Playing the wrong hands?

[Deelah]

Hi all!

I play online shorthanded cash games like $5/10 and $10/20 at Stars and recently at Party.

I´m not that fishy as many of the players at Party and has some hand standards I follow. The thing I am curious about now is, do I play the wrong hands?

I usually play hands like QTo, JTo, J9s, T8s, 97s but the second I see an A with a bad kicker like A5, A6 I muck it. Is this hand better than my QTo? Am I costing myself money?

Please give me your thoughts, I´m mainly a tournament player and in need of some help - ty! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[soda]

All the hands you mention are not very strong, and are mediocre winners even in the hands of experts in very favorable situations.

Of course, if you look fishy playing marginal holdings and break even, then it's better to play them. If they are costing you - or you even suspect they are costing you, you can certainly fold all of those hands with little to no repercussions (ouch - sp on that one?).

soda

[stripsqueez]

you nailed "repercussions" as well as the answer

Q10 gets a ride if its folded to me on the button or cutoff - J9s i still look at fondly and will sometimes raise early or raise a limper with - the rest i bin virtually always - i have a grudge against J10o

stripsqueez - chickenhawk

[naphand]

Ask yourself what your opponents are playing. These holdings are the likely MINIMUM standard for even quite loose players (most will not play them outside the blinds, OTB). So what is you best position - you are either already behind or facing the same cards. Neither situation is profitable.

QTo, JTo - I only really want to play these against the blinds. Even a very loose player who includes limping with trash suited cards from MP may have you beat with a legitimate hand, plus you would still have to raise out the blinds and/or hit the flop very hard. These are not strong drawing hands either.

Sure I've been beaten for some good pots by QTo but usually only when they hit a straight or FH on the flop - which is not going to happen very often.

T8s, 97s go in the muck every time.

J9s I may play folded to me in the CO, as long as I don't feel a raise is likely from the button/blinds, and I am running well. But this is not a hand you can play with a lot of confidence, and is going to be facing a difficult flop even when you catch part of it.

[Deelah]

By fishy I mean players who go all the way with nothing or just a pair of deuces or K3 and hits their K on the river. I never make these plays but it seems like I play too weak hands though.

I sometimes play these hands to mix up my play but it seems like I´m doing it too often. How about week aces then? I "never" play them. Maybe I should. When and how?

[stripsqueez]

weak aces ?

before the blinds i fold A8o or worse always, except on the button when i raise if its folded to me - A9o and small suited aces i play from the cutoff and occasionally from further out or even raising a limper but most of them i bin

i have been trying to raise interest in a support group for short handed players who undertake to always open raise A2o from the button - so far i am the only member - for those doubters pokertracker reckons i am +$241.50 so far...

stripsqueez - chickenhawk