Hi,
I’ve been playing Poker for more or less 4 months now, mainly I play No Limit. Just this morning I participated in a 2/4 game. I must admit I barely had enough to buy in then.
At some point, I remember I was dealt 83os in late position. I thought of playing it till the end however I considered the players present, they raise preflop most of the time. To make the long story short, flop came but didn’t grant me the top pair. Turn and river followed and were actually 8′s. Unfortunately I missed my 4 of a kind. Highest hand of the day was payed out $1000 and I was really mad and upset.
Do you think I made the right call? How about my buy in which was in minimum, am I just right about it?
Please I need your advice.
Thank you in advance.
Best regards,
Matthew
Matthew,
8-3 offsuit in late position is the same action as any other position, fold. If you can play it in the big blind to no raise, then play it. Otherwise fold. By the way, you didn’t have four of a king, you would have had trip 8’s.
Personally, if you only have enough money to make a minimum buy-in, you shouldn’t play. You don’t have enough money to stand any downswings early on. Come back another time when you have more money to commit. That’s my view.
Hi,
The other night, I was in a weekly game with 8-10 players. Tables were very passive at the start, lots of players have called the big blind and have never raised before the flop, they were tight. Do you think such situation can justify playing rag hole cards?
Well, for me, you can expect players to have at least one face card as they’re tight. Though I have face cards then I wouldn’t be that confident in case I flop a pair. However if I play rags and then pair middle or top pair on the flop, someone with Ace King might call me to the river to win win. In addition, if I flop 2 pair or be in a great tension with a straight or full house at the turn or river, it’s impossible there’d be someone who won’t believe I’d stay to the river with those cards.
Once in a certain game, I was the chip leader and decided to play a 4 – 6 off suit. Flop back then was 5 Q 6 rainbow. Later I flopped middle pair and stayed as I had a big stack and bets were okay. Turn came and brought 7. River followed and was an 8. I had only 1 opponent, he had J Q, top pair. I then decided to raise and was actually called. He can’t believe I played my hand to the river.
Any thoughts?
Many thanks,
Tristram
Tristram,
If you have a table of tight players, you can consider playing your rag cards, especially if you can get in cheap. However if you miss and face resistance, get out of the hand.
If you are a chip leader, you can open up your hand ranges with the hopes of trying to bust shorter stacks or hit lucky and add chips to your stack.
Hi there!
I’m usually into trouble when in low limit I flop middle pair. For an instance 10 players, 4-5 have seen the flop and pot unraised pre-flop. I then bet with an overcard, from an early position, or if its checked around to me in a late position. I bet because I actually want others to fold or else raise. 2 or 3 players then appeared and I was not sure if they’re drawing as often they have top pair, weak kicker. Any advice on how I should play middle pair?
Your help will be much appreciated.
Many thanks,
Skyler
Skyler,
In limit, middle pair is usually a hand that you are going to make check-calls with unless there is either very little money in the pot, or the player is one that you know has you beat. Such as you flopping middle pair and a rock of a player is betting the pot. In that spot, you can usually fold. In most cases, calling down is usually correct as you are getting the right price to call a bet in most cases.
Hello,
I often call small bet with a trash or a nice size bet with a mediocre hand on preflop when I feel comfortable with my chip stack and then foresee that I might hit something on the flop. At times I can’t exactly explain why I’m tempted to do so.
So what’s next? I would call and flop would come along. I would then hit top pair, two pair, a set, or even nuts at least half of the time. There are instances when I hit something and I would then take the pot, others get upset and down and then make fun of me. Obviously, they don’t want to hear me say later I have a feeling. Do you think this is a bad poker? Do you know of someone who plays the same way as I do?
Thanks,
Tim
Tim,
Lots of people play that way. If you have a lot of chips, playing a mediocre hand to try and connect with the flop is just a way of opening up your game to try and increase your chip stack. Also, there are times that your gut tells you that you should play a certain hand. That is instinct. It isn’t always right, but when it is, it usually pays off.
Is it bad poker? Sometimes it is. But if it works and you don’t make a regular habit, that’s just another weapon in your arsenal.
Hi,
I heard 72 off is considered the worst hand in Texas Holdem, is this true? If so, why? Well, for me, it should be 92 off and not 72 as with the former you’re up for nothing while with the latter you could still actually make a straight. Any thoughts?
Glad to hear from you in no time.
Many thanks,
Hanz
Hanz,
7-2 is considered the most inferior hand because it has the least chances of making a straight and top pair over any other starting hand. If you pair your nine, you might still win the pot. A pair of nines is much stronger than sevens. You actually cannot make a straight with either hand unless you catch four running cards, and by that point, your straight usually isn’t any good.
Hi there,
Just an information, I play both limit and no limit. When I have strong hands or top pair good kicker, I do play very well. I’m good as well in trapping people. But whenever I have top pair, I lose my mind, however see the board pair, particularly in no limit.
Say hand is QJ and flop is J-7-7 rainbow. Table is a loose-passive one with 8 players in on the flop. I will then raise one off the button. It’s limit. Someone will then bet into me and I have the top pair with a decent kicker, two pair actually. Later, I will play the hand very passively and will call down instead of going for raises. In the end, I will win the hand but will not gather a lot of money as what is supposed to be.
What strategies are perfect in such scenario?
Personally, things are harder for me in terms of two pair. Unless I have both cards like hand AQ and flop A-Q-6, it’s hard for me to consider it a two pair. Maybe because I have already trapped others and I’m afraid to be trapped as well.
Any thoughts?
Warm regards,
Jim
Jim,
In the first scenario, since it is Limit with a lot of people in on the flop, I would raise the first time. If I am three bet, then I will slow down and just call. The chances are increased that someone has a better jack or even the seven with that many people in there. The times that you just call it down and lose the hand, you will end up saving more bets than you could have won with the hands that you could have raised. In Limit Holdem, saving bets is just as important as winning bets.
