Short handed poker is becoming more and more popular these days. With televised tournaments featuring five, six or seven players becoming big hits, it's little wonder why.
You'll need to adopt a different strategy if you're used to the slower paced nine and ten player games. Firstly, you'll be making a lot more small and big blind bets and due to the lower player numbers it is safer to drop your starting hand requirements. If your minimum, in a general game, with standard players, at ten handed play, was AJ off suit you can drop this a little as fewer players mean fewer chances of being dominated by bigger hands.
Many tables, especially on-line, go for a speed or 'turbo' format in short handed games, to speed the action along even further. So be aware that your regular time allowance could be a lot shorter.
The recent Speed Poker Open in the UK featured six handed poker. With two dealers, one shuffling for the next hand whilst one deals, and a 15 second time allowance, it made for hugely entertaining and very fast poker.
You might have more than 15 seconds on the internet in short handed games, but the deals will come at you just as quickly. If you multi-table over two tables at once you may find you are doing nothing else but clicking the mouse button!
Although some players will get involved with any two cards in short handed games, try not to get sucked into this trap. You should still fold poor cards and still try to get an idea of what players are thinking to form a mental image of who is strong and who is weak. If you do land yourself on a very 'fishy' table where every opponent wants to see a flop, just be aware that you will be more likely to be out-drawn as weaker hands try to see flops cheaply.
Keep playing your A game and you should come out on top. Remember to take a breather now and again, though. These short handed games are exhaustingly good fun.