6 max games online tend to feature much more aggressive action and as a player you will need to properly adjust to the different 6 max dynamics so you can exploit players who are either playing too tight or too aggressive.

The aim of this article is to highlight the importance of preflop and postflop aggressive strategies that you want to implement in your game.

Please watch this video that I’ve recorded playing a few hands at 25nl 6-max to show how an aggressive poker style can be profitable in this shorthanded version of the game.

How to Start

In terms of an aggressive pre-flop strategy you want to think about 3betting and 4betting not just with premium hands, but also with weaker hands occasionally with the aim of taking down the pot prelfop.

In 6max games because the button comes around more frequently it means players are raising a lot more hands then what they would normally. Because they’re playing a wider range of hands 3betting becomes instantly profitable because it’s impossible for your opponent’s to continue after you have shown aggression.

Unless, of course, they have a premium hand. Especially be mindful of aggressive players in late position when they’re raising in the CO/BTN to steal the blinds because quite often they are only going to have a mediocre hand that cannot continue versus a 3bet.

Aggressive Pre-Flop

Furthermore, you want to think about 4betting light when the right situation presents itself. For example, it’s a common scenario for an aggressive player to play back against habitual late position blinds stealers. Because they’re 3betting with lots of weaker hands, it’s going to be profitable to 4bet a wider range of hands with the plan to take down the sizeable pot before the flop.

That’s the main strategies you want to think about in terms of a preflop strategy. You also want to consider what type of hands you want to add to your 3bet and 4bet value hands that you want to bluff with, because you want to include weaker hands that you re-raise with the intention of getting folds from an opponent.

So, hands where you have blockers to premium hands like when you have an Ace or King in them. So ace suited, king suited, and suited connectors can be good hands to re-raise with since it’s less likely your opponent’s have a premium hand they can continue with. Thus, you have decent equity even when your 3bets get called.

Aggressive Post Flop

In terms of an aggressive post flop strategy, using the same general principle that 6-max players are playing with a wider range of hands. It also means on the flop players are not going to have a strong hand very often. So, even when you happen to miss the flop, it’s also very likely the flop missed them as well.

Obviously, it helps if you have some outs and equity when you do attempt a bluff, but you definitely want to look for good spots where you are able to add to your chip stack by being aggressive.