Starting Hands - X + 4 for straights ?

[mstram]

Ok, I haven't seen this idea anywhere, yet, would welcome input from more experienced players.

The last freeroll I just played, for starting hands, I included any cards that were +4 within each other, for the possibility of flopping or (easier drawing) of straights.

(This in addition to playing connectors.. both suited/non).

This actually led to me winning a couple of hands with straights.

I'm guessing this idea might fall into the "playing too hands" category, but for FreeRolls, either in just the early stages or for the whole tournament is it a good idea? ...... or for any other stakes for that matter?

Mike

[thrasher789]

No, playing these hands is almost never advisable except against the most passive of passive opponents or with huge implied odds becuase making a good hand with far connectors is very low percentage. I would not get used to including many far connecters in your starting hand lineup and definatly not from anything but late position with lots of limpers in front of you.

[pepitannikita]

Some random thoughts and feedback on what you've said:

The statement that, "This actually led to me winning a couple of hands with straights" sounds dangerously close to an "Any two cards can win" way of thinking and you don't want to get sucked into that!

In the long run, if you play this way, you will develop a huge leak in your game. Even if you figure it's just a freeroll and you'll do this just during the early stages of the tourney, you are putting BAD THOUGHTS into your brain...LOL...and developing HABITS that are diametrically opposed to what you WANT to be doing first (learning a basic foundational solid game).

When I was new (not that very long ago), someone advised me to always play any two cards that had either a five or a ten in them (or maybe it was just to always play 10-5 suited or not) because, their reasoning went "You need a five or a ten in order to make any straight." I do not think this person was being a jokester. He was a noob, just like me, and we were both very excited, sharing our various tidbits of learning, information and misinformation. LOL.

So my next bit of "advice" is to be careful what you listen to in terms of advice from folks! It might SEEM somewhat reasonable on the surface of things at first glance but you need to consider the source and evaluate answers for yourself, including checking in with sources you trust and respect (be that through this forum or via books, etc.)

Best wishes to you in your game, Mike!

[smbruin22]

yeah, don't play really any of them....it is funny how a few sessions my "folded cards" would have hit the flop really hard time after time. but most times they don't AND then you often don't even notice that your two pairs would have lost anyway.