|
Black
Premium hands. These are the hands you should be raising and re-raising pre-flop with the intention of seeing a showdown. For this reason, generally you should be making a raise with the intention of limiting the number of callers. Based on the table you are playing an appropriate bet will vary, but generally your goal should be to play one or two players going into the flop. Make the general medium raise, whatever that may be (at every table there is a table bet, whether it is 2 or 3 times the blind. This is the consistent bet that stands out as saying "yes I have a hand", again, with the intention of scaring a few stragglers off the pot.) Many players will limp with these hands hoping for a raise behind them, and then they make a large re-raise hoping to trap an opponent. I advise against this play as I think it completely gives away your hand; just raising is actually more deceptive, and if the player actually has any kind of hand he is liable to raise you making him even more committed to the hand.
Green
Premium Drawing hands. These are hands you should try and play against as many players as possible in the hopes they will improve to make a very strong hand. If they even marginally improve (and assuming you've improved as well), you've set a trap for not one but multiple committed players.
With Pockets from 88s to TTs you can afford to bet out to a degree but you still want to see a flop before getting too heavily committed. Because these hands offer such strong draws you can also bet them aggressively pre-flop to mix up your image a little (bet an amount you don't normally bet - make it an odd number if you normally bet in evens, as an example). In this case, however, you are left largely to your judgment post flop.
Red
The Danger Cards. The problem with the danger cards is they are all semi decent hands.; in a very high ante, or shorthanded game they become stronger hands, but at a full table playing them against any kind of raise usually means you are dominated or well behind. Even with the best of these cards you will always be wondering if you are out-kicked and they don't present many other draws. Play them when you sense weakness but be cautious when people play back. If unsure, or at a table where you fear being outplayed, save yourself the money and trouble and just don't play them.
Yellow
Weaker Drawing Hands. These hands present weaker drawing opportunities than green hands. They are just as valuable when making a hand but will be completed less often. Try and see a flop cheaply, if the flop is friendly play aggressively. If not, fold.
Orange
The other end of the deck. These cards are folding cards the vast majority of the time. Much like yellow cards if you can play them cheaply it may be worthwhile, the difference is that you will almost never make a nut hand with these cards and will be left largely to try and read other players. The other key point is Hold'em is all about high cards. Good players play high cards. Having said that, sometimes the flop comes out low cards. Often, your opponent holding AK or QQ (who raised big pre-flop) sees the board come up rags (muck cards) they just wont believe you made two pair on them with 3/6 or 2/4. This can be profitable and is something to consider. Do this very rarely, as these hands are also a great way to finish with a second or third best hand that looks pretty strong - be careful.
Grey
Basically junk cards. These are the ones you fold the majority of the time. There are, of course, exceptions where you will be sitting on the button and feel like making a push to steal. At this point you are essentially playing blank cards. Don't get me wrong - you can win a hand with these cards - but you are behind any good hand, and have very limited draws. In the long run they simply are not profitable to play at a full table (unless of course you can significantly outplay the other players post flop, this of course broadens hand selection further.)
|
|
Pocket Pairs
Looking at the chart, if you take any pair listed it is a favorite against any of hands on the same or lower on the chart. Against starting hands listed above the pair, the pocket pair will be a very marginal favorite (approx 6 to 5) Against a larger pair you are a 9-1 underdog.
Max Stretch Suited Connectors
Even when connected, some cards present less opportunity of making a straight. Cards like A2 or AK can only use 3/4/5 and 10/J/Q respectively. Therefore the Maximum Stretch cards are the adjacent cards higher then 4x5x but not higher then 10xJx. These (powerful and often overlooked) cards provide the best draws. This is what I mean when using the term "maximum stretch"; the hands that have both the maximum likelihood of creating a straight and are suited to provide a flush draw as backup. Connectors (Cards immediately adjacent with no numerical gap between them) provide a greater opportunity for straights, because a larger number of card combinations are usable to create the your straights in both directions (high and low).
As an example compare:
| Connectors |
with which a straight can be made using 5/6/7, 6/7/10,7/10/J, and 10/J/Q
|
| 1-Gap Cards |
with which a straight can be made using 6/7/9, 7/9/J, 9/J/Q |
| 2-Gap Cards |
with which a straight can be made using 6/8/9, 8/9/J |
| 3-Gap Cards |
with which a straight can be made using only 7/8/9 |
For this reason, when you play drawing cards you should try to play only direct connectors or 1 gap connectors. Another valuable note: J10 is highlighted because of its unique property of always making a nut straight. If at any time you are making a straight in which you are using both of these cards (J10), then you have the nut straight. It can not make a losing straight unless one of its cards is duplicated on the board or a flush, full house, or quads are present.
|
