Favorite and least favorite starting hands.

[VarlosZ]

Obviously, I'm not looking for: "My favorite hand is AA, my least favorite is 23o."

So: What's your favorite non-premium starting hand, and what's your least favorite playable hand?

My favorite: pocket 8s. I seem to flop to them (either with sets or just an overpair) an unusually large percentage of the time. It's my lucky hand.

Least favorite: KQ -- otherwise known as "shortcut to the second-best hand." I've gotten busted out of so many SNGs with KQ that I just muck it if at all possible (it's not quite so awful in limit).

[ctv1116]

Favorite Hand: Pocket 3s. It is very simple to play, no real thinking involved.

Least Favorite Hand: Pocket 10s. For me it is always favorite difficult to play (its probably just me).

[balkii]

Wow I am with you. Pocket 8s are always a fun hand for me, and I have a terrible disgust for KQ. I think its a piece of trash. Yet I still raise with it...

[astroglide]

i like 99 and AJs

[peacemaker]

Due to the fact that I lost more with AJ mostly to hands that I'm a big agianst AJ is my least fav.

[z32fanatic]

Pocket 8's are my signature hand as well. My least favorite hand is 99 because i never know how to play it in NL. With 10s I can almost always push in preflop, but with 99, I just can't do it.

[jdl22]

My favorite is pocket dueces. I seem to get lucky flopping sets with them and people don't ever suspect it (or most sets I guess).

As for least favorite I dislike AQ simply because I have only lost huge pots and won tiny ones. Mostly the losses have been suckouts (I've not yet lost with AQ to AK) but I've been playing NL so they are rather costly.

My guess is most people are going to sight a pocket pair as their favorite and two blackjack 20 or 21 hands as their least favorite.

[luckycharms]

Faves:

66: sixes seem to flop for me. They pay well.
JT: If it flops a straight against like AQ it's a jackpot

Least faves: AXo Even like AT

[TimTimSalabim]

Oddly enough (or perhaps evenly) I agree with you that 8's are my favorite nonpremium. I always seem to know whether they're good or not. They're quite easy to get away from when there's a lot of action.

My least fav is definitely AJ, especially in NL tourneys. I've gone bust with that hand more often than any other.

[bigpooch]

LHE: I made much much more than my fair share with QTs. I
hate QQ and have been running really bad with them! I will
still raise and reraise with them even if I have lost with
them a hundred times in a row!

Draw: I made more than my fair share with a pair of kings:
just recently I outdrew a pat hand and made four kings! I
really hate straight flush draws: I estimate that I have
made about 10 of about hundred of them recently and once I
even made a small straight but mucked it after the draw! I
once had a pat royal flush and had to split it with a low
(in high low draw).

Pineapple split: I have had AA2 suited three times and
never won a pot with them!

Omaha8: I once had AAAA dealt and won with it! I also
really hate hands with QQ: I almost never win a pot with
a hand with QQ: time to take the queens out of the deck!
Ironically though, I once made quad queens back to back at
the same table on Paradise poker with this kind of hand!

7stud8: I really hate a hand with two aces: I can't remember
how much I have lost with this premium hand! On the other
hand, I have done really well with kings and have won more
than my fair share: once, I had split kings and a live
kicker (but not an ace) and raised first one in and got
called in five spots (everyone else had low upcards) and
promptly hit a king on fourth street! With everyone gasping
for air, the river washed out the low rollers!

[spamuell]

[ QUOTE ]
I once had AAAA dealt and won with it!

[/ QUOTE ]

/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Were you in the blind? Everyone knows you know your stuff, how did you rationalise to yourself that it was +EV to play it?

[spamuell]

My favourite hold'em hand has to be 97s. After reading Carson's book I ended up limp-reraising with it and won a huge pot, completely confusing my opponents and getting action on all hands for the next couple of hours (although I would probably have anyway) and having those hands hold up.

I don't really have a worst hand in hold'em that isn't trash, they all seem to do pretty well for me, so I'll have to name a stud hand instead (I hope this is within the rules of the post /images/graemlins/grin.gif). (AA)9 is definitely my worst hand since playing NL7CS at a home game and having this hand beaten by quad 6s and quad 7s twice in one night!

[bunky9590]

Holdem Faves: No limit 78s and AKs. Limit JTs and ATs. (just my "lucky" hands)

Draw: Definite fave the 22-way str8 flush draw.
Worst hand Pair oof Kings to the point where I don't play them anymore.

[bigpooch]

It was low limit O8 and I thought there was a good chance
I could win the blinds (from almost utg!) or get it heads
up. Only one player called (immediately on my left) and to
make a long story short, I bet the hand through but checked
the river when a third heart hit the table (board paired on
sixes on the turn). Some interesting comments from the
players around the table ensued; maybe some thought I was a
newbie! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Losing all]

lucky- 9T soooted. I've seen many miracle flops, turns and rivers with this gem.

hate- KQo

[spamuell]

(AA)9 is definitely my worst hand since playing NL7CS at a home game and having this hand beaten by quad 6s and quad 7s twice in one night!

I forgot to mention that I improved to Aces full of 9s both times, and the quad 6s hand had one up and three down and quad 7s had two up and two down. Painful.

[Slacker13]

My favorite is 67 suited, if I don't hit the flop I just play them like they are aces. My toughest hand would have to be KQ.

[James Boston]

Favorite:

JT I NEVER lose with it, and don't know why.

Least:

Any good hand I'm dealt while racking my chips, and am about to leave. I can't fold it, yet it never wins.

[pokerkid88]

JT suited, i play against really loose opponents and its very profitable

[illunious]

[ QUOTE ]
My favorite: pocket 8s. I seem to flop to them (either with sets or just an overpair) an unusually large percentage of the time. It's my lucky hand.

Least favorite: KQ -- otherwise known as "shortcut to the second-best hand." I've gotten busted out of so many SNGs with KQ that I just muck it if at all possible (it's not quite so awful in limit).


[/ QUOTE ]

I completely agree, 88 and KQo were the first hands that I thought of. Creepy...

[Arrion]

Favorite: pocket 4s. I seem to flop far more than my share of sets with that particular hand, and quads once. And it's easy to get away from when it misses.

Least favorite. pocket jacks. Maybe because I'm not good at getting away from it when it's beat, but I seem to struggle more playing this hand than any other.

[PaulC]

Least favourite:

Now it's TT having lost quads to a JJJJ quad in no limit /images/graemlins/crazy.gif

It was QQ as i always consider this too poor to play aggressive and too good to fold. All things being equal of course.

Favourite? Depends who I'm playing........


Interesting thread btw.

[mackthefork]

My favourite hand is 78s playable against any hand, easy to know when you are beat, better chance than any other hand against AA.

Least favourite is 99 I stink at playing this from time to time.

[blackaces13]

My favorite hand is AA, my least favorite is 23o.

[JTrue]

This is my favorite thread

[JTrue]

Ducks are key