Selecting a hand in Holdem is the most important
thing a player can do. By select the right hands a player can improve
his game by 70% on this factor alone. Lets look at some hands and
how well they might do.
HOW GOOD IS A HAND?
Here is the Hand Winning Percentage
table to show how well every hand holds out against 1-9 opponents.
Even against 9 opponents aces under is still the best hand to have.
WHAT ARE MY CHANCES OF GETTING
| Here are some basic statistics on getting
a certain hand. |
| Suited connector |
2.1% or 46:1 |
| Offsuit connector |
6.3% or 15:1 |
| Having 2 suited cards |
23.5% or 3.25:1 |
| Pocket Pair |
5.9% or 16:1 |
| Any AK or AKs |
1.2% or 82:1 |
| A pair or 2 cards T and up |
18% or 4.4:1 |
| Pairs 77-AA or 2 cards T and
up |
15.7% or 5.4:1 |
| Hole card combinations |
1326 in a two card hand |
| Pair combinations |
6 combinations X (13 pairs) = 78 |
| Non-pair combinations * |
16 combinations x (78 specific ranks) = 1248 |
| Non-pair suited combinations |
4 combinations x (78 specific ranks)
= 321 |
| Non-pair unsuited combinations |
12 combinations x (78 specific ranks) = 936 |
Note *: When you get a hand, like AK for example,
you are 3/4 likely to have it not suited as opposed to suited.
Poor players generally tend to play any Ace suited or not, in a
raise pot or not. So how do you know your chances of being up against
an ace? Well this table lets you know the odds of someone having
an Ace behind you.
|
Players left
to act |
If you do not
have an Ace
Odds that no one else has the ace |
If you have an
Ace
Odds that no one else has the ace |
| 1 |
84.49% |
88.24% |
| 2 |
70.86% |
77.45% |
| 3 |
58.95% |
67.57% |
| 4 |
48.60% |
58.57% |
| 5 |
39.68% |
50.41% |
| 6 |
32.05% |
43.04% |
| 7 |
25.58% |
36.43% |
| 8 |
20.14% |
30.53% |
| 9 |
15.61% |
25.31% |
HAND SELECTIONS
These are all the hands that player should and should not play.
Some hands require many callers in the pot, multiway pot. If you
are in a real loose game where it is certain 4-5 callers are in
all the time then it can be correct to play some suited connectors
and Axs in earlier positions. But the game has to be just right.
Large pairs can win a pot unimproved or make powerful sets.
Usually these hands should raise and isolate players to win
pots. AA and KK should usually be raised preflop till its
capped. These are the best two hands.
Examples: A A
to T T
Possibilities: To make at least a set 11.8%
or 1:7.5 odds on the flop. |
Middle pairs (99-77) can sometimes win by a pot by themselves.
They do better against 1 or 2 opponents or five or more. Having
3-4 opponents is the worst situation. The smaller the pair
the more vulnerable it is to overcards. Small pairs make their
money from making sets and want 5 or more opponents in the
pot for proper odds at those sets (66-22).
Examples: 99
to 22
Possibilities: To make at least a set 11.8%
or 1:7.5 odds on the flop.
|
These hands do not have high pair strength except maybe
JT, but even then it is vulnerable to overcards and being
outkicked. Even flopping 2 pair can be beaten by a draw or
the board pairing. Its strength comes from making flushes
and straights. The higher the cards rank the better. JT is
an especially good hand as it makes the all the nut straights
and flopping 2 pair will keep over cards chasing to the inside
draws. These hands like large multiway pots and loose opponents.
Examples: JT
to 54,
any suited.
Possibilities: Making a flush or flush draw
on the flop 11.84% or 1:7.5
odds. Hitting a straight draw (open ended or double belly
buster) or a straight is 11.8% or 1:7.5.
Flopping two pair, trips, a fullhouse or quads 3.45%
of 1:28. Adding all these chances together
we are looking at 27% or 1:2.8
odds. These are good odds for these types of hands but they
still like large multiway pots. |
These hands do not have high pair strength except maybe
QT, but even then it is vulnerable to overcards and being
outkicked. Even flopping 2 pair can be beaten by a draw or
the board pairing. Its strength comes from making flushes
and straights. The higher the cards rank the better. These
hands like large multiway pots and loose opponents.
Examples: 53
to QT,
any suited.
Possibilities: Making a flush or flush draw
on the flop 11.84% or 1:7.5
odds. Hitting a straight draw (open ended or double belly
buster) or a straight is 7.5% or 1:12.3.
Flopping two pair, trips, a fullhouse or quads 3.45%
of 1:28. Adding all these chances together
we are looking at 22.8% or 1:3.4
odds. These are good odds for these types of hands but they
still like large multiway pots. |
These hands are weak and should only be played from the
small blind or big blind with a many callers. They have no
real flush potential, and poor high card strength. JT is an
exception because it can be used to steal the blinds being
1st in from the button. The odds might seem good for these
hands but they are vulnerable to redraws and rarely get a
flop they really like.
Examples: 54
to JT.
Possibilities: Hitting a straight draw (open
ended or double belly buster) or a straight is 11.8%
or 1:7.5. Flopping two pair, trips, a fullhouse
or quads 3.45% of 1:28.
Adding all these chances together we are looking at 15.25%
or 1:5.6 odds.
|
These hands are weak and should possibly be played from
the small blind or big blind with a tons of callers. They
have no real flush potential, and poor high card strength.
The odds are terrible for these hands and they are vulnerable
to redraws. As you can see from the odds these hands are losers.
Examples: 53
to QT.
Possibilities: Hitting a straight draw (open
ended or double belly buster) or a straight is 7.5%
or 1:12.3. Flopping two pair, trips, a fullhouse
or quads 3.45% of 1:28.
Adding all these chances together we are looking at 11%
or 1:8.1 odds. |
These hands are basically good for their flush draw or
trips with the bottom card. Hitting top pair is always vulnerable
to a better kicker. A9s-A7s should be played cautiously. Kxs
and A6s-A2s should be played on the button with lots of callers,
4 or more.
Examples: Ax
and Kx,
where X is a card 9 and below.
Possibilities: Making a flush or flush draw
on the flop 11.84% or 1:7.5
odds. Flopping two pair, trips, a fullhouse or quads 3.45%
of 1:28. Adding these chances together we
are looking at 15.3% or 1:5.5
odds. |
These are poor hands that are vulnerable. They only time
they should be played is if you stealing the blinds or in
the big blind for free. A9-A6, K9-K7 might be used to steal
the blinds but thats about it.
Examples: Ax
and Kx,
where X is a card 9 and below.
Possibilities: Flopping two pair, trips,
a fullhouse or quads 3.45% of 1:28.
|
These are poor hands that are vulnerable. They only time
they should be played is if you are getting rediculous odds
for the possibily flush draw. They are very vulnerable.
Examples: 93
and J5.
Possibilities: Flopping two pair, trips,
a fullhouse or quads 3.45% of 1:28.
Making a flush or flush draw on the flop 11.84%
or 1:7.5 odds. Adding these chances together
we are looking at 15.3% or 1:5.5
odds. |
These hands are garbage and have almost no chance to hit
anything useful. The only time these are played are in a multiway
pot when you are in the small blind AND it costs you 1/3 of
a bet to call.
Examples: 74
and T2.
Possibilities: Flopping two pair, trips,
a fullhouse or quads 3.45% of 1:28. |
|
