Quote Originally Posted by Ripptyde
Id like to add that some of the most successful sessions I've had were a result of 'outside the box' play. Raising UTG with 10/2s or K/6os etc and playing the flop as if I hit a monster or even catching the odd hand with unlikely starting cards. Seems that more often than not (not so much in tourney play but more so in the ring)...abandoning 'logic' and the much praised 'starting hand requirements' is vital for achieving success. There are far too many players that play only premium hands and its too predictable to..as Fnord said...raise 5X UTG with AA or A/K and play the flop when you catch that top pair. The real pots come when you for example call a huge pre flop raise with 5/7os and catch odd trips on the flop (5/5/x) your opponents mindset is that there is no way that you would have called such a big raise with that 5 and if he is holding JJ, QQ etc ..chances are you get paid off. Naturally you have to have expert post flop skills to make this strat work and be willing to lose several small pots before you catch the monster.

I remember one of the biggest pots I ever won in the ring was with 6/4os calling a big raise (4 callers before me) when I was on the bb. The flop came 6/6/4 and I got paid off huge by K/K and A/4. It was a 5/10 game and I had just under a 400 dollar stack and basically tripled up on the most unlikely starting hand. Whereas yesterday I lost 2 huge pots with QQ and AA respectively.

Starting hands are only a small part of the game
and if the flop had come 4/4/8? which is MORE LIKELY then ui would of lost everything