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#1
02-08-2006, 08:12 AM
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starting hands (pre-flop) for limit hold\'em
Hello,
As some of you might now, my poker experience started a month ago. But please don't run away, I have some serious questions. Well, I hope so. Yesterday, I finished reading a significant part of GSIH. I will have to re-read everything, as I'm going to study it, but I decided to do a quick read first. Almost all authors agree on the following: players, new or not, need some kind of starting hands chart, which tell them exactly which hand to play at which position (small blind, big blind, early, middle and late). Wouw terrific, a step-by-step plan, that's exactly what a newbie, which I am, needs. Is the same true for more experienced players? Do experienced players still use the good gold starting hands chart? Do you follow the starting hands chart - whether you studied it by heart, printed it out, or ... - blindlessly, or do you adapt it depending on the table situation? When and how do you adapt it? What are the consequences? When answering these questions, please state at which tables you play and for how long you have been playing poker. Although my main concern is small stakes (and also micro-) limit hold'em, I'm asking this in the general forum, to get a broad and general opinion. So please state to which subforum you belong, and why this subforum is so special/different when it comes to deciding which hands to play with. I'm about to study the starting hands chart given in SSHE by heart/intuition, but I don't know yet whether it's a good idea to follow it blindlessly. I hope you can help me. Thanks a lot, and good luck at the tables. 
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#2
02-08-2006, 09:25 AM
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Re: starting hands (pre-flop) for limit hold\'em
The main issue with starting hands is to understand *why* certain hands are ranked where they are and *why* you raise or limp first in with certain hands. Once you get comfortable with the conceptual issues, you won't have to memorize charts.
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#3
02-08-2006, 10:57 AM
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Re: starting hands (pre-flop) for limit hold\'em
[ QUOTE ]
The main issue with starting hands is to understand *why* certain hands are ranked where they are and *why* you raise or limp first in with certain hands. Once you get comfortable with the conceptual issues, you won't have to memorize charts. [/ QUOTE ] I agree. A lot of preflop strategy comes with experience, and getting used to using player reads to make decisions. Preflop play isn't really something you should be worrying about too much when you are first starting out; just follow the hand chart and work on your post flop game.
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#5
02-08-2006, 11:45 AM
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Re: starting hands (pre-flop) for limit hold\'em
I think having a preflop chart and sticking to it religously isn't bad at all when you're starting out. I wouldn't even bother trying to adapt it to the table conditions until your post flop play has matured to a point where you have a pretty good grasp of what's going on. At that point you can start adapting your preflop play.
This of course is based on the assumption you have a good preflop chart (SSHE's tight one is what I used when I was starting). T
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#6
02-08-2006, 12:11 PM
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Re: starting hands (pre-flop) for limit hold\'em
I agree with all of you. Understanding why the starting hands chart is like it is, is ofcourse important, no one will doubt about that. But that doesn't solve my question.
My question is, whether or not you understand the chart, if there are situations in which you don't follow the chart blindlessly, that is, you believe that the chart is not suitable for that particular situation. (Ofcourse, if you understand the chart, you will less difficulties to recognize these situations than someone who does not understand it.) I'm looking for such situations. Understanding these situations will probably give me more insight into the chart itself: when and why to use, when and why not to use, etc. witch1977: I'm reading GSIH at the moment, SSHE is next. Thanks a lot all.
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#7
02-08-2006, 12:51 PM
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Re: starting hands (pre-flop) for limit hold\'em
Let me just state that you are, in fact, anticipating SSHE.
Before the SSHE starting hand "charts" there is an extensive discussion on the types of hands and their respective characteristics. For example: How does a hand like TT play multihanded? Is is better shorthanded? If so, what should you do preflop? Now how about a hand like 78s...how does it play multihanded, shorthanded? You always have 3 options preflop: call, raise, or fold. Learning to think about each hand "type" given the conditions (action before you and number of players to act after you) will eventually allow you to lose the rigid starting hand requirements and marks one of many passages on the way to expert play.
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#10
02-08-2006, 05:42 PM
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Re: starting hands (pre-flop) for limit hold\'em
You're overthinking the easiest decision in all forms of poker (limit HE preflop play). Follow the basic guidelines of the chart in Miller's book. When you've internalized that, the time to make exceptions will be clear. If they don't, don't worry about it. When in doubt - fold.
Pre-flop is where you save money. Post-flop is where you make money.
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