Learning To Play Good Starting Hands

During a session at the Hold’em tables, one of the most significant elements that differentiates winners from losing players is the caliber of the starting hands they’re dealt and how they are played. While its true that any hand might transform into a winning hand when the board cards are turned over, there are certain hands that have a much better chance to improve than others.

Notwithstanding, exactly what really is a good starting hand varies based on the table situation. The table conditions includes; the number of players, the betting limits you’re playing, and whether you are playing regular cash games or tournaments should all vary your starting hand selection.

The number of opponents at the table:
On a table with a lot of players it’s more important to have a premium starter, as lower pairs and other susceptible hands are more likely to be out-drawn by overcards held by one of the other players who pay to see the flop. As the number of players decrease there are fewer cards to compete against, and there is less chance of being out drawn. When playing in a short-handed game, that is one with few opponents in the hand, you are generally able to play with somewhat weaker hands than when there are many players. When playing head-to-head a hand consisting of as little as a pair of pocket sevens or eights may be the winning hand and may be worth calling or even raising.

The limits you are playing:
Here we are not talking about the stakes, but the type of game you are playing; no limit, pot limit, or fixed limit games. When playing no limit it might be very costly to play drawing hands, especially when another player with a solid starting hand is partial to making heavy raises pre flop. On the flip side, a fixed limit table with a lot of of people calling is sometimes the best place to try and draw out a big hand, since you typically have to commit less chips to see some more cards.

Tournaments vs regular games:
When playing tourneys you need to consider the tournament as a whole more so than each single hand. In tournament play, while the number of players is still of importance, things such as the size of your chip stack and raising blinds might often influence how you play your hand. In ring games players can always buy more chips, therefore the quality of your starting hand stays more or less consistant.
To sum it up; adept players understand that various game situations define what a good starting hand is, and vary their playing style accordingly.