What to look for in starting hands Part I: Limit hold'em (1)

What to look for in starting hands Part I: Limit hold'em (1)


In this series, I will discuss a few starting hands, and the conditions under which these starting hands may, or may not, be profitable. This three-part series will focus on Omaha high mostly, where it isn't always clear to some players (especially the ones coming from a hold'em background) what to look for in a hand. Today though, I will start off with my former main game (limit hold'em), and I will get on about hold'em in the next issue. I will discuss a few starting hands that are often misplayed by average and even above-average players, hands that require a lot more situational / circumstantial analysis than they are given by a lot of players. Note that I'm not discussing any of the "Group 1" hands like aces, kings or ace-king here.

A lot of poker writers (most notably David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth) have devoted so much time to discussing the play of premium hands, and have written so much excellent material on the subject, that there's nothing much to add for me. What's more, it is my experience that in hold'em most players know how to play the premium cards fairly well- it is often the not so premium hands that cause them trouble.

I will take a short look at some of these not-so-great hands, and discuss the best way to play them before and after the flop- taking into account situational and circumstantial factors. (By the way, a lot of excellent material has been written on this subject, also by the authors mentioned. It is just that even a lot of serious players still seem to have trouble adjusting the value of their hand to the current situation; they simply play their own hand, regardless of, and oblivious to, whatever action has taken place- or might take place.

If you think your play fits into this category, this series might be of help in improving your overall poker playing ability). In part II I will take a look at starting hands in my main game nowadays (pot-limit Omaha high), and in part III I will discuss limit Omaha (high only), and differences in hand selection between the two. The structure of the entire series will be the same. I will pick a starting hand, make a short analysis of its relative strength, its value in early and late position, and whether or not, and how, the hand can or should be played against a raise.

Hand # 1: 77

Analysis
Now this is what I call a "situational hand". Under certain circumstances, you might make it three bets with your wired sevens, whereas under different circumstances the hand might not even be worth a call. In loose-passive games where lots of players see the flop for one bet, you get excellent odds in trying to flop a set, and the hand can often be played for profit- even from early position. Unfortunately, at the limits I play ($10-20 and up), the games are like this only a very small percentage of the time. In these games, players prefer raising and calling over folding, and your hand is therefore not automatically playable anymore.

Early-position (EP)

In a ten-handed, loose-passive game my percentage "folding-calling-raising" in EP would be something like 5-85-10, in tougher games maybe 55-25-20, and in tougher, short-handed games it might be more like 15-10-75. Always take a close look at the texture of the game, your image, the atmosphere at the table and your position relative to your weaker opponents (the ones you want to make money from) and the strong ones (are they likely to call or even raise you, and what does this mean for the quality of your hand?). Try to predict how your fold, call or raise might influence future action and act accordingly.

Late-position (LP)

In late position, your hand is almost always playable if the pot hasn't been raised yet. If there are no callers, you might choose to raise yourself. If there are lots of callers, you might also raise, to try to tie the limpers onto the pot, and to win a huge pot in case you get lucky and flop a set. However, most of the time calling would be natural with your pocket pair, as you will need to receive help to win.

Against a raise

If a tight, unimaginative player has raised from early position and there are no callers, there's no need for you to get involved. If there are a few callers in the middle when the action gets to you, then calling the raise might be worth it, as you might win a big pot if a seven flops (the odds against that are about 7.5 to 1). Whenever the raise comes from a maniac in late or middle position and you are sitting somewhere to his immediate left, and if the players behind you respect your play and are capable of folding even reasonably good hands, then an isolation-reraise might be your best option. By doing this, you try to play your relatively small pair heads up, in position against a random hand.

Most of the time, the way you play your pocket pair after the flop is fairly easy and straightforward. In the situation mentioned here, you would almost always bet after the flop, and the board will have to get very scary for you to lay down your hand at any point (remember, you made the three-bet because you labeled the raiser as a maniac- now please don't make any expert laydowns after the flop because he just might have you beat). In the multiway-situation described above, you would almost always need to flop a seven to continue with the hand (even though there are exceptions), and you should be able to play your hand mistake-free here without too much thought. However, before the flop your best decision isn't always easy and you will need to judge closely and accurately to see if folding, calling or raising is recommended for the specific situation.

Some final words.

In the next issue, I will discuss three more hold'em hands that may cause the average player problems. To be more specific, I will analyze the following hands: A5s, T9s and KJo. I will discuss if, when and how these hands can or should be played for profit. In parts II and III of this series I will then focus on Omaha high, either the limit or the pot-limit version of the game. Take care, you guys, and good luck.