Mistake #1. Limping with Big Pairs On the Button

When it becomes short handed in limit hold 'em players will often raise from the button to pick up the blinds. Always raising is not a bad strategy because when you do have big hands it is very tough for your opponents to give you credit for one. Three handed it's almost standard for the button to raise the blinds.

Then why do people limp when they get a big hand? It is almost saying look at me I have a big pair. Players hope by limping they disguise their hand. They think this will get them more money on the flop, turn, and or river. A good player will spot this mistake almost instantly and you will get absolutely no action.

Raise when you have big pairs on the button in short handed limit hold 'em. Even in the no limit format raising is the best strategy. Players will have a very tough time thinking you have a big pair if your raising from the button. You will get more action/money in the long run by raising with big pairs.

Mistake #2. Playing Suited Connectors

There is a time and place to be playing suited connectors, short handed is not one of them. You simply aren't getting the right "price" or pot odds to be doing so. Suited connectors need multiway action for them to be worth playing. If a lot of players have limped before me I will also limp with them. Short handed your simply not going to action like this.

Too many players play bad hands. Being suited is one of the reasons they play them. Being suited only adds around 7% to your hand.

Basic idea here is to just stop playing so many small suited connected hands. They are fine in the blinds, and fine on the button after a few limpers, but I constantly see people open limping with 76s and that's just like throwing money away unless you're at a table where everyone is going to limp every hand and there will be no raising.

Mistake #3. Defending Your Blinds too Often

I really would like for someone to explain the logic behind calling a raise in the big blind with 82 offsuit. Because I've seen it time and again in shorthanded!

The stuff people will defend with is just unbelievable, as if they're taking a stand because they're mad that you raised their blind. Get over it, you have 8 high.

My advice here is that you don't defend very much from the small blind. Putting in the extra money and still being out of position with the big blind yet to act in between is just not worth it unless you have some kind of real hand. However, feel free to three-bet someone that you think is stealing with your AQ, AJ, and other decent hands.

The big blind is another agenda, and Rolf Slotboom has done some excellent articles on defending with small connected cards and why it can be beneficial. You really shouldn't be defending that often unless someone is making it a habit to raise your big blind every round or just raising uncontrollably. The reason you shouldn't is because too often you have to check/fold the flop after missing your hand since you don't really know where the raiser is at and you're out of position. When you do defend though, you should be aggressive. I will defend with most decent hands and then depending on the flop, bet out or checkraise the guy and see what happens.

Being good at short handed play is crucial if you want to be a succesful tournament player and or sit and go player. Short handed limit hold 'em can be very tricky if you don't know the ins and outs of it. I hope this article has helped you on your limit hold 'em game.

Good luck at the tables!