Starting Hands and Positioning

Before the flop There are things to consider as far as which hand should be played or thrown into the muck.

Starting Hands:
Position, patience and the ability to pick your spots to really go after the pot are the key in trying to win at Texas Holdem. The most important pre-flop decision you will make is what starting hand is acceptable to go in with. The biggest mistake a player makes is playing too many hands. Be aware of your Position in relation to the dealer, this will help out in later blogs, but also help in better deciding if play, raise or fold is the right choice. You need a stronger hand to act while in early position because you have more players acting after you who may raise or re-raise the pot (which can result in you losing money you did not have to). It is important that you are Patient and wait for strong starting hands to play from the correct position.

 

 The player to the left of the big blind acts first before the flop. He along with the other two players to his left are in early position (under the gun). The next three players are middle position and the players after that are in late position. The blinds act last before the flop, but are first to act after the flop is laid out. Below are what may be some guidelines for starting hands that I and many others would recommend you play when you are getting to know the game and just starting out. They are fairly tight but will give you a good foundation to work with until you learn a little more about the game( keep in mind different hands are stong in different situations, so it is important in Texas Holdem to never fall in love with any hand because it could cost you).

In Early position these are scenarios that can be beneficial to you.
Raise with A-A, K-K or A-K suited from any position. Call with A-K, A-Q suited, K-Q suited and Q-Q J-J, T-T

In Middle position
Call with, 9-9, 8-8, A-J suited, A-T suited, Q-J suited, A-Q, K-Q

In Late position
Call with A-T suited, K-T suited, Q-T suited, J-T suited, A-J, A-T and small pairs. It takes a stronger hand to call a raise than it does to make with one, If there is a raise before it is your turn to act you you can very easily fold. There is no reason  to lose more money with a marginal hand just because you want to force it.  Be ok with folding!!!

Also Quick Side Note:
After playing a while you will notice that players will play any two suited cards from any position and they will play an Ace with any small kicker. These hands are not hands built for longevity, so be sure to try not to get into the habit of playing them because you will eventually lose with them.

Blinds as they pertain to the game:
Once you post your blind the chips or money are no longer yours. Many players feel the need to go out there and defend their blinds by calling all raises even with marginal hands. Get into the habit of not wasting additional money on marginal hands ( this will bring further success in turn more money). Also, don’t look to automatically call the small blind if you have nothing. not spending that half bet will set you up for your next small blind.

More Next time Thanks!!
I will Discuss next time the play of certain hands, the when and the where, to play them.