail to take into account the distribution of

hands they play from each position.

In other words, someone playing 27/22 doesn't necessarily mean they have a 27% VPIP and a

22% PFR from each seat at the table. Those stats are an average of all hands played, but most

players are too lazy or don't know how to get a more accurate idea of the percentages people

are playing from each position.

Therefore, when given the opportunity, it's important to put as many hands as you profitably

can in your late position calling and opening ranges as possible, so that you can play tighter

from Under the Gun and Middle Position. All the while avoiding looking too nitty and increasing

the odds you'll get paid when you have a stronger range.

In case you're wondering, I think the optimal pre-flop stats at a typical low stakes table hovers

somewhere around 25% VPIP and 20% PFR. In terms of late position opening ranges, depending


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on the table dynamic, it's OK to open somewhere around 40-45% from the Cutoff and 55-65%

or more form the Button when it gets folded to you. This type of range should be tightened or

widened depending on who's in the BTN and the blinds, but these numbers are good starting

points to work with.

Finally, make sure to play more hands when weaker players are involved . This doesn't mean

you have a license to play trash hands or to spew around because a weak player is in the pot,

but you shouldn't be afraid to seize opportunities where weak

players are in the pot or are likely to get involved, particularly

if you have position on them.

One way to exercise aggression is when a weak player limps,

or a weak player opens and we are in position and have the

chance to three-bet and isolate him. Don't forget, the most

profitable scenarios in six max games are to play heads-up in position versus weaker opponents.

When this opportunity arises, be sure you put yourself in a situation where you can capitalize on

it.

DON'T FORGET, THE MOST PRO

SCENARIOS IN SIX MAX GAMES ARE T

HEADS-UP IN POSITION VERSUS

OPPONENTS.


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Continuation betting tendencies

Won When Saw Flop (49+)

Bet vs Missed C-bet

Three-bet IP vs OOP

VPIP IP vs OOP

Stack size

Personal History/Dynamic

Secret #2 has to do with accurate note-taking or more specifically, recording key information

about our opponent's tendencies at the tables. In the state of today's games, it's not enough to

label someone as a LAG or TAG, or fish or regular. You need to force yourself to be more detailed

and specific about their strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, note taking at the low stakes is a

good habit to get into because the higher you move up, the smaller the player pool gets, the

better those players are and, as a result, the edges gained from every read can be the difference

between winning and losing.

Look at it this way. Regardless of how good or bad someone is, each player is at least TRYING to

win in one way or another. Loose aggressive players believe that the best way to win is by

applying aggression relentlessly and repeatedly putting their opponents into difficult decision

on each street. Loose passive players believe that the way to win is to see a lot of cheap flops by

limping, see if they flop something good and continue with

the hand accordingly. The important thing to note is that

even if some players have an unconventional or incorrect

way of playing, everyone has the same goal of winning and

you can use the information you gather from their

tendencies to get an idea of how to exploit them. In Secret

#2 we will go over 6 characteristics that I look for to help me

navigate the best lines to take against my opponents.

C-betting tendencies:

I typically look for a reliable indicator of whether or not they c-bet air when they're supposed

to. The best example of this is on dry boards. Say I see an opponent raises in late position and

he gets called by one player in the blinds. Let's pretend that on a JJ5 rainbow flop, he elects to

check back and then folds to a turn lead. Although this seems like an insignificant hand that

doesn't hold any valuable information, I can glean many important elements from it.

EN IF SOME PLAYERS HAVE AN UNCONVENTIONAL

R INCORRECT WAY OF PLAYING, EVERYONE HAS

E SAME GOAL OF WINNING AND YOU CAN USE

E INFORMATION YOU GATHER FROM THEIR

NDENCIES TO GET AN IDEA OF HOW TO EXPLOIT

EM.


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First, we can infer what level this opponent is on. Almost any competent player should know to

bet this flop with any hand that is incapable of winning at showdown. This is a very dry board

that misses most ranges and as such, his decision not to c-bet means he lacks an understanding

of board texture reading and fundamental poker theory. I would definitely write down in mynotes that he does not c-bet his air on dry boards because it will provide me with important

hand reading information later on in the session, and allow me to play a wider range of hands

against him because of this key read.

