Forums » Hold Em Strategy

• Deleted Member

  
   

  April 25, 2010 12:01:31 PM EDT

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  What are the thoughts on playing A/9 suited or off-suit...this is a general question as far as hands to play as a beginner.
  
  I'm trying to broaden my hands and sometimes I take a chance on A/9 off suit or suit just to see how it goes.
  
  thanks all
  
• Troy M

  

  • 11 posts
   

  April 25, 2010 12:37:34 PM EDT

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  Well, unlike AT, A9 has pretty bad implied odds in terms of making straights, and unlike AT, there's one more hand that outkicks it. It's the sort of hand you'd rather raise with when you're first-in (first-in = either folded or limped to you preflop) than call a raise with because of how much better it does against other players' calling ranges than against other players' PFR ranges. With that said, I'm not much of a fan of this hand at all, but it's still useful to play in many situations.
• Ronin1085 .

  

  • 417 posts
   

  April 25, 2010 12:38:06 PM EDT

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  Playing hands like that is more of a situational thing. I will play any two cards, but it's all about the situation. Things like: my position, what I know about other players. . .etc. Usually it's a choice of just seeing a cheap flop -- things like that. But a flop like AKx through A-10x might get you in trouble, so I try to keep the pots small. Cause you are basically flying blind after flop. It's a hard hand.
• Ronin1085 .

  

  • 417 posts
   

  April 25, 2010 12:43:45 PM EDT

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  Troy made great points too -- and remember, there is no shame in folding, sometimes that's the best play.
• Ken Furem

  

  • 8 posts
   

  April 25, 2010 2:21:28 PM EDT

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  wouldn't play it in early position with medium stack, will play it in late position if the pot hasn't been opened, will play it SB vs BB, won't call a raise with it.
• Deleted Member

  
   

  April 25, 2010 4:57:23 PM EDT

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  Thank you all for the feedback. I've been playing it (suit , off suit) just to see where it takes me..which is no where, but I have to test the waters sometimes.
  
  
  I love this site.
• Ronin1085 .

  

  • 417 posts
   

  April 25, 2010 5:01:28 PM EDT

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  Not to encourage bad poker, but trying hands like that is best in things like free-rolls, but always think of the reasons you think you want to play them. and have fun :)
• Rusty Shackleford

  
   

  April 25, 2010 6:25:02 PM EDT

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  What everyone said. With these sorts of marginal hands, the simplest advice is, " if you can't raise with it in position, don't play it". Don't get into the habit of limping them all over the place, it just puts you in spots for bleeding chips, like getting outkicked with top pair or spending a lot of money calling bets postflop because you don't have a good idea of what villain has.
  
  Having said that, it's definitely true that experience is the best teacher, and you'll figure things out as you go.  But try not to learn everything the hard way.