If you want to increase your poker skills and learn how to crush games, visit Jonathan Little’s elite training site at PokerCoaching.com/CardPlayer.
Pre-flop, many recreational players stumble (just call the big blind) often. They limp because they want to know if they flop a strong hand before deciding if they have a hand worth investing big money.
In fact, the vast majority of Hold’em hands rarely fail to hold a strong enough hand to justify risking extra chips, resulting in them frequently losing small amounts of money consistently.
Obviously, the best hands (strong pairs and big cards) are worth playing, but many players limp with a wide range of scalping hands.
When multiple players see failure (as is often the case in small-stakes games), you need an incredibly strong hand to justify continuing because it is very likely that someone with an outstanding hand will fail. You will find that the middle pair (and sometimes the top pair) does not perform well when too many players see failure.
For example, let’s say four players are limping and you are also limping on the button with your big blind of 100 with K
6
,9
7or 9 3. Blackout curtains also see the flop that comes with J 9
6.
If you bet on any of these hands (all middle or bottom pairs), you will be in a tough spot. If you call, you may already be at a bad disadvantage against a better hand, and when your opponent happens to be bluffing, several turn cards can easily improve it into a better hand.
If your opponent continues to bet on the turn, you usually have to fold as well, especially if the turn brings a scary card. Also don’t forget the players in the blind who can easily crush you.
If one person bets and another person calls, you should always fold the middle or bottom pair unless they have a suitable draw with them. One mistake many players make is calling and seeing a multi-way turn.
This is a particularly expensive leak because it often doesn’t look so bad given the excellent betting odds you get. However, when you fail to improve, you will always have to fold the bet, and if you are lucky enough to improve, you may still have the second best hand or your opponents may not pay you your money. If someone bets on the flop and someone else raises, you should make an easy pull.
Therefore, you do not want to play cards that often fail in marginal hands. This includes hands containing one large card and one small card (Q-4 offset), connected or spread hands (8-6 offset), and undesired suit cards (J 6). All of these hands are unplayable in almost all situations, except when in the big blind. Of course, hands worse than this should also be folded.
I realize it can be tempting to see failure with all sorts of junk when everyone scatters, but realize that these players lose money in the long run to players who are a little more patient and wait to play when they lose money. You have a reasonable edge.
The easiest way to beat players who play too many hands is to simply start with better hands. Communicating this single leak will go a long way in making you a more profitable poker player. good luck!
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- Free downloadable preflop charts
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Jonathan Little is twice WPT Champion with over $7 million in live tournament winnings, best-selling author of 15 poker instructional books, and 2019 GBI Poker Personality of the Year. If you want to increase your poker skills and learn how to crush games, visit his training site at PokerCoaching.com/cardplayer.