Won When Saw Flop:

Another important stat that I pay attention to is WWSF. This stat provides us with a reliable

indicator of how aggressive an opponent is on the flop, not only in terms of his c-betting

frequency, but also in terms of his check-raising and flop raising frequencies. I've noticed players

with a high WWSF tend to be more aggressive in dry flops, so that helps me take better lines in

the sense of getting more value with strong hands and committing less chips when I know my

opponent won't let me get away with much.

If you're looking for a specific number to go by, I'd say anyone with a WWSF over 49 or 50 is

quite capable of bluffing or semi-bluffing very light on the flop. If this number is over 50, you

can be confident they are getting out of line.

Bet vs Missed C-bet:

Another key statistic that I've used over the years is bet vs missed c-bet. This number tells us

how often a player bets when checked to on the flop without the pre-flop initiative. Let's say I

open form the Cutoff, get called by the Button and everyone else folds. The flop comes down

783 two-tone.

I can look at his bet vs missed c-bet statistic on my HUD, get an idea of how often my opponent

will bet if I check instead of c-betting. In this way, I can make a decision whether or not to c-bet

more effectively, because I have a better idea of when to check-raise or if he'll give up on these

flops overall.

VPIP and 3bet IP vs OOP:

The next two key statistics in Secret #2 share similar characteristics and benefits. Weaker

opponents will typically lack the positional awareness that competent players do. As I

mentioned earlier, every player has a different approach to trying to win, including how often

they call or three-bet when they are in position compared to when they are out of position.


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This information is valuable for a few reasons:

A.

If you know how tight or loose a player is from a certain position, you can have a greater

understanding of how a certain board texture fit into their range, and as a result save

yourself from burning a c-bet on a flop that hits their too strongly, or get extra value

when you know you'll get paid.B.

In general, the wider someone is pre-flop, the wider you can barrel them on later

streets.

C. If you know a certain player three-bets more aggressively in a certain situation, you can

start four betting a wider range or make a disciplined fold versus a tight 3betting range.

Stack size:

Another note I like to take down is how opponent's tendencies vary depending on their stack

depth. In today's games there is a prevalence of short stacked players in the games and it's

pretty common to see them being willing to get it in with very wide ranges when only 40 big

blinds deep and then nit it up once they double up to 80 blinds.

Stack sizes can also affect an opponents three-betting tendencies. Some players three-bet a lot

more when shallow and some when deep. At the shallow tables, there is a tendency to be

somewhat tighter when deep because no one wants to bust a large stack since they can't just

reload to 100 big blinds.

Personal History / Dynamic.

Last, this is a very important part of Secret #2. Make sure to write down some notes if you

develop an interesting history with another player. If you see someone make a terrible bluff or

maybe he thinks you're a lunatic and has paid you off really lightly. Most players get lost in the

habit of only marking down what they think of another player's game, but it's important to note

what other players see you do and take into consideration how they will adjust in future hands.


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Pre-flop

Proper sizing depends on:

Player tendencies

Stack Sizes

One of the most common questions I get from students deal with what kind of open sizing to

use pre-flop. Truthfully, I've seen a lot of successful players employ a variety of open sizes in

shorthanded games, so for now I'll share with you my standard opening sizes from all positions

and then talk about what the necessary table dynamics would need to be for me to adjust my

default approach.

Before we hop into the discussion, I want to mention that how you select your open sizing

depends entirely on the player types at the table (particularly in the blinds) and what the stack

sizes are.

As a general rule, if the table is looser you will want to

tighten up your opening range and use a bigger opening

sizing. Conversely, at a tighter table you can open more

frequently and use a smaller sizing. If there are weak or loose

players in the blinds, you want to use bigger open sizing,

because the majority of your profit comes from picking up

dead money when they check-fold, or building a big pot

when value betting against them.

Moreover, as stacks get shorter, you want to reduce your open sizing from all position. This is

because you want to leave yourself with room to maneuver post-flop, and also because since

stacks are smaller, you don't want to open for pot and then commit yourself to calling a three-

bet versus a short-stack with a weak hand.

