Poker What Are Trouble Hands For You in Poker

Unless the situation dictates I can play these hands (first in, position, table image, short stacked in a tournament, etc.), I try to avoid playing the following hands, especially "out of position" or "facing a raise from early position (ep):

AJ KQ KJ KT QJs J9s AceRag (suited)

I do find others will play these from EP and think they are solid holdings, but I'm not one that subscribes to that thinking.

What's on your list?

 

I will play QJs to an EP raise but okay it just like I would play JT only looking for a straight when I think EP makes top pair or top 2 and can fold .I would say AT is trash also. All of these hands make you more money in the muck in the long run facing any sort of early agression in a 9 handed game

 

i like the solid poker software approach to those hands, i rarely play jack nine suited or not suited unless i am in the late positions, if i get enough players, i play almost any hand in cutoff or button with lots of caller or lots of callers to a raise. i recently got in trouble with jack ten, i was on the button, bad play; raise in front i called, than re-raise and i called that also, hit pair of tens player with pocket 8's hit set, end of story. i try to vary my play and sometimes get in trouble for it. back to the other cards AJ, KQ, KJ, KT, QJ, QTs ace suited rags only, i find i like to play them in middle positions, call a raise from early, if suited , preferably no early raise in front of me if not suited and i raise as first in to raise. the only way i will play them from early position if they are suited and i am varying my play to not be predictable. once in a while. tournament depends if i think i can get away with it cheep, and me being the first and only raiser. sometimes in late position depending on how the table and hands are running and use for steal hands on the button.

 

AJ is mine, I always think I'll breeze into any hand nicely with that but it's amazing how often it collapses for me! It was only the other night on Partypoker, I had this exact hand. I raised before the flop, you know the rest... the opponent caught a straight on the river. This happened again on PlayOJO the same night, my AJ was smashed to pieces!!

 

A-J for me also ...

 

No-Limit Hold'em Lesson #6 – Trouble Hands, Shorthanded Play and Tips

Trouble hands are exactly what the name implies (hands that can cost you a ton of money), so you must often avoid playing them (especially out of position), but if you choose to play them, play them with extreme caution as you may jeopardize your entire stack. However, if you are playing shorthanded, these same trouble hands (especially suited or connected cards), may not be dangerous anymore, and can be played profitably.

Unsuited cards that fall into this category are: Ace/Queen, Ace/Jack, Ace/Ten, King/Queen, King/Jack, King/Ten, Queen/Jack, Queen/Ten, Jack/Ten, and the Ace/Nine combo (which has become quite popular to play recently, for what reason, I do not know).

The reason these sets of cards cause major concern and are categorized as “trouble hands,” is because they are often dominated by better starting hands, such as AA, KK, and the top connector, AK. So when playing an unsuited AQ, and you are raised from early position, the likelihood of losing a great deal of money (having an inferior hand to the raiser) is quite possible. Say a flop of A-9-2 appears, and your opponent has the AK (as advertised with a pre-flop raise from early position), you will lose a lot of money coming in second place with your AQ. Hands like JT can be costly when you flop top pair or two pair, as others playing KQ have a playable hand that can quickly snatch the pot away from you with their draw. What is important to remember is to play trouble hands as cheaply as possible, don’t over commit.

When playing short-handed, you must play aggressively, as most hands nearly unplayable at a full table, now have new worth short-handed. Not all, but quite a few hands increase in value as the number of opponents you face decreases. This is especially true about those trouble hands discussed in the previous paragraph as they can now be played strongly. One major key to playing short-handed play is having position. You will find that your play will often be dictated by position, rather than the quality of cards you might hold. When you are last to act, your bet places enormous pressure on your opponents, as they are facing the dilemma of calling your bet as well as having to bet first on subsequent rounds. Note: You should not wait for hands with outs to bet having position, fire away and win most pots that have been checked to you (while in position). You must continue to demonstrate aggressive play and pick up these available pots. It is also essential for you to note that while playing shorthanded and one additional player leaves the table, adjust your play as hand values and the tempo will change dramatically.

I thought I’d end this series with a list of things to do and not to do; some tips or recommendations that may win you a few extra pots, or save you from wasting chips when your chances of winning are marginal:

· In shorthanded games, allowing your opponent to have a free card when you hold a good hand is a way to trap an aggressive player. This will entice your opponent to bet into you with a weaker hand, and now you have him/her trapped. This will discourage him/her from playing overly aggressively in the future if you are in the hand, and can lead to your control/domination of the table.

