Starting hands: Win % , bb/100 ..??

syncmaster · #1 08-08-2007, 05:33 PM

First I wasn't sure where to post this or if its really a beginner question. Mods can feel free to move if you think I can get better anwsers elsewhere. Also this is a resonable sample here, over 100k hands but different stakes.

I was going over Poker Tracker and see that of my whole database of starting hands only 6 of them have a win % over 50. However I have about 50 hands that have a positive Net gain. Which stat should I be going by here? Or am I just way off base and should be looking at BB/100 or something else..

well named · #2 08-08-2007, 05:40 PM

This post has some good ideas for using PT to evaluate your play. Specifically the sections on filtering starting hands by type (pairs, suited connectors, etc) is similar to what your looking for. Win percentage is probably less useful than net gain, after all with many kinds of hands (like small pairs, suited connectors, suited aces) you do not play them to win every pot but for implied odds if you hit (or else to steal if everyone misses).

syncmaster · #3 08-08-2007, 05:44 PM

[ QUOTE ]
This post has some good ideas for using PT to evaluate your play. Specifically the sections on filtering starting hands by type (pairs, suited connectors, etc) is similar to what your looking for. Win percentage is probably less useful than net gain, after all with many kinds of hands (like small pairs, suited connectors, suited aces) you do not play them to win every pot but for implied odds if you hit (or else to steal if everyone misses).

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the link, reading now.

syncmaster · #4 08-09-2007, 02:33 AM

Some good info in that article but I still need a simple anwser to my question.. Can anyone help me out? Thanks.

OziBattler · #5 08-09-2007, 03:20 AM

if you must look at individual hands then dont focus on what percentage of the time you win with them...look at whether you are a winner with them and start from there. There are many hands that dont win very often and that youll find yourself folding alot when the flop misses you but when you do win with them you can win a big flop. Set mining low pocket pairs is one example. if you arent winning with your set mining hands then maybe you are playing them wrong...by going too deep when you really should just fold them early in the hand once its apparent you are beat or dont have odds to draw.

unless you have a big sample size, looking at your winrate for an individual hand isnt the best thing to do but you can look at groups of hands (eg trouble hands that are easily dominated) to see how you go with them.

or if you have a particular hand that troubles you (sort in PT for the biggest losers in General tab) then look over every hand you played and look for errors. perhaps you relentlessly take KJo to Showdown when you flop a pair despite facing aggression that says you are beat or perhaps you peel light with pocket pairs or weak draws when you really shouldnt....

AirmanSpecial · #6 08-09-2007, 05:00 PM

AussieBattler is, of course, completely right. But if you want some numbers just to compare for fun, I have 9 hands with Win% over 50%: AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AQs, AKo, AKs, TT and AQo, in that order.
I have 51 hands that are overall winners from AA to KQo.

Sample is 19000 hands of NLHE from 20NL to 50NL, full ring, except for less than 2000 hands of 6-max, but removing the 6-max barely adds 1 winning hand

syncmaster · #7 08-11-2007, 12:35 PM

Thanks Assue/Airman for the replys. I consider it a good sample at ~125k hands. I should of played my starting hands enough to overcome varaince, or at least figure out whats a winning hand and whats not (for my style of play). Of couse if I'm a loser with AQo (real example) its obvious to me I'm playing it wrong. The good hands/PPs are not hard to figure out .Same with 22/33, they are both losers in everything and I don't know how/if I should play them obv. Thats a question for another topic however.

Ausse, I see you point but what about hands like T8s for example.. Net: ($33), Avg/hand: (.10), BB/Hand: (-.02) ... Would this tell me I'm playing it correctly or wrong? This is where I am looking for anwsers. Other examples (Q9s , A2s, T9o, J7s, 97s, 34s. A9o) .These hands turn a small profit for my style of play, but some are losers for bb/hand. Not sure if I have to adjust of some or cut them out of my game.. Its kind of a hard question because a LAG and TAG stats will be totally differnt, so you can't just ask someone if X hand is profitable.