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The Maverick Guide to Internet Texas Holdem
Texas Holdem - The Rolls Royce of Poker games.It takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master
Issue 2
Welcome to the second issue of the Maverick Guide to Internet Texas Holdem.
This regular newsletter keeps you up to date with the very latest news and events from Get Minted Poker and over time provides advice on basic strategy for Internet Texas Holdem for beginners through to intermediate players.
This issue will focus on starting hands for Texas Holdem, those hands that you should be looking for each time you are dealt your first two cards.
1.0 OVERVIEW OF STARTING HANDS
You have been dealt your two starting cards and now have to decide whether to call, raise or fold your cards. Getting your playing strategy correct at this point in the game will save you lots of money in wasted calls and raises. There are several things that you need to consider before you make your decision.
- Strength of your hand
- Your position and relative position
- The number of callers - Raised/Unraised pot
- A loose or tight game
- The type of game you are playing. Limit or no-limit
It is obvious to say that the strength of the two cards you have been dealt are very important in deciding on your play for that hand. Winning players play mostly strong hands. Losing players play both strong and not so strong hands.
For the discussion in section 2 to 4 of this issue you will find that the strength of your hand can be put down into the following categories.
Pairs - you have two cards the same in your hand. For example AA, or TT. Big pairs are categorised as AA to JJ, medium pairs as TT to 77 and small pairs as 66 down to 22.
Picture Cards - also known as big cards these cards are A through to J.
Suited/Unsuited - if the two cards are the same suit this is referred to as suited. AKs means Ace King suited. AKo or AK means Ace King offsuit.
Connectors - Two cards are connected when they are next two each other such as 76 or T9. Sometimes we will also recommend playing connectors that are two apart such as 86s or 75s.
Suited Aces or Kings - An ace or King and one other card of the same suit. Axs means an Ace and one other card of the same suit. Having an ace high flush is much stronger than having a King high flush.
Even if you just played the cards that fell into these categories you would be playing too many hands. Many of your opponents will play any hand that falls into these categories as well as a host of other hands. They will argue that until you see the flop anything is playable. Let them play that way and enjoy taking their money on the hands that you play.
1.2 Position and Relative Position
Position is where you are in relation to the button (see Issue 1 section 2 of the Maverick Guide). Playing in early position requires a greater hand to bet, playing in late position allows you to play more hands as you have information from the other players on the hands they may have by the way they have bet.
Relative position is your position relative to a specific opponent. Generally you want a very aggressive player to be playing their cards before you so that you can act after they have acted. A steady player that is easy to read or one that always bets/raises you would prefer to have on your left as this gives you the chance to check raise. I always try and find a seat that is as near to the left of the person that I am most concerned about. If one is not available I want to get as near as possible to sitting directly opposite him so that I can be ahead half the time and behind the other half.
1.3 The number of callers - A raised or an unraised pot
The number of callers that are ahead of you will of course be part dependent on your position. The number of players that are in a hand is often ignored by players at their peril. There are a significant number of hands that play well against 1 or 2 callers but have little chance against 6 or 7 callers. A pair of kings for example can be bet hard all way to the river against 1 or 2 players and hold up without any help from the board. With 7 players in the pot there is a very high chance that 2 pair, trips, a straight or a flush are out there.
On the other hand there are many hands that you only want to play when there are lots of players in the pot. This is because when there are lots of callers the pot gets bigger and the pot-odds then improve. You can now take a risk you would not have taken otherwise because you are getting better odds when it comes off. Most drawing hands (such as flush or straight draws) you are happy to have lost of callers in because when you hit your hand the size of the pot will be good. Axs that turns into a flush with no pair on the board is going to be the nuts (the chances of a straight flush are very limited and usually obvious on the board).
A raised pot usually indicates that someone has a strong starting hand. You therefore need a stronger hand yourself to come into the pot and compete than you would have if the pot has only been called. The action of raising a pot linked with the starting position of the raiser is an important clue in reading the hand that player is likely to have.
1.4 A Loose or a Tight game
This comes down to who you are sitting at the table with. If you are playing with lots of loose players who are betting lots of hands you will probably be better off tightening your own game and playing fewer hands. When the game is super tight and players are only playing the top premium hands you can loosen up a bit and pick up pots with lesser hands as your opponents will fold to you unless they have their required holding, in which case you fold. (The purists will argue for further changes to be made to your strategy but this is for more advanced play).
