What preflop are you willing to play with?

[Metalhead3201]

Do you guys have a certain set of hands that you will only play with preflop or does it depend on the situation. I guess what I'm asking is that some people won't play without a face card, or if no face card, they'll play with suited cards. Would you play with a K6 offsuit if there were BBs preflop? What about a 10 and 8 or 10 and 9 suited? I guess I'm just wondering what hands do you guys consider good enough to call the flop with?

[zokbarjazz]

very nice.

[gila]

K6 os, for sure

[fishfeet]

Im a big fan of the 93o myself. Its a huge +EV hand.
We have also learned in our home games that Q-7 never loses. Ever. Its just as good as 2 jokers!

[Cleveland Guy]

Hey - Assuming he isn't a troll, let's cut the newbie some slack.

I'll post a fair response, you aren't getting any serious answers, because to most of us it's obvious what hands we will play, and from what positions. We picked this up from reading books, learning and reading posts on sites like this.

Your questions is very vague, and unless someone wants to write an essay on pre flop standards, and how they are effected by tight, loose games, a maniac, etc - you won't get a response.

My advice- find a good book or 2, and read some posts on here to see what people say.

And also - brace for the flaming that is coming your way.

[NoChance]

If you are serious with this post and are learning Hold Em, then check out the URL below. It is a good place to start until you can buy some books. If not, well then hopefully someone else gets some use from it.

Low Limit Hold Em (http://www.slospin.net/texas_hold.htm)

[CORed]

I'm going to give you a semi-serious answer: It depends.

It depends on position, prior action, and quality and playing styles of my opponents. There is not a set list of hands that I (or any other winning poker player) will play. There are many factors that have to be taken into account. There is also the decision of whether to limp or raise. Buy Hold'em poker, by Sklansky or Winning Low Limit Hold'em by Lee Jones to get you started. After you have played a little, get Theory of Poker, by Sklansky. Follow up with Small Stakes Hold'em by Sklansky, Malmuth and Miller. Poker is a complex game, and there are rarely simple answers to questions like "What cards can I play preflop?" I will give you one hint: K6 offsuit is crap. Fold it unless you are in the blinds, with no raise before you act. T8 and T9 suited are playable in late position with limpers in front. T9 can be played late after a raise and two or more cold calls.

[DuggleBogey]

10-5o is the best pre-flop hand.

Every straight has to have either a 10 or a 5 in it, doesn't it? So 10-5o must be the best hand.

I'm in search of a nickname for this hand. My buddy calls it "your favorite hand" because I was complaining about getting it a lot one night. When I heard the "makes every straight" story I had to laugh.

Anybody know of a good nick for this hand?

[dana33]

The nickname for T5 is "Woolworth's" (as in "5 and 10 store").

For the original poster (assuming your question is serious), here's an essay specifically on what to play preflop:

Hold'em Preflop Strategy According to Abdul (http://www.posev.com/poker/holdem/strategy/preflop-abdul.html)

(It has been awhile since I read this, but I think the strategy generally applies to tighter, higher limit games. But if you're just starting, it's better to play too tight than too loose.)

[mreinecker]

You should have higher expectation for your cards in early position. Your expectations should lower a little while in later position, but if there is a raise, I usually only call raises with better cards. I occasionally play lower ranked cards, though. I don't know if this is the best advice, for I am not an outstanding player, but this is what I do.