In this series of columns, I will discuss a few starting hands in limit hold'em, pot-limit Omaha, and limit Omaha (high), and the conditions under which these starting hands may, or may not, be profitable. This column deals with limit hold'em, and will continue next time (two issues from now). I will discuss a few starting hands that are often misplayed by average and even above-average players, hands that require a lot more situational/circumstantial analysis than they are given by lots of players. Note that I'm not discussing any of the "Group No. 1" hands like aces, kings, or A-K suited here. Lots of poker writers (most notably, David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth) have devoted so much time to discussing the play of premium hands, and have written so much excellent material on the subject, that there's nothing much for me to add. What's more, it is my experience that in hold'em, most players know how to play the premium cards fairly well; it is often the less than premium hands that cause them trouble. I will take a short look at some of these not-so-great hands, and discuss the best way to play them before and after the flop – taking into account situational and circumstantial factors. (By the way, a lot of excellent material has been written on this subject, also by the authors mentioned. It is just that even lots of serious players still seem to have trouble adjusting the value of their hand to the current situation; they simply play their own hand regardless of and oblivious to whatever action has taken place – or might take place. If you think your play fits into this category, this series might be of help in improving your overall poker-playing ability.)
The structure of this series will be the same. I will pick a starting hand, make a short analysis of its relative strength, its value in early and late position, and whether or not, and how, the hand can or should be played against a raise.
The Hand: 7-7
Analysis: Now, this is what I call a "situational hand." Under certain circumstances, you might make it three bets with your wired sevens, whereas under different circumstances, the hand might not even be worth a call. In loose-passive games where lots of players see the flop for one bet, you get excellent odds in trying to flop a set, and the hand can often be played for profit – even from early position. Unfortunately, at limits of $10-$20 and higher, the games are like this only a very small percentage of the time. In these games, players prefer raising and folding over calling, and your hand is therefore not automatically playable anymore.
Early position: In a 10-handed loose-passive game, my percentage of folding-calling-raising from early position would be something like 5-85-10; in tougher games, maybe 55-25-20; and in tougher, shorthanded games, it might be more like 15-10-75. Always consider the texture of the game, your image, the atmosphere at the table, and your position relative to your weaker opponents (the ones from whom you want to make money) and the strong ones (are they likely to call or even raise you, and what does that mean regarding the quality of your hand?). Try to predict how your fold, call, or raise might influence future action, and act accordingly.
Late position: Your hand is almost always playable if the pot hasn't been raised yet. If there are no callers, you might choose to raise yourself. If there are lots of callers, you also might raise to try to tie the limpers to the pot and to win a huge pot in case you get lucky and flop a set. However, most of the time, calling would be natural with your pocket pair, as you will need to receive help to win.
Against a raise: If a tight, unimaginative player has raised from early position and there are no callers, there's no need for you to get involved. If there are a few callers in the middle when the action gets to you, calling the raise might be worth it, as you might win a big pot if a 7 flops (the odds against that are about 7.5-to-1).
Whenever the raise comes from a maniac in late or middle position and you are sitting somewhere to his immediate left, and if the players behind you respect your play and are capable of folding even reasonably good hands, an isolation reraise might be your best option. You are trying to play your relatively small pair heads up, in position against a random hand. Most of the time, the way you play your pocket pair after the flop is fairly easy and straightforward. In the situation mentioned here, you would almost always bet after the flop, and the board will have to get very scary for you to lay down your hand at any point (remember, you made the three-bet because you labeled the raiser as a maniac – so please don't make any expert laydowns after the flop because he just might have you beat). In the multiway situation described above, you would almost always need to flop a 7 to continue with the hand (even though there are exceptions), and you should be able to play your hand mistake-free here without too much thought. However, before the flop, your best decision isn't always easy, and you will need to judge closely and accurately whether folding, calling, or raising is best for the specific situation.
Some Final Words
Next time, I will discuss three more hold'em hands that may cause the average player problems. To be more specific, I will analyze A-5 suited, 10-9 suited, and K-J offsuit. Take care, and good luck.