Another Hold'em Crossover Question

[Onaflag]

I hope to get proficient at O8. Starting hand charts are great and all, and they are abundant, but for otherwise experienced poker players, we tend to ask ourselves questions preflop, whether knowingly or unknowingly, that help us determine the quality of our hand.

Specifically, we might grade a hand as taught in SSH as having High Card Strength (AKo), Suitedness (ATs), or Connectedness (JT). Having as many of each category in one two card hand is preferred.

My question is: What questions do you ask yourself when evaluating your O8 preflop hand?

Onaflag.........

[Webster]

Only 1 question is needed - can every card of your 4 fit together to scoop the pot. Not to win 1/2 but the entire thing. If the hand is good for winning 1/2 the pot - fold it.

[ QUOTE ]
Only 1 question is needed - can every card of your 4 fit together to scoop the pot. Not to win 1/2 but the entire thing. If the hand is good for winning 1/2 the pot - fold it.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you're playing a loose LO8 game, that advice is going to cost you a ton of money.

[Webster]

I think I might have over simplified it your right. But the general idea is to have all 4 cards working for you unless you have A2 or A3 with a suited high card.

[Mendacious]

I look for Scoop potential in a hand as well, but not exclusively. For instance, I am playing any A2xx, or (A3xx suited) if the pot is not raised. Also, typically I will play 234x, (A4xx suited) and most Ace and 2 wheel card combinations(depending on position and the liklihood on that table I am going to be raised). All of these hands are playable to me unraised pre-flop as they are consistent moneymakers. You just have to make sure that you avoid the EXPENSIVE quarters with these hand. But overall, played properly, they will make you money.

I am also going to play AAxx KKxx QQxx virtually always if there are no raises. Likewise, I will play any 4 cards over 10 if there are no raises. All of these hands have good scoop potential though KK and QQ can get tricky.

I won't play much outside of these bounderies, full ring. And it requires little or no thought to play these hands unraised pre-flop.

Now, what I will raise with or call a raise with pre-flop depends on a lot of variables, and is more of an art. I can tell you I think ANY of the hands I've mentioned is foldable to a raise in the right situation pre-flop. The ONLY hands that I think you have to call with no matter what preflop, are hands with AA2 suited or AA3 suited, A234 suited, and probably any AA double suited with 2 cards over 10. I don't think these hands should ever be laid down, even if it means going all-in pre-flop

[gergery]

The key questions are
- What chances does my hand have to scoop
- How likely is it that my hand will scoop
- And perhaps, if my hand can scoop, how likely is it that someone can like a 2nd best hand enough to pay me a bunch of money

My site has some add’l info www.o8poker.com

--greg

[Webster]

In order for me to play AAxx KKxx and lower I have to have something else as I think those hands are pretty poor by themselves, almost worthless, Your not going to get a High scoop and certainly not a low scoop.

Best you can do is be drawing for half the pot. Anne Duke says playing AAxx KKxx QQxx is one of the top mistakes LO8 players make unless ou have two top pair or 2 very low suited cards.

(just repeating what I read).

[Buzz]

[ QUOTE ]
My question is: What questions do you ask yourself when evaluating your O8 preflop hand?

[/ QUOTE ]

Onaflag - I don't ask myself any questions. What I look for in a starting hand is (1) scoop potential, and (2) nut potential.

[ QUOTE ]
High Card Strength (AKo), Suitedness (ATs), or Connectedness (JT)

[/ QUOTE ]

Of the three you have mentioned above, suitedness is by far the most important in a full game. With fewer and fewer opponents, especially one-on-one, high card strength increases in importance.

Connectedness is very misleading. Sure, all other things being equal, you like your cards connected, but 23KK is a much better hand than 6789, 7789, or 7788, regardless of suitedness.

I'd say most important is to try to avoid hands with middle cards and low or mediocre pairs.

You obviously can't always do that. You should play A223 even though it has the small pair, and you should play A278-double suited or AA78-double suited, even though they have middle cards.

Buzz

[Mendacious]

Sorry, once again my advice applies to PL not limit. I think Annie may be right about AA and KK in limit, but not in PL.