1.5. The type of game you are playing - Limit or No limit
Basically to play in no-limit poker as a beginner or intermediate you will need higher starting hands before playing. Advanced players are able to do the opposite but that is because they can outplay their opponents with their betting tactics on the flop and further down the betting. The higher the blinds on the table the stronger your starting hand will usually need to be to pay to see the flop.
In limit poker you will find that the majority of people pay to see the flop (especially if it's a 10p/25p or 25p/50p game) and therefore you are always up against a large number of players - see comments above on the number of callers.
2.0 STARTING HANDS IN EARLY POSITION
Ok - down to the nuts and bolts
In early position (that is the first three seats after the blinds) you need to play a very tight game. Basically you should only play hands with which you would be happy to call a later raise with. The problems with early position are many. You don't know how many players are going to be in the hand, you don't know the cost of playing the hand as you don't know if it will be raised behind you and you have to bet before most opponents on every subsequent betting round.
If you follow these guidelines you should find that you are playing no more than 1 in 12 hands in early position. Be patient. The handicap of your position requires the strength of the cards to overcome the inherent problems.
2.1 Unraised pots in early position
You should usually raise with the following premium hands. AA, KK, QQ, AKs, AK, AQs, AQ and AJs - you can also consider JJ as a raise or a call.
You should call with TT, 99, 88, 77, AJ, ATs, A9s, A8s, A7s, KQs, KJs and QJs. JTs and KQo can be played with caution.
2.2 Raised pots in early position
If you are in early position and the pot has already been raised then you should be looking for a reason to fold. Even a very aggressive player in front of you will have KK or AA at some point.
Re-raise with AA, KK, QQ, AKs, AKo,
Call or re-raise with JJ, AQs, AQo.
Only call with TT and AJs
If you are playing against a very tight player you may even consider folding some of these hands.
3.0 STARTING HANDS IN MIDDLE POSITION
The good news is that you can start to play a few more hands in middle position. You have some more information on how many players are in the pot and whether a super hand is out there from an early position raiser. The bad news is that some hands that were playable in early position may now not be playable if the pot has been raised.
3.1 Unraised pot in middle position
Pocket pairs. You can raise down to 99 or 88 and call with any other pairs. The lower the pair the more callers you would prefer.
Big Cards. You can now raise with these additional cards KJs, QJs, ATs, KQo, AJo, AT. Call with KJo, QJo, JTo Suited Connectors. Because any flush you hit may not be the nuts you need to be careful relying on the suited connectors. The Larger the better and the more callers the lower down the chain you can go. If there are only a small number of callers you can play the big suited connectors one apart eg QTs or J9s. In a loose game you can go further down the chain.
Unsuited Connectors. This comes down to personal preference. Some players love the connectors and some don't. I am a fan but you have to be careful with your play on the flop to make them profitable. If you are new to the game and don't play these you won't be missing too much. JT is often quoted as a powerful hand as it tends to get the nuts when you hit the straight but it is also a trouble hand and needs to be played cautiously.
Suited Aces and Kings. These are played religiously by most players. Axs is one of the most overrated hands but is a reasonable hand with a few in the pot. Play it cautiously on the flop and it can work well. Kxs must be played very carefully. If an ace falls on the flop beware and if you are getting lots of flush action prepare to pay off your opponent or ditch your king flush.
3.2 Raised pot in middle position
Just as for early position this is a warning sign that you should tighten up your requirements considerably. The advice is basically the same as it was for a raised pot in early position.
Re-raise with AA, KK, QQ, AKs, AKo,
Call or re-raise with JJ, AQs, AQo.
Only call with TT and AJs
A play that is often made is to re-raise a middle position raiser with TT and AJs but it can be dangerous and is usually reserved for the more aggressive skilled player.
If the pot has been raised twice you need to think very carefully about whether this is a hand you want to play. It comes down to the players that have made these raises and how they are playing. It's a judgement call you have to make but folding most hands (except for AA and maybe AKs) is a sound play for beginners. There will be another hand along in a minute where you may have a much better chance of winning the hand.
