Do you use it #2-Varying hands play by position at the table.

[ungarstu132]

A big factor that plays into poker is table position. Usually depiected as Early, Middle, and Late position.

The simple way to look at it is:

Early Position- Super Tight Aggressive, i would not play many hands here, ill go into details with exact hands below.

Middle Position- Tight Aggressive, more of a variety of hands can be played here, but dont go crazy, there are still a few players behind you left to act..

Late Position- Semi-Tight Aggressive, all the hands you play in Middle and Early position can be played here, with some added hands, againt dont go crazy, you still have to play a variety of a tight game if you want to make money at a cash table.

Im going to try to give a simplistic form of the breakdown of hands that I would play in according to my standards (slightly different from other players opinion, but this is what works for you, and is just a basic breakdown of hands).

Early Position- AA, KK, QQ, MAYBE JJ and TT if the people behind you arent super aggressive, because to a re raise you definatly fold JJ and TT. I would also play AKs and possibly AQs if the people behund me arent that aggressive.

Middle Position- all of the above AND, 99, 88, 77, and AJs, ATs, KQs, KJs, AK, AQ, AJ, and KQ

Late Position- all of the above AND 66, 55, 44, 33, 22 and AT, A9s, KTs, KT, QJs, QJ

This is just a simple breakdown, i would add in some bluffs, play some suited connectors and some additional hands, just to mix up my game. The last thing you want to do is become predictable.

I hope this helps.....GOOD LUCK AT THE TABLES !!!

Stay tuned for nexts weeks- Do you use it #3-The Continuation Bet and Do you use it #4-The Gap Concept

[ungarstu132]

does anybody have other opinions on hand choice?

[227]

i myself dont change my hands on the position i play. If i have a playable hand im going to play it in any position, and if i dont, i will fold.

pretty basic, but im starting to read and study the game, so im sure this will change shortly....

according to the hands you have up there, i play quite a few more hands, so im probably playing too loose, i will check that out, and maybe tighten my game up a bit

thank you

[ungarstu132]

im just curious, try to follow the chart of hand i have up there, and change your hand selection depending on your position at the table...

please let me know if you see an improvement in your play, im sure it will help

good luck

[snipermcgees]

are we talking llimit or no limit?
when you say you are playing these hands, does that mean you are coming in for a raise?
what about if you're facing a raise?
there's a really good post by Andy Bloch where he talks about a similar topic regarding tournament play in the "pro tips" section on full tilt.

Also, I definitely am playing AKs and AKo in early position, and you do not need to fold 100% of the time to a re-raise with 1010 and JJ.

[ungarstu132]

this is no limit holdem...

at a tight table, or where a NORMAL player makes a raise before me, im folding TT and JJ 90% of the time...

those hands are hands that i would come in with a raise if i was first to act, and possibly call a raise with.

[ungarstu132]

anybody else have some other opinions, so i can review them and possibly help?

[227]

im just wondering, how mch do you vary your hands, its it a great difference from early position to middle position, and middle position, to late position?

[Brooklynbum]

Poker is just like real estate, location, location, location.

Playing positing is paramount to winning poker. By playing position you put yourself at an advantage.

You can basically play any two cards if you play in position.

Playing out of position can be tricky. Say you have KK and you raise and you get two callers acting after you.

The flop comes out with an Ace. You make a continuation bet and get re-raised. You're in a bad spot.

I know this might be ABC poker but playing position is one of the important basics in poker and you have to master the basics first.

[Brooklynbum]

As for the OP...are you playing a full ring table or a short table?

I'm guessing a full table.

I'm apt to play any two cards in late position in cash games....as I'll rely on position and aggressiveness to take down pots.

in tourneys I'd probably stick to playing the top 15-20% of hands played unless I'm stealing blinds.

I agree though that generally, the earlier the position the stronger the hand you must play because the hand you're playing in EP must be strong enough to handle a raise from a player in late position (such as pushing or re-raising). I'd never advocate flat calling except in certain situations.

