www.flopturnriver.com

Poker Forum

Over 1,247,000 Posts!

Already Registered? Username: Password: Remember Forgot Password
Tweet

My Live starting hands please add/remove/comment

LinkBack

Thread Tools

Display Modes

Rupeni

05-24-2010, 11:30 PM Post subject: My Live starting hands please add/remove/comment

#1 (permalink)

3-of-a-Kind

Join Date: Jan 2010

Posts: 51

Just thought I'd post what my starting hands would be live if playing a pretty solid game... in general I like to play as many hands as possible but also find this a bit unprofitable... please comment and suggest.

Early Position

AJo+, KQo, ATs+, any suited connected broadway no gaps (limping), 22+,

Open raising with - all of these except 99-22, broadway sc's

Middle Position

ATo+, KJo+, QJo, A9s+, 78s+, 22+, any suited broadways

open raising with - EP raises + broadway SC's + 99

Late Position

A8o+, KTo+, QTo+, Axs, 23s+, 22+, any suited broadways, q8s+, Kxs.

open raising with - MP raises + 9Ts, KJo, A9s+

Like previously stated, I like to play slightly more hands than this, but this is if playing "solid" and also alot depends on situations like whether multiway or how the table is playing. Let me know thoughts

Play for FREE and practice your game at...

Join the FTR Poker Forum to disable these banners and start posting!

Rupeni

05-25-2010, 12:13 AM

#2 (permalink)

3-of-a-Kind

Join Date: Jan 2010

Posts: 51

I should mention that this is for 1/2 1/3... would be interested to hear of any adjustments needed to be made for bigger games? maybe lose some of the low pairs from EP?

Fnord

05-25-2010, 08:21 AM

#3 (permalink)

Moderator

Join Date: Dec 2003

Location: I'll Do You Like A Truck

Posts: 19,334

Fnord is an unknown quantity at this point

A2s> 65s from any position.

From EP, fold the suited connectors, KQo, AJo. AJ/KQ are pretty meh hands, I guess play them in a soft, low rake game.

If the rake is high (California drop), you really should be only playing Axs, suited broadways, AQ+ and pairs unless you're in position behind weak players who have entered the pot (not worth attacking blinds in a high rake game.)

Axs, suited broadways, AQ+, pairs are your money hands. Everything else is pretty much just playing the player or position.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBvge-c2_Xg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-Xz8aLuD7Y

aqn

05-27-2010, 02:23 AM Post subject: Mix it up!

#4 (permalink)

High Card

Join Date: Jan 2005

Location: Austin, TX

Posts: 13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rupeni

I'd be uncomfortable with stuff like KQ, AJ, etc. in early positions. If I open raise and get a
caller or two, and then hit top pair on the flop, it's not the kind of hand I'd like to contest a
big pot with. A call with AK or QQ or JJ is certainly possible.

Quote:

Middle Position
ATo+, KJo+, QJo, A9s+, 78s+, 22+, any suited broadways
open raising with - EP raises + broadway SC's + 99

Late Position
A8o+, KTo+, QTo+, Axs, 23s+, 22+, any suited broadways, q8s+, Kxs.
open raising with - MP raises + 9Ts, KJo, A9s+

Like previously stated, I like to play slightly more hands than this, but this is if playing "solid"
and also alot depends on situations like whether multiway or how the table is playing. Let me know
thoughts

It must be me, 'cause this seems quite loose! But, if it works for you, by all means do it.

However, no matter what are your hand choices, remember to never play the same hand the same
way all the time. Depending on the hand and situation, use a mixture: 10% limp, 90% with AA or KK in
early position, 20/80 in late positions; 20% limp/80% raise with AK in early position, 30/70 in
late position, etc.

