NL Preflop Hand Advice

[sillyarms]

I've been trying to get a better grip on nl hold'em pre-flop strategy. I've made a chart of about how I think hands should be played in a generic game that is neither too loose/tight, or too passive/agressive. Basically a normal game. I would also like to say that I know nl hold'em is very situational. This chart is very inflexible there will be times that information is available that could change your decisions. I am just trying to see if what I have taught myself is any good. I would appreciate any advice you could give me on changing this chart to be a better model. Where should I add hands? Where Should I take hands away? What hands should I add, and where? Any advice is appriceated.

small Pairs
77
66
55
44
33
22

Big pairs
JJ
TT
99
88

Premium pairs
AA
KK
QQ

small suited connectors
9Ts
89s
78s
67s
56s
45s

Big Suited connectors
KQs
JQs
JTs

Suited Aces
ATs
A5s
A4s
A3s
A2s
A9s
A8s
A7s
A6s

Big Suited Aces
AQs
AJs

Premium suited Aces
AKs

Small Unsuited Connectors
AT
KQ
KJ

Big Unsuited Connectors
AQ
AJ

Premium Unsuited Connectors
AK

<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre> Early
Limp
Big pairs
Big Suited Aces
Premium Unsuited Connectors
Raise
Premium pairs
Premium suited Aces
Middle
Limp
small Pairs
Big Suited Aces
Raise
Premium Unsuited Connectors
Big pairs
Premium pairs
Premium suited Aces
First In
raise with any of the above(except small pairs and AJs)
Late
Limp
Less than 3 limpers
Suited Aces
small Pairs
Big Unsuited Connectors
3 or more limpers
small suited connectors
Suited Aces
small Pairs
Big Suited connectors
Raise
Less than 3 limpers
Big Suited connectors
Big Unsuited Connectors
Big pairs
Premium pairs
Premium suited Aces
3 or more limpers
Big pairs
Premium pairs
Premium suited Aces
First In
Raise
Suited Aces
small Pairs
Big Suited connectors
Big Unsuited Connectors
Big pairs
Premium pairs
Premium suited Aces </pre><hr />

silly

[sillyarms]

I would really like to hear some opinions on this. I am trying to teach a friend how to play nl hold'em and I would like to teach him a solid strategy with his starting hands. The problem is that most of this info was built of of my personal experience so I am not sure if it is a good strategy. Is anyone out there kind enough to criticize me?

silly

[amoeba]

I think your chart is generally ok.

although I think you limp a bit too much in early position and don't raise enough hands in mid position.

[creedofhubris]

Raising with 88-TT in middle position can get you in trouble.

I play the following hands in LP, with at least one limper:

QJo
JTo
QTo
KTo
KTs
Q9s
J9s

And with mutiple limpers:
T8s
97s
86s
75s
64s


On the button and in the CO, I raise with more hands than you do. I'm not sure I understand why you're less likely to raise with multiple limpers vs. less than 3; I tend to vary the amount of my raise rather than whether or not I make the raise.

Your structure also neglects to take into account what to do in a raised pot, and what to do in the small blind.

[sillyarms]

[ QUOTE ]
although I think you limp a bit too much in early position

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you make sense here. I find myslef limping and getting raised alot when I am in ep. Should I be raising more or folding more? And with which hands?

[ QUOTE ]
don't raise enough hands in mid position

[/ QUOTE ]

What hands should I start raising with that are not currently listed in the raise column?

Thanks for the input

silly

[sillyarms]

[ QUOTE ]
I play the following hands in LP, with at least one limper:

QJo
JTo
QTo
KTo
KTs
Q9s
J9s

And with mutiple limpers:
T8s
97s
86s
75s
64s

[/ QUOTE ]

I think that this could be dooable for a good player but my friend(and most begenning players) is a calling station. I think I need to teach him the meaning of tight before I show him how to get the money he's leaving on the table by not playing these hands.

[ QUOTE ]
I'm not sure I understand why you're less likely to raise with multiple limpers vs. less than 3; I tend to vary the amount of my raise rather than whether or not I make the raise.


[/ QUOTE ]

I do it this way because I feel with less limpers I am more like to win the pot right there. It's a semibluff. As for varing the amount of the raise I've only been experimenting with this the past couple of weeks and am not yet sure how this is done correctly. I would love more info as to why/when you vary the amount of you raise.

[ QUOTE ]
and what to do in the small blind.

[/ QUOTE ]

I am still unsure myself about the small blind. I've got pretty good position pre-flop and a cheap price, but my postion is crap for the rest of the hand. I've tried calling with suited connectors and suited aces but I usually find myself out of postion with a draw on the flop. Should I be playing these hands and waiting for a big draw or a made hand and folding everything else? What are your guidelines in the sb?

I appreciate your advice

silly

[bholdr]

here's what i do differently-

small pairs-
88 and 99 too

i also tend to think of QQ as a big, rather than premimum pair

small suited connectors
i include 34s and NOT 9Ts (to easy to be dominated with pairs and straights.

I think of AT as a big suited ace, because the straight is just as likely as with AQ or AJ and it has about the same risk of domination.

i also consider your two categories 'big unsuited connectors' and 'samll unsuited connectors' the same: trouble. i hate them and fold them more often than not.

as far as preflop play goes-
EP
i raise big pairs and AK- because they are not quite good enough to call a big reraise and you want to thin the feild a bit. i'd rather be making the raise than calling it. I also try to limp-reraise with AA or KK. just call with AKs and call just about any raise with those. i also limp with pairs down to about 88 and i limp with ANY small suited connector, with the intention of calling a small raise. I fold everything else (this includes KJ, AJ, etc)

MP
looks like what i do- except-
limp with those small suited connectors- call raises with them.

LP
i always limp and sometimes raise with the small suited connectors as well as hands like 57s and 35s (i love the SSCs if you haven't figured that out already [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]). Also, you should have a category for hands with which you would CALL a raise.