In this href="http://www.nopaypoker.com" target='_blank'>free online poker games article you’re going to learn about playable hole cards and the importance of position. Limping, a topic not often looked at will also be covered at the end.
Before we get into that we must understand the term “hand range” which means “the range of hands it’s possible for my opponent to have”.
Understanding ranges is the most important SKILL a poker player has.
For example, an opponent is super tight and reraises you big preflop. An example range for them to have is (QQ,KK,AA). You know they must have one of these hands, though not which one exactly.
You need to record ranges as you play but do not have to write out all possible ones. QQ, KK, AA we shorten to QQ+, i.e., pocket pairs QQ and higher.
KT, KJ, KQ offsuit would be written KTo+ to mean offsuit king KT or better. An “o” designation means offsuit, while an “s” designation means suited, so K7s+ means any suited king K7 and above.
Playable hole cards
There are 3 factors to consider:
1) What has happened before your turn
2) Your Table Position
3) Your opponents’ behaviors
The first is self explanatory. If there’s been a raise, a 3bet, and a 4bet before action reaches you, you should fold your pocket 9s. Being tighter than your opponents when you open is a good rule to work by.
Table Position –
The closer to the butotn you are the wider your options for opening..
1) Fewer opponents to act so there is a lower chance of someone being dealt a playable hand and a better chance of everyone folding.
2) You get position on your opponents postflop. You have much more information that you can act on when you’re on the button as they have to act before you and so supply you with info. They do not know what you have but you know they elected to play preflop AND their reaction to the flop.
Opponents’ behaviours examples –
> Don’t open wide from the button if the big blind is going all in with every hand as you’ll have to fold weaker hands to his shove.
> If the players left to act are tight, loosen up as you’ll have a better shot at stealing the blinds.
Make these 2 tweaks if the players behind are loose aggressive:.
> Play tighter..
> Play more high card hands and less suited connector hands.
Against loose aggressive opponents you can play hands like KJo, flop top pair, and move All in OK. But with lesser hands such as 87s if you miss and continue bet the flop asggression may result and few folds. In such situations middle connectors go down in value and high cards improve.
Some hands you nearly always play, for example, JJ+, AQ+. Some hands we’ll never play like 52o, but for tons of others the answer is “it depends on the situation”.
Commonly:
- Play tight early position, looser late position
- Play tighter against loose players, looser against tight players (preflop)
- Play tighter against aggressive players, looser against passive players (preflop)
- Play tighter if there has been action before you
- Nearly never play trash and nearly always play premiums.
For example to Demonstrate.
- UTG (first position) ten handed example range: (TT+, AQo+, AJs+)
- Button range vs tight blinds: (22+, A2o+, A2s+, K6o+, K5s+, Q9o+, Q8s+, JTo, JTs, T9s, 98s, 87s, 76s)
- Button range vs loose blinds: (22+, A7o+, A2s+, K8o+, K8s+, QTo+, Q9s+, JTs)
- Button range readless: (22+, A7o+, A2s+, K8o+, K7s+, Q9o+, Q9s+, JTs, T9s, 98s)
Now a relatively uncovered topic – limping.
When should we limp preflop? No, nearly never, except if:
> When against a loose passive opponent with a marginal hand.
> A “Limpede” which is more commonplace, in free online poker games especially. A limpede is a limp+stampede = limpede…where several players limp preflop.
If you have low pockets or suited connectors join the Limpede as there is a good chance to flop good very cheaply. Your only goal is to flop a very strong hand – if you don’t you should give up and check/fold the flop.
As so much of this is “it depends you should practice on free online poker sites where you can change around your ranges and see what works and what doesn’t, how you should adjust in certain spots, etc. as you won’t lose any money doing so.
So test away! For a much more in depth version of this article, see the full lesson on the NoPayPOKER free poker education blog
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