Starting Hands

Hyzepher

If there is anything certain in this life it is death, taxes and the need to have a good starting hand in poker - especially Texas. Since there is now a steady influx of players to the free/€10 Thursday tournie in the Fitzwilliam, I was wondering what starting hands people us during the rebuy period.

For me I am very conscience of my position when entering a hand - the last thing I want to happen is for me to call with an average hand and then some muppet to go all-in in a later position. However, I have had numerous showdowns with people who have played crazy starting hands - Q8o, A2, 89 etc.

What kind of hands do you tend to get into a pot with?

Hyzepher

Lafortezza

If I'm in late position and unlikely to be raised by someone later than me then I might limp into the flop with 9 10 suited, or A7 or something equally as 50/50. This would depend on my stack and the level of the blinds, if it was too small then I'd keep on folding til I got a nice pocket.
I might also consider making a big raise, especially if I held something like J10 or low suited connectors like 67s, so that way if I did get callers I'd have a chance of getting something on the flop. But that would again be if I had a big stack and position.

Usually I'd call with Q10 or better, although I would think about it. I'd raise with QQ or better in my hand.
All of these kind of decisions depends on position, who's betting/raising/checking, size of my stack, whether its in the buyin or freezeout period, boredom, size of blinds, whether or not the day was sunny, and what I had for lunch that day.

There's no way of knowing what to go in on, it all depends on the situation. I've called on 72o before, just because it the worst hand and "it has to win sometime!", and I got a split pot on a pair of sevens.

You're right though, pre-freezeout people will call with anything at all, after the freezeout though, people get very cagey, and you do see alot more bluffs/semi-bluffs from people in late position. At least I think they're bluffs, if I had better cards I'd call them and find out

DeVore

...boredom...

That made me laugh... I'm always going in on Q5o just cos I'm bored senseless tossing them back in the muck! (Last week at the free-in I couldnt stop hitting them too!)

I find it hard not to enter a hand if I have anything from the royalty *and* I'm bored. Or suited cards, I'll usually pay the blinds to see a flop if I have any two suited cards and I'm bored. Its a bad habit but like, fnck it we're there to have fun too!

Normally Q9o is about the worst I'd consider going in on. It depends on position, blinds, stack and the way the table is playing. I've played connectors but I dont like them generally, the odds seem woeful to me for a hand that will get beaten by a flush or a house or a higher run. I dunno, I just dont like them much. Suited connectors mmmmm yes, but unsuited will get mucked usually.

Oddly, I'm not all nuts about pocket rockets. The best you are going to get is three aces and while its very pretty, you need to be sure you dont walk into the aforementioned run, flush or house! Three aces are very pretty and stand up a lot of the time but can often lead to over confidence and an early exit.

That said, I'd take AA over my usual 7,2 anyday!

DeV.

Lafortezza

Originally posted by DeVore

Oddly, I'm not all nuts about pocket rockets. The best you are going to get is three aces and while its very pretty, you need to be sure you dont walk into the aforementioned run, flush or house! Three aces are very pretty and stand up a lot of the time but can often lead to over confidence and an early exit.
That said, I'd take AA over my usual 7,2 anyday!
DeV.

I was thinking about when you get AA the other day. If there are 3 or 4 callers/people seeing the flop couldn't that mean that they hold Ace and a rag and are seeing what the flop throws up? If you get 1 or 2 callers after you (presumably) raise preflop with you AA, then its less likely that people have Aces in their hands, therefore more likely that you'll get one on the flop/turn/river?

Hyzepher

Playing AA, and even KK, requires a special type of betting. I think we covered this before but here goes. As Dev has stated AA is a very dodgy hand if there are more than 2 callers - you are on a hinding as someone is bound to pick you off. So the first priority for AA is to win the hand, regardless of how much you win. The second priorty is to ensure that only those with good starting hands call you - this gives you a major advantage especially if they hold an Ace as well - AK against AA is a major, major underdog etc.

So if you combine those two priorities it is all most always correct to put in a large raise pre-flop - especially if you are in late position. You can call in early position but only if you are sure there is a raise behind you.

The trick to playing AA is to ensure that all your callers are convinced that they have a better hand than you - this will ensure that they actually are worse off than if they had called with 89s, 77 etc.

KK is a completely different story - if you let the flop fall then any Ace has you beat if it comes up - so priority 2 for AA does not apply here. What you want to do is limp in and then go very agressive if a Ace doesn't fall on the flop. At least you have maximised your pot without over risking your stack.

Hyzepher

henbane

Originally posted by Hyzepher
I have had numerous showdowns with people who have played crazy starting hands - Q8o

I think that was me

Krusty_Clown

Just to prove your point, was playing an online tournament on Tuesday, and picked up Pocket Aces. Lost to a 27o, who managed a straight. He was running out of chips, and it was his last hand, so he was all-in, with that crap..

Never any guarantees in this game!