4.0 STARTING HANDS IN LATE POSITION
Playing in late position is where you are going to make most of your money. You have considerable advantages over all the players before you on this and each subsequent betting round and this advantage can turn a mid hand into a powerful hand depending on what you know about the play in front of you.
4.1 Unraised pots in late position
If no one has called yet you should almost always raise rather than calling. You are up against two random hands (in the blinds) and any sort of raise can make the blinds nervous and fold their hands. Many call this pot stealing but its part of the game and a useful tool in your bag. Raise with pairs down to 77, any two big cards, any suited cards 10 or higher, Axs, AT and A9. There are other hands you can raise with when you get better but the ones listed above can stand up to a call from random hands with reasonable chances of success.
If there are already some callers then the more callers there are the more you can open up your play. Raise with the usual premium hands. Call with lots of others to see a cheap flop.
Pairs. Raise the big ones and call all the rest. You are getting a cheap flop with a chance to make trips and will punish all those players that have limped in with not much at all when you hit the flop.
Big Cards. You can play just about any two big cards. Beware of the trap hands though (see later) and play these a bit more cautiously. You need to improve on the flop to make them playable.
Suited Connectors. These are great hands in late position. Even those with one gap can be played profitably. You are hoping to hit the flop of course and only draw when the pot odds are high enough. If there are lots of callers this is unlikely to be a problem. Normal connectors are pretty playable as well, get the cheap flop and then play from there if you hit something worth playing.
Suited Aces and Kings. These hands are worth seeing the flop with. You are hoping to get a flush draw rather than just hitting top pair but depending on your opponents this can be strong enough. Hitting trips on the A or K will kill the board or you will find that you have an opponent on a full house against you.
4.2 Raised pots in late position
As you are in late position you will have a pretty good idea of what the raise means for the hand you are holding. You have seen which position it came from, you know how big it is and you know how many people have played along behind. The usual advice holds. Re-raise with the premium hands and think hard about whether you want to pay the price of the call with the remaining types of hands. It comes down to judgement now as it much harder to be prescriptive of the hands you should play. The more callers there are the more you can loosen your play, enjoy the pot odds and fold if you miss your flop.
5.0 THE BLINDS
Playing from the blinds is difficult. As a general rule you will lose money playing in the blinds and it's a case of limiting your exposure as best as you can. In the big blind this is even worse as you will often only check the bet with a poor starting hand, hit something on the flop and then be tempted to play the hand that is very likely to be easy to beat. Playing in the blinds well is dependent on playing the flop well as your pre-flop activity is limited. You should play very conservatively from the blinds until you have the experience to play hands out of position effectively post flop.
In the small blind the cost of a bet is only half (since you have already paid half a bet). You usually are getting good pot odds in this case and so can loosen up on your choice of cards. If the deck has been raised you need to be far more selective in your choice of cards.
Playing in the big blind is a case of checking if there have been no raises or calling the raise (or re-raising). All the earlier advice holds for this. Work out how good your hand is compared to where the raise came from and play accordingly. As stated above if its just a check and you hit the flop with something that you would usually not have played be careful unless you have the nuts.
6.0 THE TRAP HANDS
These are acknowledged to be the "trouble hands" - those hands that people play that either win a very small pot or more likely lose a large pot. In addition they are often difficult to put down when you make something with them even though you know you are likely to be beat
These hands are not considered to be trouble if they are suited and they are strong hands when 4 or less players are playing the game (and not just 4 left in this round)
AQ, AJ, AT
KQ, KJ, KT
QJ, QT
JT
98
The advice for these hands links in to the earlier advice on each of the sections depending on your position. If you do play these hands though and they are not suited you should have a mental red flag to be very careful about how you play them.
7.0 A WORD OF CAUTION PLAYING AA AND KK
One of the worlds top players states that he prefers playing AK to AA or KK. The reason behind this is because AK is easy to fold when you have not hit anything on the flop. AA or KK is much more tricky against many types of flop.
AA and KK does not stand up so well to playing against more than 2 callers. If there are more in the pot chances are that one of those players will have hit at least two pair or better or may only be one card away from a straight or a flush. Good players raise the pot pre-flop aggressively to try and reduce the field down to only 1 or 2 callers giving them a much greater chance of winning even if they have not improved past their pocket pair.
See you on the tables
"Mav"