Vincent’s Poker Blog

Let’s take a moment to talk about raising and the strategy you should employ when you do so — specifically as it applies to your starting hand.

There are certain times when you need to bet or raise very, very aggressively before the dealer even lays out the flop. If you have two aces, two kings, two queens, or an ace and king combo before the flop is dealt, that is when you need to be aggressive. This is because these particular cards can often lose their inherent values when the pot is large and there are multiple players in the game.

Sometimes, you need to be very careful and even moderate when you are betting and raising for the flop. You should be somewhere in the middle if your starting hand consists of an ace and a king, an ace and a queen, an ace and a jack, or a king and a queen.

Lastly, remember that you should only raise two jacks when you are playing a tight table, because it will run out those hands which consists of aces and nines, and things of that nature. You should probably not ever raise on two tens.

Now, while two aces or two kings and cards of a similar nature are unquestionably a good starting point, even they will not necessarily guarantee you a win.

Many poker players, whether they are new to the game or seasoned at it, do not truly consider the importance of their starting hand. You can look all over the internet and in any number of strategy books, and most of the resources you find will give you the same list of acceptable starting hands — but those are only anticipated hands.

You see, the strength or weakness of your hand depends on more than just the cards. It depends largely on how many players are still in the game and how many callers there are within that number. Whether you get ace/ace, king/king, ace/king or anything like that, you have to consider raises, calls and any number of other aspects of the game — over which you have absolutely no control.

Naturally, even a beginner poker player has to know that quite often, everything relies on your starting hand. That is typically your key to winning — now, not always, of course, because who knows what will happen in the course of a game? Often, however, your game will hinge on your starting hand and it can be the whole key to being able to win a hand of poker, whether it is Omaha, Texas Hold ‘Em, or 5 Card Stud.

But how do you judge your starting hand? What marks a good one? The odds are typically against the kind of hand that will make you a winner right off the bat. You have to learn about considering percentages and learn to rely on your hole cards the most.

Two aces are great for a start; two kings are as well, or suited face cards — but what if that does not happen? Are those the only good starting hands?

To a very large extent, poker is a game of logic. The professional players you see winning time and time again do so because they are able to keep things in perspective, even when the game gets fierce, even when the hand they are playing is particularly the nuts.

People are by and large drawn to poker because it is one of only several betting based games wherein winning is actually a possibility. With casino betting, whether you are at a bricks casino or playing online, the odds are generally stacked against you, no matter what you may think. Roulette, craps — there are no guarantees, even in Blackjack, unless you know how to count cards.

A lot of people never play poker because of the money — they play for fun, enjoyment, and entertainment. However, just as many players are in it for the money — and that is where things can get dangerous. You may not necessarily develop a gambling problem, but you don’t have to be addicted to lose a butt load of money.

Never, ever start playing because you think you can get rich quick. By the same token, take every loss with a grain of salt. When you start thing you have to win your losses back immediately, you’re in trouble.