You can ask a dozen people a poker question and get a dozen different answers.
This page will have hints and lessons from various sources and I am sure various options.
If you have anything you would like to add, any special poker quote that has inspired you or a poker life lesson you would
like to share email us at pokerhints@pokerinfoonline.com and we will try to get as many as possible posted.
These are hands with two cards next to each other of the same suit, for example 7 and 8 of hearts. These hands are much more dependent factors
such as position and people in the pot than the pairs on when they played. In general, these should be played from later position, when multiple
people see the flop without a raise. You are looking for big hands with these cards that will not occur frequently. Therefore you want to see the flop
cheaply, and have plenty of people in the pot to pay you off when you do hit. This is an important point, playing a solid strategy means that you do
not see many flops. When you do see hands that are playable, it is tempting to call the blind without thinking of those important factors-position and
number of people in the pot. However, it these factors that will make these hands profitable in the long run. Simply put do not play these hands
everytime you see them.
In general, the better the position, and the more limpers before you, the lower the suited connectors you can play. In early position, I avoid suited
connectors except maybe q-j, or j-10 in passive games. In mid position with a couple of limpers down to 7-8, and in late position down to 4-5. Also in
late position, you can play some one gappers like j-9 or 10-8, if there are lots of limpers, and no raises.
To play after the flop you want to have 4 to a flush, and outside straight draw, two pair or trips. Later I will discuss the concept of pot odds, but for now,
if you are only getting into the pot in the situations mentioned above, and only continuing past the flop when it hits the above situations, you should
always have the correct pot odds to chase your flush and straight draws.
The most important principle in beating basic poker games is the selection of starting hands. Learning this alone should allow you to beat both play
money tables and low limit money tables. Don?t play hands that you see on TV. Those are often selected hands from hours of play in no limit play
where many other factors decide which hands to play. To beat low limit games requires two important skills, discipline and patience. Most people
are at the low limit tables to have fun and gamble. They are used to other games like black jack, where over time they will slowly lose money to the
house. They won?t mind slowly losing money to players like you as long as they get some entertainment for their money.
I must warn you, playing a solid poker strategy at low limit tables is not always exciting. In fact it can be boring at times. Poor players will be seeing
the flow up to 70-80% of the time. You will be seeing it only 25-30% of the time. However, being selective gives you a tremendous advantage.
When you are in the pot, you will on average have significantly better hands than your opponents.
You will also see opponents that start with clearly inferior hands to yours catching cards on the river to beat you. You might start to think that this
happens more often to you, than the other way around where you catch the lucky card on the river. You will be right. This is because, you will only
be playing good starting hands, and then continuing with them, only if they hit the flop well. Your opponents will be playing any two cards and will
continue with them if they get any piece of the flop including bottom pair. It gets frustrating seeing your two aces getting beat by 8-6 offsuit, but
over time you will when you share with the better cards, and the poor players that chase any hand are where you will make your profit.
These are usually easy hands to play. I play them to either hit a set on the flop, or I fold them. You will hit a set approximately 1 out of every 8 times.
If you do not, it is an easy to fold to any bet. It is tempting to continue to chase, but you will have a less than 1 in 20 chance of improving to a set on
each of the subsequent cards. If your pair is still high after the flop, use your judgement, but you can usually still proceed.
You can?t play these cards all the time. You need to make sure there are enough people in the flop to pay you off when you hit to make up for the 7
out of 8 times you miss. You would like to be in a game where at least 5 people are seeing the flop every time with little raising or being in later
position with several limpers in front of you.
Once you do hit you set, it is full steam ahead. Other players will not give you credit for your set, and you will often get the desired action to win a
big pot. A few times you will run into a higher set or flush or other big hand. It happens but not commonly, and you just have to go onto the next
hand and try to get in the same position again.
so that people will have to call a double bet to stay in. With a very strong hand and most come hands, you want
the probable bettor to your left so the other players in the hand might call that bettor's single bet and then be
invited to call the raise."
David Sklansky, Theory of Poker
capitalism and democracy. It can be rough-hewn or polished,
warm or cold, charitable and caring or hard and impersonal.
It is fickle and elusive, but ultimately it is fair, and right, and
just. -- Lou Krieger
Whether he likes it or not, a man's character is stripped bare
at the poker table; if the other players read him better than
he does, he has only himself to blame. Unless he is both
able and prepared to see himself as others do, flaws and all,
he will be a loser in cards, as in life. -- Anthony Holden
If you can't spot the sucker within the first half hour at the
table, then you are the sucker. -- Matt Damon in Rounders
Chance of pocket pair improving to
three of a kind on flop - 12%
Two over cards improving to a pair by
river - 26%
Pair pre-flop is only 1 in 17 or 6%
5 players on the flop percentage
someone has an Ace when one is
showing - 58%
