Starting hands and tips to improve your skills

Everyone wants to be good everyone starts from the beginning. For a basic table following a simple start hand selection for new players would be helpful this is a liberal list with a lot more starting hands then most people who consider themselves tight would play but face it your new you want to play not rail so be willing to fold when it misses don't chase when you are behind and this list will help some.

A raise is not the blind doubled it is not pot it is somewhere between 3-5x the blind as you learn more you start to develop an idea of the correct raise in all situations but as a new player keep it simple 3-5x. Never as a new player use the pot button it is a tell that will quickly give you away online.

Early position (first 3 after the blinds)

Raise with AA KK QQ AK suited
Call JJ TT AQs AJs KQs Akunsuited KJs QJs TJs ATs AQus
Fold all other cards

* Remember, there are generally nine or ten people playing at the table. Poor players will play every hand thinking they have a chance to win each and every time. Good players will realize that they will fold their cards most of the time. If you feel you have been having a bad run of cards, the worst thing you can do is be tempted to play cards in an early position that should not be considered viable.

* When you know you are in a bad position to play the cards you have, and you have every indication that calling a raise will put you at a disadvantage, develop the courage and patience to pass and wait for position and cards. Then, when you do have a strong starting hand, go for the gusto.


Starting Hands in Middle Position

s = suited ns = non suited

Re-raise AA, KK, QQ, AKs
Raise if no one has called before you AA, KK, QQ, JJ, TT, AKs, AQs, AJs, KQs, AK
Marginal hands - 99, JTs, QJs,ATs, KJs, and AQs
Raise if 1-3 Callers before you AA, KK, AKs, AK
Call if 1-3 Callers before you QQ, JJ, TT,99, 88, AQs, AJs, ATs, KQs, KJs, KTs, QJs, QTs, JTs, AQs, KQs,
Raise if more than 3 callers before you AA, KK, AKs,
Call if more than 3 callers before you QQ, JJ, TT,99, 88, AQs, AJs, ATs, KQs, KJs, KTs, QJs, QTs, JTs, AQs, KQs,
In addition to the above list – 77, 66, T9s, 98s, 87s, J9s, J8s, T8s, and AXs (X=any rank)
Fold All other hole cards

* When you are in middle position there is a false sense of security and you can easily get lulled into playing more hands than you should. If you are going to err, do it in favor of being conservative at the beginning of your poker playing career. Don’t believe you have a lot more latitude to play "any ole cards" just because you are no longer in the early position.
* One of the major mistakes that causes tourney players to lose is that they try to win the tourney too early in the game. If you play too many hands and gamble too early you are taking a huge risk of bombing out.

You cannot force a marginal hand to be good. The pros allow themselves to be patient and wait for lady luck to help them. Middle position players are in a situation where they have information regarding several players, but still have the late players and the blinds to contend with.


Starting Hands in Late Position

s = suited
Re-raise AA, KK, AKs
Raise if no one has called before you AA, KK, QQ, JJ, TT, AKs, AQs, AJs, KQs, AK, 99, JTs, QJs,ATs, KJs, and AQ
Raise (at least 4 times the bet) if 1-3 Callers before you AA, KK,QQ, JJ, AKs, AK
Call if 1-3 Callers before you TT,99, 88, AQs, AJs, ATs, KQs, KJs, KTs, QJs, QTs, JTs, AQ, KQ,
Raise (at least 4 times the bet) if more than 3 callers before you AA, KK
Call if more than 3 callers before you QQ, JJ, TT,99, 88, AQs, AJs, ATs, KQs, KJs, KTs, QJs, QTs, JTs, AQ, KQ, 77, 66, 55, 44, 33, 22 T9s, 98s, 87s, 67s, J9s, J8s, T8s, and AXs (X=any rank)
Fold All other hole cards

Be very careful with any player who limps in ahead of you in early position and then puts in a substantial re-raise if someone else has raised behind them. This usually means the player has slowed played an AA or KK hoping to suck in a raiser. Discipline should come into play here. For example, although you have already called with your 55, it will be time to release them in this circumstance.

If you try this slow playing limping ploy, and you are the one who limps in with the AA or KK, be aware that you might be engaging in a really bad joke if someone calls with a hand that he would have folded and then draws out on you when the flop comes. Are you willing to take that risk?


If this is at all helpful to any of the birds learning the game please bump it up for them.

Az Hi Az I Am