Fold More Pre-Flop
Author: Poker Penguin
Summary: Play less hands, win more money
Becoming great at poker is tough, but you just have to be a little bit better than the idiots at your table. The number one leak in almost every player’s game is playing too many hands pre-flop. Seriously, winning is that simple. Stick to playing the hands I recommend, and you’ll see your results improve.
If someone has raised before you, pretend you are one position earlier than you really are (early or middle look under early, late look under middle, in the blinds look under late). Always raise / re-raise with early position hands!
These recommendations might seem very tight, especially at first, but you’ll soon notice that your results are improving. These aren’t a permanent, or even an ideal starting hands list, but they will make you into a somewhat solid hold’em player:
| Early | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pairs | ||
| Suited Cards | AJ, KQ | |
| Offsuit Cards | AQ | |
| Suited Connectors | — | |
| Middle | ||
| Pairs | _77 | |
| Suited Cards | A8, KT, Q9, J8 | |
| Offsuit Cards | AT, KQ | |
| Suited Connectors | _98 | |
| Late | ||
| Pairs | _22 | |
| Suited Cards | A2, K8, Q9, J8 | |
| Offsuit Cards | AT, KT, QT, J9 | |
| Suited Connectors | _54 | |
| Small Blind | ||
| Pairs | _22 | |
| Suited Cards | A2, K2, Q8, J8, T8 | |
| Offsuit Cards | A2, K7, Q9, J8, T9 | |
| Suited Connectors | _54 |
- You can play the hands listed and all better hands (eg if a column says AJ, KQ then you can play AK AQ, AJ and KQ).
- Suited connectors are the same suit and are next to each other in value (so if the chart says 76, you can also play 87, 98, etc.)
