A/10 How to Play?

[Prufrock]

Would like advice on how to play A/10, suited and offsuit, from EP and MP.
Assume a table of decent players.

[Mike Gallo]

Hey Pru,

I usually don't play those hands from early position. Suited perhaps once in a while you can open raise to vary your game, however I would advise you to throw those hands into the muck from those early position more often than not.

In a loose passive game the A10 suited hand has more value than at a table with good players.
Best Wishes

Michael

[pufferfish]

My response is taken from "Middle Limit Holdem Poker" which I'm currently reading.

EP - Unraised Pots:

ATs: Usually limp; raise on occasion to vary your play in a loose game.

EP - Raised Pots:

ATs is marginal and a close decision whether to call or fold.

MP - Unraised Pots:

ATs or AT: If no one has limped in you can open-raise.

MP - Raised Pots:

Use EP guidelines, especially if raiser is an EP.

Hope I got that right.

[Prufrock]

[ZManODS]

I still find playing ATo is sometimes costly in EP. You can limp in only to find you have to call a raise. And then when an Ace does flop you cant extract much from it but you can lose a lot. Its one of those second best hands.

I would say either limp or open-raise from MP depending on the game texture in an unraise pot.

[pufferfish]

I still find playing ATo is sometimes costly in EP.

"Middle Limit Holdem Poker" does not mention playing ATo in EP, although I did not make that explicit.

The book only mentions playing ATs in EP.

BTW, I didn't mean to ignore the S&M books. That's just the book I happened to have with me when I replied to the post.

[MarkD]

ATo - EP - fold.

ATo - MP - fold.

ATo - LMP - no one is in infront of you, raise.

ATo - LP - no one is in infront of you, raise.

ATo - LP - some limpers infront of you - sometimes worth a call.

ATs - EP - call, sometimes worth a fold.
ATs - MP - call, sometimes worth a raise.
ATs - LP - call, more often worth a raise.

that's my opinion.

[Tyler Durden]

The best way to play ATo from EP is to NOT play it. Seriously. It's such an ugly holding. If it's suited, I'll usually limp with it in early position.

If I'm first in from MP with ATs I'll raise, ATo I'll usually fold.

It's one of those trouble hands that will cost you a lot more money in the long run than it will make for you.

[Ed Miller]

In most games I play in, I limp in with ATs first in from EP and sometimes raise with it. I muck ATo in EP.

First in (or after one limper) from MP, I will raise with either hand. ATs I will basically always raise from MP or LP as long as no one has raised yet.

Neither hand is worth calling a reasonable raise with.

ATs is a strong hand as long as no one else has shown strength preflop. ATo is a marginal hand and plays best against one or two weak limpers and/or the blinds.