· Never call a bet when you miss your hand completely, but if you suspect your opponent has missed their draw, and you have a little something, you might playback at them if you strongly feel they will not call your last bet.

· With small to medium connecting cards, you do not want to put a whole lot of money in the pot before the flop. You want to make a straight by the turn and if you miss completely on the flop, they are easy to toss.

· If you start out bluffing at a pot, don’t semi-bluff a second time without some type of an “out.” Example: You raise pre-flop and miss the flop completely. Most to the time you should still bet again if given the opportunity, especially if three handed or less. Should you be called or raised, go no further; it’s time to minimize the loss of chips.

· Stick to your first impressions of what hand someone has and don’t be inclined to change your opinion; your first impressions are usually correct, but be open to putting them on other hands based on betting patterns as cards roll off the deck.

· Be careful you don’t lose all your chips in an unraised pot. When many players are able to see a flop for a minimum bet, it sets up the possibility of some undetected quality hands (sets, huge flush draws). Hitting and then betting your top pair may be a prescription for an immediate setback.

· You don’t want to get all your money in a pot drawing dead. Once a pair hits the board, and a full house is possible, be very careful with your made straight or flush hand.

· If you turn a big hand, sometimes bet something into the original bettor/raiser. This will confuse him/her, and often times he/she will re-raise you. Then you can put him/her all-in, or if confused, he/she will fold. BYOB (Bring Your Own Bet). Often times if you check, they check back and lose bets.

· Over-bet the pot when you hit a set and are up against an aggressive player who usually has overestimated the strength of their hand. His/her over pair is usually a huge underdog to your made hand and you will make more money that way. Passive opponents will not re-raise you, they fold or call (if they call, they need a card for a monster, or are already there, be careful).

· When you flop a monster hand, and unlikely to be beaten, slow-play it, inviting your opponents an opportunity to bluff. If they don’t bluff, they may catch a bit of something on the turn or the river, and then you can lower the boom. Don’t be in a hurry here. Showing a bit of patience here can net you a monster pot with your monster hand.

· While holding a big pair and the flop has at least a two-card draw possible, you should never check, and almost always bet out. You must protect your big pair and cost your opponents dearly to draw. Don’t be silly and bet half the pot, ¾ pot bet, or more is advisable when flush cards and or straight cards hit the board.

· If you can see a flop cheaply and the turn with a small or medium pair, you will likely win a huge pot if you catch your set prior to the river.

· Heed one of the oldest sayings around: If you are going to call a bet, you might as well bet. Try not to check/call.

· You can usually play your possible inferior hand (with implied odds) and excellent position, if your call does not exceed “five” percent of your stack, up to “ten” percent if your hand has more outs. If you have to risk over ten percent, you should not be in the pot anymore.

· You need to have a better hand to call a raise, than you would need to open yourself, consider the re-raise then.

· No-limit is quite different than limit, and the good players will do more limping with mediocre hands in hopes of making a hand that will crush an opponent.

· An unusually small bet can indicate a probing bet by a weak hand, or could mean a big hand looking for action. Figure out the difference; know your opponent and watching previous bets will provide you with enough information in most cases to make the right assessment.

· A draw needs good position throughout the hand, and a set needs good position only on the flop, or at least won’t be affected by position as much as the drawing hand.

· Your solid play (pre-flop), in raised pots, will prevent you from being trapped most of the time.

· When a pot-sized bet is a great percentage of your remaining chips, it’s often better to commit the remainder of your stack right then.

· An over-bet leaves no doubt from an early position as to what is implied, and to make a bet 50% over the pot size would not be uncommon, nor would a bet twice the pot size. Generally, players over betting the pot are protecting a single top pair, don’t want callers (players drawing), or could be they have top pair – weak kicker and are trying to take the pot down immediately.

· Bluffing should be attempted in situations when you feel your opponent is weak.

In the next lesson (#7), I will discuss Capitalizing on Mistakes/Miscues/Blunders

if you want the whole series (free), email me at [email protected] and subject: send me those written lessons.

 

Once I realized that second hand and already a bad beat rofl and after that was going swimmingly

 

i think the cards with A are trouble.