6-Max
Also known as: 6-Max, Six-Max, Short-Handed, Shorthanded, 6-handed
A six-handed table. Ranges are wider and the blinds come around more often than full ring — the online cash standard.
6-Max is a six-handed table — three fewer seats than full ring. Removing the tightest early-position seats fundamentally widens correct play.
Why ranges open up
- Fewer players left to act behind each opener, so RFI ranges are wider from every seat.
- Blinds come around 50% more often (one in six hands vs one in nine), so folding too tight bleeds chips — you must fight for the blinds far more aggressively via steal and blind defense.
- More single-raised, heads-up pots and fewer multiway spots than full ring.
The net effect: higher VPIP/PFR, more 3-betting, more postflop creativity, and a premium on positional awareness. 6-Max is the default format for online cash games and a common MTT structure. The skill gap is wider than full ring because more hands are played to a decision and weak players are punished every orbit.
Example
From the cutoff at a 6-max table you open K♣9♣ — a clear raise here, since only three players remain behind. At a full ring table this same hand is much closer to a fold from that effective position because more players can wake up with a stronger holding.