[ungarstu132]

Poker is just like real estate, location, location, location.

Playing positing is paramount to winning poker. By playing position you put yourself at an advantage.

You can basically play any two cards if you play in position.

Playing out of position can be tricky. Say you have KK and you raise and you get two callers acting after you.

The flop comes out with an Ace. You make a continuation bet and get re-raised. You're in a bad spot.

I know this might be ABC poker but playing position is one of the important basics in poker and you have to master the basics first.

this is very true, thank you for your response...and i agree with it completly, if you make a raise out of position, maybe make a slightly bigger raise to avoid that KK situation where you get called by A rag

anybody else have some other opinions?

[frob23]

I am very aware of position when I play. And I rarely deviate from normal advice as to what hands to play from what positions. I remember playing with a friend who had a tracking program that recorded errors in shown down hands. In two hands it mentioned that I had played out of position. I remember telling him, at the start of the hand, "I am playing A-10 suited out of position." And sure enough, when the hand was shown down... there on the screen was that exact error reported. Of course, I knew what I was getting myself into with that hand and the conditions were right for it.

But most of the time, I am pretty strict in my starting hands depending on where I am. As I get closer and closer to the button, I am playing more and more hands depending on the action in front of me. What I play, and where, depends a lot on what happened. I am not opening the pot with 5-6 suited on the button... but I will call with it if there are several people who have called in front of me. In general, if no one has entered the pot yet... I am more and more likely to enter with a raise with a medium strength hand. I'm not normally going to do this with complete trash. There is 1 exception. On the button, against weak-tight blinds... I am raising with the absolute trash hands... even 2-7 offsuit. I hope to just pick up the blinds but if I get raised (by these weak-tight players) I can lay it down without a second thought. Against those same blinds, I will raise with A-10 or A-J but if they come over the top, I am going to be very uncomfortable.

[ungarstu132]

I am very aware of position when I play. And I rarely deviate from normal advice as to what hands to play from what positions. I remember playing with a friend who had a tracking program that recorded errors in shown down hands. In two hands it mentioned that I had played out of position. I remember telling him, at the start of the hand, "I am playing A-10 suited out of position." And sure enough, when the hand was shown down... there on the screen was that exact error reported. Of course, I knew what I was getting myself into with that hand and the conditions were right for it.

But most of the time, I am pretty strict in my starting hands depending on where I am. As I get closer and closer to the button, I am playing more and more hands depending on the action in front of me. What I play, and where, depends a lot on what happened. I am not opening the pot with 5-6 suited on the button... but I will call with it if there are several people who have called in front of me. In general, if no one has entered the pot yet... I am more and more likely to enter with a raise with a medium strength hand. I'm not normally going to do this with complete trash. There is 1 exception. On the button, against weak-tight blinds... I am raising with the absolute trash hands... even 2-7 offsuit. I hope to just pick up the blinds but if I get raised (by these weak-tight players) I can lay it down without a second thought. Against those same blinds, I will raise with A-10 or A-J but if they come over the top, I am going to be very uncomfortable.

thank you for this post, its very good.....i agreee with it too, the starting hands must be played by position, OR you are looking for trouble if you make one error

whats does everybody else think?

[ungarstu132]

anybody else have some other opinions...im here to help !

[ungarstu132]

can i have some other peoples thoughts?

[ungarstu132]

would anybody be willing to raise ANY pocket pair in early position?

[irishpkr]

6max I raise 22 up to AA from any position (except the blinds)
Full ring, which I very rarely play :P I'll fold the small to mid in early

[frob23]

would anybody be willing to raise ANY pocket pair in early position?

That depends on the table. If most people are folding to a raise and almost no one limps... yeah, I would probably raise with them in early position and hope to pick up the blinds. If few people are raising and a lot of people are calling... then I might want to limp in and hope to see a cheap flop with lots of people, in the hopes that one might pay me off if I hit.

[ungarstu132]

any other thoughts?