Fnord

05-27-2010, 05:36 AM

#5 (permalink)

Moderator

Join Date: Dec 2003

Location: I'll Do You Like A Truck

Posts: 19,334

Quote:

Originally Posted by aqn

However, no matter what are your hand choices, remember to never play the same hand the same
way all the time. Depending on the hand and situation, use a mixture: 10% limp, 90% with AA or KK in
early position, 20/80 in late positions; 20% limp/80% raise with AK in early position, 30/70 in
late position, etc.

Sample size is too small for this to matter in a live game. Just do whatever you feel makes you the most money and they will horribly misread you anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBvge-c2_Xg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-Xz8aLuD7Y

aqn

05-27-2010, 02:19 PM

#6 (permalink)

High Card

Join Date: Jan 2005

Location: Austin, TX

Posts: 13

I used to think so as well, that I don't play too many hands, so randomizing my actions does not
seem to make sense. Then I noticed that I was having a lot of trouble with big hands (AK hitting
Axx on flop, no draws, etc.). It turns out there seems to be a fav tactic that regulars like to use
against casual players like myself who think that "tight aggressive" is the way to go.

They'd call my pre-flop raise with small connectors etc. because when they flop two pairs, they can
count on a continuation bet (if I miss) or a "denying pot odds" bet (if I hit and there are draws)
from me. Then they'd raise (or check raise as the case may be) and I'd have a tough decision to
make. I've seen it used against players like me everywhere I've played (Vegas, AC and Biloxi),
many many times. Heck, I've used it myself against players like me!

That's why Dan Harrington's "Harrington on Cash Games: How to Win at No-Limit Hold'em Money Games,
Volume 1" was a revelation to me: never, as in, never, play the same hand the same
way all the time. The sample size may be small, but over the course of a few hours, it's not hard to
spot a pattern.

Which brings me to my current fav tactic: play like a tight aggressive good casual player for a
while to establish an image, then loosen up and play some hands the opposite way, like raising in
early position with 79o!! I love the chill that falls on the table when I finally have a
showdown where I show my winning (crappy) hand!!!

Of course, this is just my opinion. Feel free to play whichever way one is most comfortable.

pokerfan

05-27-2010, 04:31 PM

#7 (permalink)

4-of-a-Kind

Join Date: Jun 2007

Location: NS, Canada

Posts: 1,736

Offsuit broadways like ATo, KQo,QJo and suited connectors should be removed from ep to mp.In 10-handed loose games,I alway play very tight in the first 3 positons and only open up or attack limpers in CO or BT. Fuck those starting hands strategies written in books!!You should focus more on post flop games and your opponents' mistakes in these soft weakass low stakes live games. Sometimes it's necessary to make a few adjustments or switch gear against competent regulars based on game flow,dynamic history and your table image but in the end you just play with a bunch of poker noobs and zero thinking level passive donks who rarely give you too much trouble in lots of tough spots where good players are capable of making moves and using implied threat to put maximum pressure on you. Just stick with ABC positional starting hands, play your big hands fast and value bet these MORONS to death,then you will take money back home.

Fnord

05-28-2010, 08:06 AM

#8 (permalink)

Moderator

Join Date: Dec 2003

Location: I'll Do You Like A Truck

Posts: 19,334

Quote:

Originally Posted by aqn

They'd call my pre-flop raise with small connectors etc. because when they flop two pairs, they can count on a continuation bet (if I miss) or a "denying pot odds" bet (if I hit and there are draws)
from me. Then they'd raise (or check raise as the case may be) and I'd have a tough decision to make.

What do they do when they miss? When they hit middle pair? How many players to the flop? This is a massively beatable strategy because you will hit harder, suck-out and play air-balls better than them. Also, if they're playing too tight on Axx and Kxx boards you can raise up like Q9s and play two hands on the flop (and turn if they peel a lot.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBvge-c2_Xg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-Xz8aLuD7Y

aqn

05-28-2010, 02:40 PM

#9 (permalink)

High Card

Join Date: Jan 2005

Location: Austin, TX

Posts: 13

I didn't say it is a good or profitable tactic! Clearly, two random cards don't hit two pairs often
enough for any one player to be calling a 5x bb raise often and be profitable.

