More Help ;P

[smoore]

You're not always looking for the flush, but it's an additional way to win. You want hands that have multiple ways to win the pot.

Pairs are not connected and cannot be suited ( One deck at a time, please! [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] ). They only have "high cardedness" on thier side. 22 obviously beats A hi. Even AA is still JUST ONE PAIR in a seven card game. Do not forget that. ( I still want to get allin preflop with it if possible )

If you're comfortable with starting hand charts, use one (I'd recommend sklansky). I just spouted my own theories on starting hand selection that work FOR ME. Like I said, someone could go broke playing like I do preflop unless they are a strong postflop player. hell, not "could" but "would" go broke.

You might enter a pot with something like 84o if you're a savant like Gus Hansen. He's my damn hero. You also might do it on a blind steal. If I try to steal the blinds I do it with trash, not a hand that has a good chance of making second best. It's easy to fold trash if you run into resistance. You will get ACTION on premium hands if your opponents see you take a pot down with trash that two paired or whatever. Be careful with these plays, you can also go broke with that same two pair.

I had to start playing like this because I was playing far too tight in the local home games. I would never get action. Now I get lots of action and people are misled frequently. I don't want to confuse them, confused people call... I want them to make bad mistakes against me when *I* choose.

Also understand that I don't play online or casino tournaments like this, I'm not good enough. I stick to a "tight is right" philosiphy against strong opposition. One day I'll be able to play in those situations like I do in a fish tank, hopefully within the year.

[Eager2Learn]

So since a pair only has one of the things on the list of 3, does this mean not to play them as much as most strategy recommends.

Also, what hands do you personally tend to play BASICALLY? Im not tryin to get ya to analyze every possible hand or anything...just what hands in general do ya like for my skill level (or lack thereof ;P ) in early, mid, late game/position

C

[Yarney]

Early on I like to limp with small pocket pairs because they play very easily post flop. No set no bet. They are good hands to pick up a lot of chips early on without much risk. You want to get in as cheap as possible though.

-Yarney

[Yarney]

[ QUOTE ]
Further, I have a hard time pushing in gigantic amounts of money on a bluff...and by bluff I mean a hand where you think you may have it but arent sure and are trying to push another player out. Any suggestions on when to bluff/with what hands/draws would be awesome [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

I've found the best bluffs have nothing to do with your hand at all, but moreso about how your opponent feels about their hand. This takes a lot of observation and practice. It is easy to practice though. What I like to do while I am not in the hand is look for places that I would bet as a bluff no matter what my cards are. Then, if that person bets and everyone else folds, you were correct, and try to remember what made you think it would be a good time to bluff. If someone calls, then you were incorrect, and try to remember the characterestics of the opposing players, the size of the bet, the texture of the board and the actual hands that were shown down. It can end up being a very powerful skill.

-Yarney

[Eager2Learn]

So what would everyone's best source for preflop hand selection be?

SuperSystem, Sklanskys book, something else? Or maybe each one for different types of play...please be as specific as ya can...I find my hand selection is one of my weaknesses and Im not sure which selection to use versus different opponents...even generally would help greatly.

C

[smoore]

You need to be playing all of the pairs in the right spots, especially in NL and certainly if you can see a flop cheaply. You know from experience how hard it can be to put someone on a flopped set, I break a lot of opponents with my sets. I just wanted to point out that many players overvalue pairs. 77 unimproved is just a pair of sevens, some players (especially new ones) overplay the holy dogcrap out of pocket pairs.