Friday, January 16, 2009

Still Playing Top 10 Hands?

By Eddie Parker

As a beginner at the game of poker, it is often suggested to stick to the top 10 hands. It is not however suggested to do so for an advanced or even intermediate strategy. Playing only the top 10 hands will make you a very predictable player and nobody will play with you. It is a good way to get started as a beginner but no way to be a winning poker player. If you are going to be a winning poker player then you better get ready to play more then just the top 10 hands.

Many good hands do not fall into the category of top 10, yet they are still very hands. Some of these hands are actually better than a top 10 hand, so learning to play them will increase your chances of winning big.

If you had pocket 7's and you were up against 4 other competitors with Ace King then I am pretty sure you would be very happy to be the one with 77. Of course, that is a very unreal example, but you get the point. You just cannot rely on only the top 10 starting hands to be successful.

There are times that the top 10 hands are best to have and times that other hands are best to have. If you are involved with a big pot and a lot of players you may be happy to have a hand like 67 suited. Those are the kind of hands that can win you the best pots against big starting hands like KK and AA. Of course, if the players with those hands are playing right you won't have the chance to play with 67, but a lot of players do not play right.

Top 10 starting hands are the most advantageous when you are alongside one or two players and it is before the flop. This is the point where you need to decide if you are going all in or placing a large bet, as at this point you are ahead. For this situation to work you are best off to have a top 5 hand. Once the flop is down you will know if you have played your cards right.

Figuring out pot odds is a very important part of playing hands that are not top 10 starting hands. Moving beyond the top 10 starting hands means knowing pot odds. That is a big reason why so many beginners start off playing only the top 10 starting hands. Once you learn the fundamentals of winning poker, you can concentrate on more hands.

If you do not know when to play particular hands then you shouldn't be playing them. There is a time to play 67 suited and a time to fold it. Sure, it can be a great hand in some positions but it can be a terrible hand in other positions.

Great poker players spend a lot of time studying pot odds, position and implied odds as factors that have a huge impact on hand selection. This is why most starting players stick to the top 10 hands, it doesn't require a lot of thought.

Beginner players can do very well for themselves with the top 10 starting hands, but there will come a point where they realize that they aren't winning like they used to, likely because the others around them have been doing their homework on what other hands they can play successfully. By taking the time to learn other great hands and when to play them you can win bigger pots more often. - 16928

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