In poker, your success often hinges on the hands you choose to play and your strategy before the flop. Understanding hand selection and the importance of aggression can significantly improve your game. In this guide, we’ll discuss which hands to play from different positions and the difference between aggressive and passive play. Hands are divided into two types, suited, where the cards in your holding have the same suit (e.g. Ace of Clubs and King of Clubs) and unsuited, where the cards in your holding are different (e.g. Ace of Hearts and King of Clubs).
Hand Selection: Which Hands to Play from Different Positions
Early Position (Red Seats)
When you’re in an early position, you have the least information about your opponents’ hands. Therefore, you need to play conservatively and focus on strong starting hands. Here are the hands you should consider:
Premium Hands: AA, KK, QQ, AK (suited and offsuit)
Strong Hands: JJ, TT, AQ (suited and offsuit)
These hands have a high probability of winning and can withstand raises and calls from opponents in later positions.
Middle Position (Orange Seats)
In middle position, you have more information than early position but still need to be cautious. You can widen your hand selection slightly:
Premium Hands: AA, KK, QQ, AK (suited and offsuit)
Strong Hands: JJ, TT, AQ (suited and offsuit), AJ (suited)
Speculative Hands: 99, 88, KQ, KJ, QJ (suited and offsuit), suited connectors like JTs, 98s, 87s
These hands give you a balance of strength and potential to build strong hands on the flop.
Late Position (Green Seats)
Late position provides the most information about your opponents’ actions, allowing for a wider range of hands:
Premium Hands: AA, KK, QQ, AK (suited and offsuit)
Strong Hands: JJ, TT, AQ (suited and offsuit), AJ (suited), KQ (suited)
Speculative Hands: 99, 88, 77, 66, 55 44, 33, 22, suited connectors, and suited one-gappers like 97s, 86s
In late position, you can afford to play more hands due to the increased information and
potential to control the pot.
In the below video, professional poker player Andrew Neeme talks us through a hand he plays in position against two other opponents. This is a great example of how to use information available from other players actions to come to a decision about your own play. Don't expect to be right all the time though.
This seems quite strict…
Well you’d be right to think so. On average across all hands, you should aim to be playing between 20-30% of hands you’re dealt. The reason these hands are recommended (and J2 offsuit isn’t) is because of their ability to make strong hands.
If the cards are closer together, it is easier for them to make a straight. Lets take 98 as our example. Any consecutive cards from a Queen down to a five can make a straight:
1. Q,J,T,9,8
2. T,9,8,7,6
3. 9,8,7,6,5
If we tried to make a straight with J7, there is only one combination that can be made:
1. J,T,9,8,7
So, why does suitedness matter for the lower cards, but not the higher cards?
If the cards are both suited, you have a higher chance of making a flush, than if you only have one card available. This increases your percentage chance of winning, also known as your equity.
If your cards are higher, the chances of you having a pair and winning increase, because there are less higher cards that can outdraw you as the hand progresses. For example, if I have 98 and have made a pair, I could be beaten by a pair matched with a Ten, Jack, Queen, King or Ace on a later community card. This makes a single pair vulnerable with this holding.
However, if I hold AK, and make a pair with my Ace, my opponent now needs to make two pair or better to beat me as there is no higher card than an Ace. So, in this case, being suited matters less, because I need to make a flush less often versus my opponent to win.
Quick Tip- Lets assume you hold AK, and your opponent holds AQ, and you both hold a pair of aces at the end of the hand. In this instance, your second card (in your hand this is the King) comes into play, known as the kicker. Because your Kicker is higher, you win the entire pot.
Aggressive vs. Passive Play: Importance of Aggression in Poker
Aggressive Play
Aggression in poker involves betting and raising rather than checking and calling. Aggressive play is often more successful for several reasons:
Pressure on Opponents: Aggressive play puts pressure on your opponents, forcing them to make difficult decisions.
Control of the Pot: By betting and raising, you control the size of the pot and the action in the hand.
Bluffing Opportunities: Aggression creates opportunities to bluff and win pots without needing the best hand. In the below video, world class poker player Phil Ivey shows us some examples of how aggressive play can win, even when you don't have the best hand.
Passive Play
Passive play involves checking and calling more often than betting and raising. While it can be useful in certain situations, consistently passive play has several drawbacks:
Lack of Control: Passive players often let their opponents dictate the action and the size of the pot.
Missed Value: By not betting or raising, passive players miss opportunities to extract maximum value from their strong hands.
Predictability: Passive play can make you predictable, allowing opponents to exploit your tendencies.
Balanced Strategy
While aggression is generally more profitable, a balanced strategy that includes both aggressive and passive elements can be effective. The key is to adapt your play based on the situation and your opponents.
Conclusion
This is a very basic guide to preflop strategy, that is meant to help get you started, and stop you from losing money playing trash hands. As you become more experienced, you will want to revisit this topic, and look at a more detailed view of each position, with different sizes of table, depending on your preferred game. By understanding which hands to play from different positions and the importance of aggressive play, you can make more informed decisions and improve your overall game.
This is a good point to stop reading our blog, and go away and practice the knowledge you have learnt. If you’re not sure where to play, then why not check out our site reviews page here. Once you have practised a bit, and feel you have wrapped your head around position, why not read our next lesson, all about Post Flop strategy here.
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