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Top starting hands should be raised and played aggressively. AA, KK, QQ,
AK, JJ, AQ, these hands are most likely to be the best before the flop. By
raising and eliminating other players early you reduce the risk of getting
outdrawn. These hands will hold up the majority of the time against 2 or 3
opponents. So it is important to reduce the number of opponents you face
early by betting strong. Other factors when deciding on how much to bet is
your position. If you are first to act then you should be folding all but
top hands. If you are near last position you have the advantage of seeing
what your opponents bet and can make your decision on how strong you feel
they are based on there actions.
Top hands are so important and new "rookie" players lose more often by
playing too many hands. Its dificult to fold so much, but if you do you will
see how profitable it can be. Watch the poker players on TV. These players
beat hundreds of opponents to get to the final table, and they do it time
and time again. These are great players and most of them play premium hands
or are at a level much higher than this and are experts at playing there
opponent and not there hands. So as a new player dont try to play hands you
shouldn't because you see it working on TV. Playing your opponent and not
your cards is what makes the poker greats masters. But it takes much longer
to master these skills, and you need the building blocks to get there.
These hands look good to start with, but will trap you and cost you money if
you do not improve or if you are dominated. Hands like AJ, KQ, KJ, QJ, K10,
Q10 and J10 . These hands should not be played after a raise and not played
at all in early position. You want to have your money in the pot when you
have the best hand, playing these hands will cause you to lose money in the
long run.
Meduim pairs are great to start with, but if after the flop you haven't
tripped out you should fold them. A single pair will rarely win in a
multi-opponent game.
Suited connectors are a decent starting hand. If there is a bet and a call
before you fold them. They are best played in late position.
Top Ten Starting Hands
1. A-A (Pocket Aces)
2. K-K (Pocket Kings)
3. Q-Q (Pocket Queens)
4. A-K (Ace King)
5. J-J (Pocket Jacks)
6. 10-10(Pocket Tens)
7. 9-9 (Pocket Nines)
8. 8-8 (Pocket Eights)
9. A-Q (Ace Queen)
10. 7-7 (Pocket Sevens)
Raise these Hands
Top hands to raise with preflop
A-A (Pocket Aces)
K-K (Pocket Kings)
Q-Q (Pocket Queens)
A-K (Ace King)
J-J (Pocket Jacks)
10-10(Pocket Tens)
A-Q (Ace Queen)
Hands you want to see a flop with
A-J (Ace Jack)
K-Q (King Queen)
Q-J (Queen Jack)
J-10 (Jack Ten)
9-9(Pocket Nines)
8-8 (Pocket Eights)
7-7 (Pocket Sevens)
A-10 (Ace Ten)
10-9 Same Suit (Ten Nine Suited)
About the Author
Kerry Mann is an online poker pro. His website http://www.pokerliving.net
tells more about him and how he makes a living at online poker.
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