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SHORT-HANDED GAMES

OPENING HANDS WHEN UTG IN A FOUR-HANDED GAME
Against tough occonents
	4 4 A 2 A 7 K 6 K 9 Q 9 Q 9 J 9 J 9 10 9 10 9 9 7 9 8 8 6
Against tight-passive opponents	4 4 A 2 A 5 K 5 K 9 Q 7 Q 9 J 7 J 9 10 7 10 8 9 6 9 8 8 5 7 5 6 5
Against loose-passive opponents	2 2 A 2 A 2 K 4 K 9 Q 7 Q 9 J 7 J 9 10 6 10 8 9 8 9 8 8 7
Against loose-aggressive opponents	6 6 A 2 A 5 K 8 K J Q 8 Q 10 J 8 J 10 10 9 10 9 9 8 8 7
Maniac on the button (others tight)	4 4 A 2 A 8 K 8 K J Q 9 Q 10 J 8 J 9 10 8 10 9 9 8 8 7
Maniac on the blind (others tight)	5 5 A 4 A 8 K 8 K 10 Q 9 Q 10 J 9 J 10 10 9 9 8
Maniac on the button (others loose)	4 4 A 2 A 7 K 5 K 10 Q 8 Q 10 J 8 J 10 10 9
Maniac on the blind (others loose)	4 4 A 2 A 8 K 7 K 10 Q 9 Q 10 J 9 J 10 10 9

Of course, this example is contrived, but it illustrates the point that having the maniac on your immediate left allows you to manipulate the betting pre-flop in way that more than compensates for the lack of position you’ll have after the flop.

You can do the same thing, of course, by sitting to the maniac’s left and reraising whenever he opens with a raise.

The key is for the other players to act after you and the maniac before you.

The key is to isolate him and eliminate the tight players.

If you can do that, then you can play much weaker hands than you can if you can’t accomplish it.

If the rest of the field is mostly loose players, isolation of the maniac isn’t as likely to work and you generally need to play fewer hands.

You’ll have to give up a lot of hands before the flop.

By sticking to premium starting hands, you should more than make up for the loss of blinds while you’re waiting for them by getting multiway action when you do play.

Pick the Right Table / Picking a Seat / Theories of Poker / Betting Theory: The Odds

A Theory of Starting Hand Value

A Theory of Flop Play: Counting Outs and Evaluating Draws

The Dynamics of Game Conditions / Table Image / Player Stereotypes

Women and Poker / Spread-Limit Games / Double Bet on the End Games / Kill Games

Short-handed Games / Tournaments / No-limit and Pot-Limit Poker