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Beginner's Course in Texas Hold'em
Part 2
Hold'em
in depth - While there are literally millions of combinations
of poker hands, in Hold'em, there really are only 169 different
two-card starting combinations. That number, of course, assumes
that a hand like Kh Qh is the equivalent of Kd Qd. If three
diamonds were to appear on the flop, the Kd Qd would be significantly
more valuable than Kh Qh. But the future can neither be predicted
nor controlled, and these two hands have identical value before
the flop.
Starting
hands - Each of these 169 unique starting combinations
fits into one of only five categories: pairs, connecting cards,
gapped cards, suited connectors, or suited gapped cards. That's
it. Five categories. That's all you have to worry about.
If
you are not dealt a pair, your cards will either be suited
or unsuited. They also can be connected or gapped. Examples
of connectors are K-Q, 8-7, and 4-3. Unconnected cards might
be one-, two-, three-gapped, or more, and would include hands
like K-J, 9-6, 5-2, or 9-3.
Small
gaps make more straights - As a general rule, the smaller
the gap, the easier it is to make a straight. Suppose that
you hold 10-6. Your only straight possibility is 9-8-7. But
if you hold 10-9, you can make a straight with K-Q-J, Q-J-8,
J-8-7, and 8-7-6.
To
every rule, however, there are exceptions. A hand like A-K
can make only one straight. It needs to marry a Q-J-10. An
A-2 is in the same boat, and needs to cozy up to a 5-4-3.
Although connected, each of these holdings can make only one
straight because it resides at the end of the spectrum.
There
are other exceptions, too. K-Q can make a straight only two
ways, by connecting with A-J-10 or J-10-9, and 3-2 is in a
similar fix. The only other limited connectors are - yes,
you guessed it - Q-J and 4-3. These two holdings each can
make three straights. The Q-J needs A-K-10, K-10-9, or 10-9-8.
It can't make that fourth straight because there is no room
above an ace. The 4-3 is similarly constrained because there
is no room below the ace. But any other connectors can make
straights four ways, and that's a big advantage over one-,
two-, or three- gapped cards.
Unless
you are fortunate enough to wrap four cards around one of
your four-gappers, there's no way that these cards can make
a straight. But don't worry about that. If you take my advice,
you will seldom, if ever, play hands that are four-gapped
or worse unless they are suited - and then only under very
favorable circumstances.
Gapped
cards - Gapped cards, in general, are not as valuable
as connectors because of their difficulty in completing straights.
But if you were to make a flush, there's no need to be concerned
about the gap. After all, a flush made with Au 6u is just
as good as an Au Ku flush. But A-K is more valuable for other
reasons. Suppose that flush never comes. You can make a straight
with A-K; you can't with A-6.
You
also might win if you catch either an ace or a king. If an
ace flops, you'll have a pair of aces with a 6 side card,
or kicker, and you easily could lose to an opponent holding
an ace with bigger companion. But any pair that you'd make
with A-K would be the top pair with the best possible kicker.
Acting
last is a big advantage - Since acting later in a hand
is a big advantage, you can afford to see the flop with weaker
hands when you're in late position. If you're last to act,
you've had the advantage of knowing how many opponents are
still in the pot and seeing how each of them acted on the
current round of betting. That's a big edge, since some starting
hands play better against a large number of opponents, while
others play better against a smaller field.
In
late position, you'll also know which of your adversaries
are representing strength. The later you act, the more information
there is at your disposal, and poker is a game of information
- incomplete information, to be sure, but it's a game of information,
nevertheless.
Starting
hands - Some starting hands are so strong that they can
be played in any position. You don't get these hands very
often, but when you do, you are a favorite from the get-go
to win the pot.
Both
of my books contain a Start Chart
that visually depicts starting-hand relationships. These relationships
also are described in tabular form below. In a typical lower-limit
game, you usually can play any pair of sevens or higher in
early position, as well as 12 suited and six unsuited card
combinations.
Playable
Hands in Early Position
Pairs:
sevens through aces
Suited:
aces with a king, queen, jack, or 10
king with a queen, jack, or 10
queen with a jack or 10
jack with a 10 or 9
10 with a 9
Unsuited:
aces with a king, queen, jack, or 10 king with a queen or
jack
When you are the fifth, sixth, or seventh player to act, you
are in middle position, and can safely play smaller pairs
such as sixes and fives. You also can add 10 additional suited
hands and four more unsuited combinations to your playable
repertoire if the pot has not been raised.
Playable
Hands in Middle Position
Pairs:
fives and sixes
Suited:
aces with a 9, 8, 7, or 6
king with a 9
queen with a 9 or 8
jack with an 810 with an 8
9 with an 8
Unsuited:
king with a 10
queen with a jack or 10
jack with a 10
In
late position, you have the advantage of acting last or next
to last. As a result, you can add a variety of hands to your
arsenal. Most are bargain-basement specials that should be
played only if the pot has not been raised. Moreover, you'll
need enough discipline to release them if the flop brings
anything less than an abundant harvest of friendly cards.
Playable
Hands in Late Position
Pairs:
fours, treys, and deuces
Suited:
aces with a 5, 4, 3, or 2
king with an 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2
jack with a 7
10 with a 7
9 with a 7 or 6
8 with a 7 or 6
7 with a 6 or 5
6 with a 5
5 with a 4
Unsuited:
king with a 9
queen with a 9
jack with a 9 or 8
10 with a 9 or 8
9 with an 8 or 7
8 with a 7
If
you are new to the game, have been playing indiscriminately,
or have an any-two-cards-can-win philosophy, you may believe
that these recommendations are too tight. They're not. In
fact, they are somewhat loose. A hand such as Kc 2c, while
playable, is a pretty sorry excuse for a Hold'em hand. If
you flop a king and there's any appreciable action, it's fairly
apparent that someone else has a king with a bigger kicker
than yours. If you flop a deuce, you've guaranteed yourself
the lowest pair on board. Even if you are incredibly lucky
and flop a flush, there's no assurance that it is the best
flush. Probably the very best flop that you could hope for
is something such as Ac 2h 2u, which gives you three deuces
with a strong kicker. You also have a backdoor draw to a flush,
and - more importantly - an ace on the board guarantees a
call or two from any opponents holding an ace.
Still,
Kc 2c and lots of the other playable hands in late position
are vulnerable from any number of directions, and it takes
some degree of skill to navigate your way through the murky
waters of a Hold'em pot in a rickety canoe like this one.
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