Pot Sizes Raise from UTG/MP

Given this, with 100bb stacks in six-max, I typically open for pot from UTG and MP. There are

several reasons for this, the two main ones being that when I open for pot, I find that other

players are less likely to fight back against me. Since UTG and MP are the worst spots to open at

the table, I want to do my best to steal position from the other players and give myself the

HOW YOU SELECT YOUR OPEN SIZING DE

ENTIRELY ON THE PLAYER TYPES AT THE

(PARTICULARLY IN THE BLINDS) AND WH

STACK SIZES ARE.


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opportunity to play in position against a caller in the blinds. This is particularly effective if there

is a weak player in the blinds.

Secondly, my opening range from these two positions is typically quite strong. As a result, I

don't mind playing a big pot with these hands, so I want to maximize the amount of moneyfrom calls pre-flop. I say that if people are more likely to call than re-raise in PLO than in NLHE,

why not play big pots with big hands?

3x from Cutoff

2.5x from BTN

As I move around the table to the final two positions, I reduce my open sizing since I'll be

opening more frequently and am more likely to be in position. I like to make it 3x from the

Cutoff and 2.5x from the Button. These sizes allow me toopen with more hands, get a better price on my steal, and

leave me with higher SPR in position post-flop. Remember

that in PLO, the profitability of your pre-flop decision is

only as good as the post-flop situation it creates.

Flop Sizing

Play exploitably against unknowns.

C-bet small with bluffs, big with value hands.

Let's talk about some general flop sizing concepts that will help us make more money on the

felt. The first and perhaps the golden rule of low stakes poker, is that balance is a terrible,

terrible word. In fact, you want to play as exploitable as possible versus most opponents,

because most of the time you're losing money if your primary goal is to incorporate a game plan

of being balanced in all facets of your game.

Most players have leaks that are bad enough to the point where you fail to maximize the full

value from their leak if you don't play exploitably in some way. A good example of this is against

unknowns or weaker players that aren't adjusting to your

play. Of course, this changes once you identify who the

regulars are or you develop a history with some player.

When that happens, balance considerations do become

important. Until then, however, I want you to think about

ways you can use sizing to maximize your profit.

IN PLO, THE PROFITABILITY OF YOUR PRE-FLOP

DECISION IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE POST-FLOP

SITUATION IT CREATES.

YOU WANT TO PLAY AS EXPLOITABLE AS PO

VERSUS MOST OPPONENTS, BECAUSE MO

THE TIME YOU'RE LOSING MONEY IF

PRIMARY GOAL IS TO INCORPORATE A GAME

OF BEING BALANCED IN ALL FACETS OF

GAME.


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One way to do this is to c-bet small with bluffs and bigger with value hands. Most players in the

low stakes play straightforward at the lower stakes when facing c-bets. In many cases when we

miss the flop, we are attempting to c-bet and get a good price on our bluff.

On the other hand, when we have something strong and the board texture is such that we arelikely to get at least a call a high percentage of the time, it's wise to choose a bigger sizing so we

can build a pot and add more big blinds to our win-rate.

Overall, any time you are likely on remaining aggressive on later streets, whether as a bluff or

value bet, it's a good idea to choose a larger flop sizing.


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The final secret I have for you today doesn't necessarily involve any poker theory per se, but it

does involve using some implied logic, and in my opinion, it's the best question you can ask

yourself in any moment where you're faced with a close or marginal decision. This is a tip I

picked up from chatting some poker strategy with Jungleman a couple of years ago at the WSOP.

I asked him what he felt like he did better than anyone else in the world, and after a couple

moments of thought, he explained that he thought he did an exceptional job of always having

an accurate idea of what his opponent thought he had. Perhaps not necessarily how his

opponent would respond, or what his threshold for calling a bet were, but he definitely always

has an objectively keen understanding of what his hand looks like.

Now, of course this concept varies depending on the dynamic you have with a given player and

what level they're on. Most of the straightforward and basic opponents, which I call Level 1

players, typically care less about what it looks like you have. They're still trying to figure out

what the hell they have! And then just bet their hand according to its strength.