Thing is, at a table of ten, there are usually 7 or 8 regulars, one or two competent casual players
like myself, and one fish, or two if we're lucky. There is a decent probability of one hand out of
seven or eight hands being a potential big-money maker against my raise (which they assume to be a
big hand), so it's not infrequent that I'd be in that situation. Also, the impression that I either
1. always make a continuation or odds-denying bet following a pre-flop raise, or 2. I can't get
away from a top-pair hand, improves their expected odds if they hit something good.

I'm not saying they're always doing that once they thought I'm tight aggressive; I'm saying it
happens enough that it's a problem I need to know how to deal with.

Which brings me back to the original point of the need to be deceptive.

Fnord

05-28-2010, 04:55 PM

#10 (permalink)

Moderator

Join Date: Dec 2003

Location: I'll Do You Like A Truck

Posts: 19,334

Quote:

Originally Posted by aqn

Which brings me back to the original point of the need to be deceptive.

In multi-way pots against a weak/wide range of hands?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBvge-c2_Xg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-Xz8aLuD7Y

aqn

05-28-2010, 05:39 PM

#11 (permalink)

High Card

Join Date: Jan 2005

Location: Austin, TX

Posts: 13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fnord

In multi-way pots against a weak/wide range of hands?

Basically, for me, being deceptive for me doesn't mean spending the whole session being deceptive.
For the vast majority of the session, I play straightforwardly tight aggressive. 10-30% of the
time, depending the situation, I'd do something different.

I prefer to be deceptive before the flop. Like in storytelling, the story starts with the first
sentence of the first paragraph. If I start "telling a story" with a raise or re-raise or whatever
before the flop, I will keep telling that story on the flop. What I do on that multi-way pot with a
wide/weak range of hands depends on how I got into the pot.

If I raised pre-flop with so-so cards rep'ing a big hand, and don't hit anything big on the flop,
I'm mostly done.

If I miss the flop but the flop looks big-ish, with A or K or Q, I might bet out and continue to rep
my big hand. I wouldn't try too hard since anybody calling my pre-flop raise may have Ax or Kx and
might not go away easily. It depends on my position, whether there are bets before me, and whether
I think I can push the other player(s) off the pot or not.

If I hit big with my so-so cards (two pairs or more), I'd also bet and hope that someone will think
that I have AK and am just continuation betting and therefore might call or raise with a high pocket
pair.

I might limp before the flop with a big hand (which I do a very small percentage of the time, like
10%). If the flop hits me big, it has big cards in it, which means it may have hit someone else as
well (since they call and therefore may have big cards). Then I'd play possum and wait for someone
else to open the betting. Heads-up, depending on the texture of the flop, I might check and give
the other person a free look at the turn card.

Sometimes, nobody knows that I'm ever faking it. Sometimes, it comes out that I don't play as
simple-mindedly as appears to meet the eye. Usually, when that happens, it's time to leave shortly
thereafter, because everybody would be extremely wary and would be reluctant to be in a pot with me.

Latest Poker News
KoRnholio	05-26-2012, 03:08 PM Australia Legalized Online Poker coming up in next 6 to 12 Months
According to an email sent out by Mark Bryan, a gaming analyst at Merrill Lynch, the Australian government plans to legalize online poker sometime in the next six to 12 months. This move will coincide ... more at Poker Blogs »

« Previous Thread | Next Thread »

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts BB code is On Smilies are On [IMG] code is On HTML code is Off Trackbacks are On Pingbacks are On Refbacks are On Forum Rules

All times are GMT. The time now is 04:05 PM.

Play Texas Holdem Online, Online Texas Holdem Strategy, & Poker Forum

This is not a gambling website.

Poker Forum

Over 1,247,000 Posts!

Poker Forum

Live Poker

My Live starting hands please add/remove/comment

Play for FREE and practice your game at...