Don't let 'em get there.

Short-handed, as we all know, plays a bit differently than full tables. Lesser hands sometimes hold up, and one can increase the number of hands that have some speculative draw potential. As always, it depends.

Last night I managed to get stacked in the deuce game with Aces in the hole, and then recovered with Kings in the hole. I saw some big hands go by when I didn't play the slightly odder combinations, which is okay. I missed a lot of draws but managed to keep from investing a lot to see the turn. And perhaps most important, I can't remember getting rivered by a two-outer. A good night overall, as I ended up a couple bucks.

I suppose playing the micros is not all that exciting to read about. No monster wins to crow about. I play to win most of the time, yet it occurs to me that what I am really doing is playing to learn, to think, to challenge myself. (Is this crowing?) And, when a hand goes down that gets my attention enough to think it is blogworthy, I get excited.

PokerStars Pot-Limit Omaha, $0.02 BB (6 handed) - Poker-Stars Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com

saw flop | saw showdown

UTG ($3.65)

MP ($4.61)

CO ($4.96)

Hero (Button) ($5.18)

SB ($4.39)

BB ($1.10)

Preflop: Hero is Button with Q, 9, 8, K

UTG calls $0.02, MP calls $0.02, CO calls $0.02, Hero calls $0.02, SB calls $0.01, BB checks

Flop: ($0.12) 4, 6, 10 (6 players)


Not much for me here. The ten gives me a gutshot and that's about it. But it's a good gutshot, and the pot is still small, so I call with position.

SB checks, BB checks, UTG bets $0.12, MP calls $0.12, 1 fold, Hero calls $0.12, 2 folds

Turn: ($0.48) A (3 players)

Well, well, well. Any Jack, any 7.

UTG checks, MP bets $0.26, Hero calls $0.26, 1 fold

River: ($1) J (2 players)

MP bets $0.52, Hero raises to $1.04, MP calls $0.52

Total pot: $3.08 | Rake: $0.15

Results:

Hero had Q, 9, 8, K (straight, Ace high).

MP mucked 6, 10, A, 3 (two pair, Aces and tens).

Outcome: Hero won $2.93

Had the guy bet the pot on the flop or turn, I would have had to fold.  Top two are always hard to play, but you have to find out where you stand ASAP, before it gets expensive. And you have to at least try to get rid of the questionable draws against you. If an opponent comes back hard, then you can fold to a set and be done with it; or at the very least, that is when it's time to slow down, not from the get-go.