As you move up or play more regulars at the low levels, this secret becomes more important

and the game revolves more around what your hand looks like than what it actually is. From

personal experience, I've learned that most players are hesitant to execute high level, expensive

bluffs, particularly on later streets.

That's why I always tell my students that one of the easiest ways to make a big fold or not call

down incorrectly on later streets is to ask yourself this very question. Be very cautious when

people are willing to put money into the pot when it looks like

you are holding something good. Of course, things change if

you've taken a weak line or under-represented your hand, but I

find that at the lower levels and without an established history

between players, the best approach is to typically give less credit

to your average player, rather than more. Assume that people

aren't out to get you or run a big bluff on you.

Most importantly, beyond the situations where we are faced with a big river bet or big check-

raise on a dry board, this is an excellent question to ask yourself every hand, simply because it

forces you to think about all of the important factors you should be considering. And also makes

sure that you are constantly putting in the effort to refine your lines and tell a more credible

LWAYS TELL MY STUDENTS THAT ONE OF

E EASIEST WAYS TO MAKE A BIG FOLD OR

VE YOU FROM CALLING DOWN

CORRECTLY ON LATER STREETS IS TO ASK

URSELF THIS VERY QUESTION.


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story. If you strive to put more thought into objectively figuring out what your opponents think

of you, then you will inevitably win more money and program your brain to develop higher level

poker skills.

This is a hand I played a while ago and I wanted to show it to

you guys because I think it incorporates a lot of the stuff we

went over in this report, but especially what I'm going to

focus on is the thought process and constantly being aware

of what our opponent thinks we have.

$1/$2 Pot Limit Omaha, 5 players

UTG $474.50

CO $535.67

BTN $220.90

SB $201.50

Hero (BB) $324.20

Pre-flop: ($3, 5 players) Hero is BB KJT7

3 folds, SB raises to $6, Hero raises to $18, SB calls.

It folds around to the SB who raises for 3 big blinds and we re-raise pot in the big blind and he

calls. I don't have any history with this player, and this particular opponent is playing a 38 VPIP /

31 PFR after 43 hands. He seems to have aggressive tendencies but no real solid reads on this

player.

Flop: A A 9($36, 2 players)

SB checks, Hero checks.

Our opponent checks and we decide to check back with King high and two backdoor flush

draws. I would label this board texture as being very static, that is to say the nuts is not

vulnerable to getting outdrawn in later streets.

Against a more straightforward opponent or even an unknown player I would normally go

ahead and c-bet this flop since we will be able to take it down very often. Versus this aggressive

opponent that we know is capable of bluffing, I actually think checking back might seem more

credible than betting, since he expects us to c-bet our air here very often.

IF YOU STRIVE TO PUT MORE THOUGH

OBJECTIVELY FIGURING OUT WHAT

OPPONENTS THINK OF YOU, THEN YOU

INEVITABLY WIN MORE MONEY AND PRO

YOUR BRAIN TO DEVELOP HIGHER LEVEL

SKILLS.


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I decide to take an unconventional line and check back on the flop in order to get more credit

for having something stronger with more showdown value. We also get more information about

his range depending on his turn line.

Turn: 4($36, 2 players)

SB bets $20, Hero calls.

He decides to bet the turn, so it's possible he has an Ace or that he thinks that we are the kind

of player who would check back with a weak range on this flop. Without much information, I

still think we can assume most opponents won't bet the river without an Ace since we can

credibly be slow playing an Ace once we call the turn.

River: 4($76, 2 players)

SB checks, Hero bets $21, SB folds.

Our opponent now checks the river and even though our King high might be good, I think

betting the river and getting him off non-Ace hands is a better option than checking it down.

Before we choose a sizing, let's imagine ourselves holding trips or better on this river versus

what seems to be a weak range. We want to try to give off the impression that we're value

betting thin and trying to get a crying call. I decide to bet $21, but that might have been too

small. I think betting something like $38 would still make a lot of sense for our line but also

discourage some of his curiosity calls.

Our opponent folds and we take the pot down with a very credible story. Of course this was a

creative and unconventional play, and at the lower stakes I still would recommend just c-betting

the flop versus most players, but hopefully this hand illustrates our point and Secret #4.

Six Max Secrets Final

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