high hands: how do you play them?

[wackjob]

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I've been beating 0.25/0.50, 0.50/1, and 1/2 O8 full ring for about 3.1 BB/100 over about 5500 hands, but looking at PTO I see what seems to be a glaring leak. In my category of hands containing four cards greater than nine, I'm at -0.09BB/hand, almost twice that of my "rag combo" category (hands containing 78,79,89).


[/ QUOTE ]

I don't at all take to heart that if I can see a cheap flop with any four cards 9+ that I should. I play 90% 6max, rest full ring, and even in 6-max I rarely limp any 4, 9+. How I play these hands greatly depends upon my opponents, is it the usually tough LAG-fest, or a big passive fish pond today? My position at the table is even more important. The least important thing that I consdier is whether or not I will raise this type of hand. Sometimes I do, usually its a limp in.

The key to these hands is knowing how to play 'em post flop, and much good advice has been given about that.

[JoeDimaggio]

As silly as it may sound fundamentally, a great time to play high hands and by high I dont mean like 610KQ or JJ A 8 or something like that I mean KKJ10 KQ109 1 or 2 suited etc. is when there are a few bets or reraises before the flop with 3-5 players and you can predict that the flop is a majority of the time going to come out high and you know that a lot of low cards and aces are dealt already. Mike Matusow talks about this concept in both his videos and in books. Even if you cold call from late position and not from the blinds, this play can win large pots if you can narrow down your opponents likely holdings. While this play shouldnt be used very often, it can be a great way to scoop a large pot.