MINIMUM CALLING HANDS WITH AN EARLY POSITION RAISER |
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Suited Cards |
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Pairs |
Ax s. |
Kx s. |
Qx s. |
Jxs. |
10x s. |
9x s. |
8x s. |
7x s. |
6x s. |
|
Under the gun |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
Early position |
9, 9 |
A♠Q♠ |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Middle position |
9, 9 |
A♦Q♦ |
K♦Q♦ |
Q♦J♦ |
J♦10♦ |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Button |
8, 8 |
A♦J♦ |
K♦J♦ |
Q♦10♦ |
J♦9♦ |
10♦9♦ |
9♦8♦ |
8♦7♦ |
- |
- |
Blinds |
6, 6 |
A♦8♦ |
K♦10♦ |
Q♦9♦ |
J♦9♦ |
10♦8♦ |
9♦7♦ |
8♦7♦ |
7♦6♦ |
6♦5♦ |
Unsuited Cards |
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Ax |
Kx |
Qx |
Jx |
10x |
9x |
|||||
Under the gun |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
|||
Early position |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|||
Middle position |
A♠k♦ |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|||
Button |
A♠Q♦ |
K♠J♦ |
Q♠J♦ |
J♠10♦ |
10♠9♦ |
9♠8♦ |
- |
|||
Small Blinds |
A♠J♦ |
K♦10♠ |
Q♠10♦ |
J♠9♦ |
10♠9♦ |
9♠8♦ |
8♠7♦ |
|||
MINIMUM CALLING HANDS WITH A LATE POSITION RAISER AND THREE OR FOUR LIMPERS |
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Suited Cards |
||||||||||
Pairs |
Ax s. |
Kx s. |
Qx s. |
Jx s. |
10x s. |
9x s. |
8x s. |
7x s. |
6x s. |
|
Under the gun |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
Early position |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
Middle position |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
Button |
6, 6 |
A♦2♦ |
K♦4♦ |
Q♦6♦ |
J♦7♦ |
10♦6♦ |
9♦7♦ |
8♦6♦ |
7♦5♦ |
6♦5♦ |
Blinds |
4, 4 |
A♦2♦ |
K♦2♦ |
Q♦5♦ |
J♦6♦ |
10♦6♦ |
9♦6♦ |
8♦5♦ |
7♦4♦ |
6♦4♦ |
Suited Cards |
||||||||||
Ax |
Kx |
Qx |
Jx |
10x |
9x |
8x |
7x |
|||
Under the gun |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
||
Early position |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
||
Middle position |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
n / a |
||
Button |
A♠9♦ |
K♠10♦ |
Q♠10♦ |
J♠9♦ |
10♠9♦ |
9♠8♦ |
8♠7♦ |
7♠6♦ |
||
Blinds |
A♠9♦ |
K♦9♠ |
Q♠10♦ |
J♠9♦ |
10♠9♦ |
9♠8♦ |
8♠7♦ |
7♠6♦ |
||
TABLE OBSERVATIONS
You will often see pots being won with very weak starting hands, particularly in very loose games. Don’t pay any attention to this, and don’t draw any conclusions about it.
It’s true that any two cards can win, but some cards just won’t win very often. Sometimes it seems that half the pots are being won by hands that all the books say are weak hands.
Even if that’s happening, that does not mean that weak hands have as good a chance to win as strong hands.
At a loose table, you might have six players seeing the flop. Two of the players might have fairly strong starting hands, hands such as 9♠ 9♦ or K♥ J♦.
The other four players are likely playing hands such 10♦ 4♦ or 6♠ 4♥.
If half the pots are being won by the weaker hands, you might start thinking that they are just as likely to win as the stronger hands, but that wouldn’t be the case at all.
That’s what you’d observe if the better hands each had a 25 percent chance of winning and the weaker hands each had a 12.5 percent chance of winning.
In a loose game, you’ll see many pots being won by weak hands because a lot of weak hands are being played. It’s not because any two cards can win. Remember that.
Entering a Public Cardroom / The Play of the Game / The First Betting Round
