Top ten no-limit starting hands
I would say those would be:
AA KK QQ JJ AKs TT AKo AQs AQ AJs
in that order
I would say that the denominations of the cards are a little more important in tight no-limit games than being suited where you make a flush only 3% of the time
You REALLY don't want to have AQs against AK because your best shot is a queen or a flush
Does anyone agree/disagree?
If you disagree, what would be your top ten?
EDIT: switched TT and AKo
Re: Top ten no-limit starting hands
Quote:
Originally Posted by iopq
you make a flush only 3% of the time
Actually, that's closer to 6 or 7%. I tested this by pitting AcKc vs AsKs against each other in poker stove. Also, don't always mold your hands to fit some arbitrary starting hands chart. The hands you play should be dependent on the table, the amount of limpers and position. If everyone limps or folds around to me on the button and i have AQ or AJ, i'm gonna pop off a raise because I think i'm ahead preflop. If someone raises and everyone folds to me, I'm folding AJ in that situation because there is nothing more menacing than being dominated and hitting your A.
Re: Top ten no-limit starting hands
Quote:
Originally Posted by iopq
I would say those would be:
AA KK QQ JJ AKs AK TT AQs AQ AJs
in that order
Our http://www.flopturnriver.com/essays_...ps_0_to_2.html page has KQs in the top 10 and AQ as number 11. Overall the above list is pretty close to the one we have.
Re: Top ten no-limit starting hands
Quote:
Originally Posted by outphase
Quote:
Originally Posted by iopq
you make a flush only 3% of the time
Actually, that's closer to 6 or 7%. I tested this by pitting AcKc vs AsKs against each other in poker stove. Also, don't always mold your hands to fit some arbitrary starting hands chart. The hands you play should be dependent on the table, the amount of limpers and position. If everyone limps or folds around to me on the button and i have AQ or AJ, i'm gonna pop off a raise because I think i'm ahead preflop. If someone raises and everyone folds to me, I'm folding AJ in that situation because there is nothing more menacing than being dominated and hitting your A.
3% for AcKc to make it and 3% for AsKs to make it
total of 6%
as for AJ running the risk of being dominated... 99 runs the risk of being dominated as well... by a higher pair! It's 20% to win for the nines, when AsJs vs. AcKh is slightly over 30%
I would say that 99 is a better hand to go all-in with
But if you see a flop and you see an overcard (you'll see one the majority of the time) do you know if your opponent hit anything? He knows it. He knows you don't know it. That gives him greater leverage. You're only going to flop a set 10% of the time. In fact, ANY pair can hit a set.
But why are big pairs better? They can win on their own without improving. Middle pairs are hard to play.
What about AJs vs. AQo?
First of all, some of the time you will be unsure of how good your ace is. Calling an all-in reraise when I hit my ace I'll be way more comfortable with AQ.
Second, when you have a flush draw with AJs. You're going to get one almost 1/10 of the time. You can call a small bet or semi-bluff. Getting a flush draw with AQo is a great deal less likely - about twice as likely as a flopped flush for AJs. But of course, the other flush draw is only queen high with one card...
So being in possible kicker trouble arises about as often as a flush draw...
Flopped flushes MAY give you a lot of money rarely. Runner-runner flushes are very tricky hands that no one can put you on.
But there is another issue - when you hit your second card, with AJs you are looking at your pair as a second pair on the board TWICE as often as with AQo
So, in tighter tables I'd prefer AQo
In looser games I'd prefer AJs since I get paid for making flushes more and I'm not afraid of being outkicked as much
as for KQs it's kind of a sad hand since heads-up it can't even beat A2o
plays better in multiway pots, of course
Definitely weaker than AJs since your flush is not the nut flush 80% of the time
As far as small pocket pairs you have usually bad odds to draw to a set... and even then your hand is not invincible.