What are the 6 starting hands categories based on structure ?
- Big cards and A high Broadway wraps
- Straight hands
- Suited ace hands
- Pair-plus hands
- Aces
- Marginal hands
What are the components of starting hand strength ?
- high card strength
- connectedness
- suitedness
- nutiness
Big cards and A high broadway wraps (4 cards T and higher or 4 cards 9 and higher with an A)
- KQJT
- AQJ9
Strength components ?
High connected cards that build high pairs, high two pair, high straights, and high flushes when suited
Straight hands
4 connected cards with at most 2 gaps in them
8765
T876
QJ87
9874
Strength components ?
These hands are also called rundowns” or “wraps” and they build straights. The number and quality of the straights we build are very dependent on the number and location of gaps in the structure
Which are the premium rundowns ?
- Rundowns with no gap JT98
- Rundowns with a single gap at the bottom JT97
- Rundowns with a single gap in the middle JT87
Which are speculative rundowns ?
- Rundowns with a double gap at the bottom JT96
- Rundowns with two single gaps at the bottom JT86
- Rundowns with a double gap in the middle JT76
Rundowns with gaps at the bottom are much stronger, it is recommended to fold hands with gaps at the top, like J976
This is good advice to follow when we’re first and foremost playing for showdown equity and implied odds
Straight structures with gaps at the top build a lot of non-nut straights !!!
Raising a non-nutty rundown like T765 on the BTN when it gets folded to us is perfectly fine.
In this situation we are not playing solely for showdown equity an a lot of the hand’s value now comes from steal equity. Also the times we don’t succeed in stealing the pot preflop or postflop there is less risk(because of fewer opponents) of building a non-nut straight and having it clash with the nuts
Suited A with a rundown, a pair or two broadway cards
As98s6
AsTT3s
AsKQs2
Strength component of suited A hands
Nut flush potential.
- in addition the sidecards give us various possibilities
Suited A + rundown
- has straight potential to go with the flush potential
- rundowns with high gaps As9s76 are more speculative than rundowns with low gaps or no gaps
A suited A + pair
Can flop a set. The bigger the pair the better
- we prefer the pair not to have the same suit as the A. When the pair is offsuit to the A, we have a vetter chance of flopping a NFD when we flop a set
A suited + 2 broadway cards
High card strength plus some straight strength with the nut flush potential
Pair-plus hands
JJT9
KK88
Pairs with suited and connected side cards or a pair with another pair
Strength component of pair plus hands
Sets
Suited/connected side cards providr flush and straight potential, while a second pair doubles the chances of flopping a set
- a double paired hand has about 25% chance of flopping a set
Low pair is a non-nutty strength component
The lower the set we flop the less often it will win
- 8766 is madr mostly of non-nutty components, can be difficult to play due to the lack of nut potential
Aces (AAxx)
Vary in strength:
- dry AAxx with worthless side cards
- ultra premium AAxx double suited with good side cards
Strength components of AAxx
AAxx is the nuts pre and we can flop top set.
- AAxx rarely wins showdowns unimproved in nultiway pots, but will win some pots by going unimproved to showdown in HU pots
Speculative/dry AAxx
With worthless sidecards or with ine suited A and nothing else
AA73
AAK3
Premium AAxx
Double suited to both AA or single suited with a pair, a connector or 2 broadway cards AA96ss AA77ss AAT9 AAQJ
Magnum AAxx
Double suited to both AA and with a high pair, a connector or 2 broadway cards
AAJJ
AA76
AAKQ
