range of starting hands on SB

Hey, I have a vp$ip of 20 after writing down which starting hands i would play and when, and am looking to do the same thing for the blinds positions specifically. Ive read something like 30% is a good number for SB.

This is a quick rundown of my starting hands in general (basically the same as Harrington or FTP guides):
All pairs, All combos of face cards, KT, QT, all suited connectors, Ax suited, K8+ suited, Q8+ suited, J8+ suited.

My question is what hands would you add onto those to play if everyone limped in and you would be calling on the SB?

anything sooted, gapped or otherwise pretty looking.

You have to love the medium offsuit connectors here. 87, 76, 65. Fun thing about straights & straight draws with these is you'll generally be the only one catching draws in that range.

sooted junk

Im not a fan of too many offsoot connectors because you start going from 20-25% vpip in the sb to 30+ which is leakage imo.

simplest/best answer: play hands with potential for the situation. Hands like J2s don't qualify here.

simplest/best advice: writing down what hands you're going to play and when, and following through on that is awful IMO. I would definately recommend against doing that.

Originally Posted by Lukie

simplest/best advice: writing down what hands you're going to play and when, and following through on that is awful IMO. I would definately recommend against doing that.

Beginner's forum and he's playing $5NL. You think writing down hands he should play in each position to make sure he plays tight and disciplined pre-flop is an awful idea? If your point is that he should be willing to go away from the hands he's written down depending on table and individual reads, fine, I agree. But I also think making a pre-flop hand guide based on good advice given in books and on these forums is a great idea for beginners. After a few hundred hands he won't need it anyway.

I base my choices on whats in the pot. If theres been 1 caller and ive got junk ill fold. If theres 4 or 5 callers and ive got a reasonable hand (connectors better than 5-6, any suited connector, and pocket pair, suited one gappers etc.) Stay away from the J3's and Q2's as they rarely hit and its hard to get away from a Qxx borad with a weak kicker since theres alot in the pot already. If you do choose to play those kinds of hands id strongly advise a sringent habit of folding any hand that isnt uber-strong.

Originally Posted by zook

Originally Posted by Lukie

simplest/best advice: writing down what hands you're going to play and when, and following through on that is awful IMO. I would definately recommend against doing that.

Beginner's forum and he's playing $5NL. You think writing down hands he should play in each position to make sure he plays tight and disciplined pre-flop is an awful idea? If your point is that he should be willing to go away from the hands he's written down depending on table and individual reads, fine, I agree. But I also think making a pre-flop hand guide based on good advice given in books and on these forums is a great idea for beginners. After a few hundred hands he won't need it anyway.

A big part of my earlier days in poker were spent trying to come up with the perfect, preset ranges for different situations. IE it's folded to me in 4th position at a 9 handed table, what should I raise here? It was like when I first started playing starcraft, I tried coming up with the perfect build orders for situations. When I realized that these things were so situationally dependant, and adapting was key, thats when my game(s) really took off.

Yes, I know he's a beginner, but if you're playing a tight preflop game, there's really not that many playable hands...

I can relate to that.. then I finally make the perfect BO and some zergling scout shows up and harasses me.. knocks off my timing.. and I'm completely lost.

As already said, this is very sitational.
The two main factors to consider is the style of play of the BB and the number of limpers.

A few sitations that can occur:
BB is tight:
If folded to you raising any 2 is usually EV+
3+ limpers before you - complete with any 2, hope to hit the flop hard.
1-2 limpers - here you are OOP, you want to play hands that have a decent chance to improve - anyPP, mid SC, any 2 broadway, A8+, suited 1 gappers.

BB is loose agrewssive preflop:
if folded to you complete decent hands with the intention to come over the top when he raises.
if there are limpers only complete hands you are willing to call raises with