Preflop
Preflop > Pairs > Draws > Big hands/Bluffing > Other
One of the most important aspects of any good poker strategy is starting hand selection. Fortunately for us, most players make some major mistakes preflop.
Click here for a link to a list of all the starting hands worth considering, and their expectancy from each position. For clarification, let's say you have KK on the big blind (BB) and the blinds at the table are $1/$2. The average profit for that hand would be $2 x 1.73 = $3.46. The average profit for K9 on the big blind would be $2 x -0.21 = $-0.42. The numbers are taken from averaging a huge amount of hands and can be considered fairly accurate. While learning the expectancies for every hand would be tedious and time consuming, I'll use the chart to help demonstrate some of my major points.
Playing marginal hands:
Most people know how to play big hands preflop (AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK). For AK, JJ, QQ, and KK, you should make a standard raise (about 3x the big blind) pretty much every time in an unraised pot. For AA, you can also make a standard raise, or call from early position hoping to reraise a loose table. The mistakes are made playing marginal hands like low pocket pairs, suited connectors, and A2-AJ. On the starting hands expectancy chart, you can see that these are basically break even hands.
Let's say you have 55 in seventh position, and the person in 4th position raises. You call, and everyone else folds. At this point, you know that he either has a pocket pair higher than yours (since he raised) or two overcards to you. The flop comes 3QT and he bets 2/3 of the pot. At this point, how can you possibly call? Almost every hand he could have has you beat, and even if he has something like AJ he has a good chance to win and will probably put you to the test again on the turn if you call now. Even if you get lucky and the flop is more innocent like 237, you still have to be scared of a higher pocket pair. The only way to be in good shape is to hit trips, and that's not something you should be counting on after calling a raise. The solution? Never call a raise preflop if you have low pocket pairs! (22-77). If you have 88, 99 you either reraise or fold depending on your play style and the opponent. TT, JJ, QQ, KK, AA you reraise. You should never flat call a raise with a pocket pair (you can however flat call an unraised pot trying to hit trips). The one exception is if you are in an extremely shorthanded game (2-5 players), in which case folding pocket pairs preflop becomes more difficult.
Now let's say you have A8. You're in 3rd position and you raise it 3x the BB. The person in 7th position calls you, and everyone else folds. The flop comes A92, just what you were hoping for. You bet 2/3 the pot. If your opponent were to raise, there would be no reason for you not to believe he had an ace with a higher kicker. Even if he flat calls, you can't be confident that you have the best hand. Sure he could fold, but at this point your ace is no better than a bluff. In the end you just shouldn't play rag aces. Everything from A2-A9 should just be mucked straight away. AT/AJ should be folded to a raise. Even AQ should be folded to a raise by a tight player. There are two exceptions- 1: you can call with Ax suited in late position in an unraised pot, trying to hit the nut flush 2: if you're shortstacked at a shorthanded table you can push all in with any ace.
The final often misplayed hand is suited connectors. As you can see on the starting hands chart, they are usually losing hands in early position and slightly winning hands in late position. This is because there's only one situation you should play them- in a crowded, unraised pot from late position. Suited connectors become worth more the more players are in the pot. Let's say you're in 9th position with 89s. The players in 2nd position and 5th position flat call. At this point you'll probably go to the flop with at least 4 players (as long as nobody raises), and you'll probably be last to act (as long as the person on the dealer button doesn't call). Your straight and flush possibilities are probably still good, and you're getting a much better return on your investment than if you were in a pot with less players. Also, you might even be good if you hit a pair since nobody raised, and since you're in position you have many bluffing/semi-bluffing possibilities.
