In this series of columns, I am looking at starting hands in three of my favorite games (limit hold'em, limit Omaha (high), and pot-limit Omaha). In my last column, I began with limit hold'em, and discussed some of the important factors that influence the strength, and the profitability, of a relatively small pocket pair (7-7). In this issue, I will look at three more "situational hands": hands that are not always automatically playable but in some cases can be played for profit, whereas they may cost you money under different circumstances.
Hand No. 1: K-J offsuit
Analysis: Also known as the "problem hand," K-J offsuit is the type of hand that can easily make you second best. I'm not very fond of the hand in any type of game, not even loose-passive games. Actually, the way I handle a hand like K-J offsuit is this: I usually muck it, unless there is a clear reason not to. Most players do exactly the opposite: They usually call unless it's very obvious (raises and reraises) that folding is better. Still, this type of hand does have some value in some cases, especially in late position when there's been no raise.
Early position: In a 10-handed ring game, I fold K-J more than 90 percent of the time. When there are fewer players, the hand might become playable and maybe even worth a raise, especially if it looks like the players behind you seem ready to throw away their hands.
Late position: If there have been no callers when the action gets to you, you might have a raising hand – if the people yet to act don't view you as a habitual stealer, that is. Also, keep in mind the game conditions. If the rake makes playing for small pots unattractive (for example, you are playing $10-$20 with a maximum $4 rake), you might not give anything away by simply folding your hand.
Against a raise: Against a raise, you have no hand – period. That said, if you're in the big blind and get raised by a very aggressive player on the button, you are giving up too much by folding.
Hand No. 2: A-5 suited
Analysis: This is one of the most overrated hands in limit hold'em, especially by inexperienced players. It has a lot of value in loose-passive games, but almost none in the tougher games that are the rule in the limits $10-$20 and higher. Some, even experienced, players call raises cold with this hand on a regular basis and quite often get away with it, but most of the time they are making a big mistake. In tighter games, A-little suited in late position might be good enough to try to steal the blinds with, and in shorthanded games, it's a pretty decent hand most of the time.
Hand No. 3: 10-9 suited
Analysis: This hand has been the cause of a lot of discussion, controversy, and disagreement. Lots of players love the hand ("I always play suited connectors – I just love them"), and call regardless of position, opponents, betting actions, or the texture of the game. Even though I play mostly pot-limit Omaha nowadays, I still play limit hold'em, my former main game, quite frequently (on a yearly basis, I would say at least 500 hours). Because the rake in limit hold'em is so high in most of the places I frequent, I play a lot tighter than almost all other players, and even tighter than most experts suggest. A high rake simply doesn't give room for many fancy plays, or plays that might have a slight positive EV (expected value) under normal, better, game conditions. Therefore, I need a very good reason to enter the pot with a speculative hand like this. (In higher-limit games that have a time charge, this is obviously less true. Even though the time charge per hour may be higher than in most places in the United States, there are no extra costs when you win a pot. Therefore, plays with just a slightly positive EV should not be abandoned anymore, because they will add to your hourly rate, even though it may be only slightly.) When the rake is a bit lower and a bit more reasonable, however, you might play this hand a bit more often. You might occasionally play it from early position (in the somewhat tougher games, mostly for deception, or in the looser games, for its multiway value), and you might even raise with it from late position once in a while. Always keep in mind what you hold, though; suited or not, a 10-9 is still a 10-9, and you will need a lot of help from the board to turn your hand into a moneymaker.
Some Final Words
I have touched upon some of the starting hands in America's favorite game, limit hold'em, hands that may cause the average player some serious troubles. The next few columns of this series are aimed mostly at the hold'em player wishing to step up (or step down, if you will) to the beautiful game of Omaha. Quite a few players who are making this transition find it hard to get a grip on this game, because they cannot figure out what to look for in their starting hands – and, indeed, in Omaha it can be a bit more difficult to determine which hand can be considered good, and which hand cannot. (On top of that, in Omaha it often seems like there are no good hands, because you often see freaky hands win huge pots. However, in the long run, your hand selection will be very important, and people who simply play every decent-looking hand are almost sure to lose all of their money.) In my next column, I will discuss starting hands in pot-limit Omaha high. When we get to limit Omaha (high), the differences in hand selection between limit and pot-limit will be discussed. Take care, and good luck.