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Poker Guide: Why Play with Only Premium Hands?

Many people play with marginal poker hands when they shouldn't. Sometimes it's because they don't know any better. Other times it is due to impatience. If you are the former, then perhaps some explanation can persuade you to choose your cards more wisely next time. It just takes a little thought to realize why low ranking cards are unplayable as a rule. We hope this article helps you do so.

To refresh your memory, single cards are ranked from lowest to highest as: 2, 3, 4… 10, jack, queen, king and ace. Now in a Texas Holdem table, each player gets two cards. If you play only high cards like ace-ace and ace-king, you become hard to beat in "head to head" match ups when the fight is close since your cards are high ranking. But if you play with low cards like 3-5, you can lose in a showdown even if they are suited.

Example 1:

You play 4-5c suited and you get your flush on the river: 2c-Jc-Jd-3h-6c. At the showdown, an opponent has another flush, an Ac-Kc go with the 2c-Jc-6c. They win. If you had been the one with the premium A-K suited, you'd have had the best flush.

Example 2:

You play A-K offsuit. Instead of a straight, the board shows: A-Q-9-Q-Q. You get into a raising war with another player. Showdown comes. They have 9-J. Both of you have a full house, but your aces beat their sevens.

Below are comments on various hole cards and their possibilities, showing why premium cards are more advantageous in the long run than loose hands.

Good Hands

If you play pocket pairs, you are assured of a one pair.

If you play with ace pair or king pair, you are assured of a very high pair.

If you play ace-king suited, you can get an ace high flush, or an ace high straight.

If you play an ace-king offsuit, you can have an ace high straight hand or a hand with a high kicker.

If you play any high starting hand, you can try to draw to different hands in case you miss the one you want (e.g. a high two pair of you miss the flush).

Bad Hands

If you play with a low pocket pair, it can easily lose to another pocket pair or one on the board.

If you play trap hands like queen-jack or king-ten, your hand or kicker can easily lose to an ace or king in case of a tie.

If you play with low suited or sequenced cards, your only hope to win is with a flush. A one or two pair can be easily beaten.

If you play with low sequenced cards, you don't have much of a chance to make a different hand if you miss the straight. Their low rank

If you play high and low cards like ace-five, your ace becomes useless if someone else has an ace and a higher kicker.

If you play with low, unconnected cards and the board gives the same hand to everyone (e.g. a trip), you end up with a poor kicker.

If you play loose or mediocre hands after the flop, it gets very hard to decide whether to play on or not.

Any hand you make with low ranking cards can be beaten by higher ones if the same hand.

Conclusion

Patience pays in Holdem poker. With fewer and better hands played, your game is simpler and easier to plan. You will make fewer mistakes in judgment. You will win more often and lose less by being selective.