<---Back To Poker Articles Menu

Starting Hand Values (Part1)

 

These are the 4 most powerful hands and usually deserve a raise of 3 to 4 times the big blind, if there are limpers then add their bet plus the raise. Sklansky calls them group 1 hands in "hold'em for Advanced Players and Carson calls them Dominating hands in "The Complete Book of Hold'em". Both of these books are a must read for any serious poker player.

One reason they are so powerful is that a lot of times they can win without needing any improvement on the flop. You know you can control the field and continue to dominate the betting if the flop does not look scary.

For example, you hold AA (you are a 4 to 1 favorite over any other hand when played to the river) with a flop of 2, 7 and 9 all different suites (rainbow). This flop holds little possibility for another player. There are no obvious straight draws or flush draws. The only hands you must be careful of are two pair or someone hitting their pocket pair to make a set. Pocket 2,s, 7's and 9's, some crazy freak playing 10/8 or some other combination that got him a straight draw. So depending on how many people are in the pot, bet an amount that destroys the opponent's pot odds for drawing to a straight or just bet enough to feel out the field. A pot sized to half the size of the pot will usually work.

Let's look at some advanced thoughts and probabilities;

If someone has an open ended straight draw they have 8 cards that complete their hand. On the Turn and seeing 2 cards/facing 2 bets, they have 31.5% of hitting their hand. If you bet the pot you are giving the player 2 to 1 odds. So the pot has $20 and you bet $20 your opponent needs to call $20 to win $40 on the turn. They are not getting the correct pot odds to call on 4th street (only hits 1 out of more than 5 times) or even both streets (worse than 3 to 1 odds).

Say you bet ½ of the pot on the Turn. Once again the pot is $20 and you bet $10. Now your opponent has to call $10 to make $30. He is getting the correct odds to draw both cards but he has to look at the pot odds in terms of calling for 2 cards if he does not hit on 4 th street. On the turn your opponent will be facing another bet and he has worse odds when facing a draw of only one card.

On the turn your pair of Ace's is favored over the straight draw 63.131 % to 36.869 % (according to Poker Stove)

This type of decision comes with experience. If there is a large field of people then the chances that the flop would hit someone's hand to make a better hand than yours is higher but unlikely. If there are only one or two people seeing the flop you have to think they have pocket pairs or suited connector over-cards. Either way, your pocket pair of aces looks really good and you want people to chase. Your AA will win almost 2 out of 3 times. Anyone chasing is just giving money away.

76s/65s - 23% 89s - 22.6% 54s - 21.6% JTs - 21.7% JJ - 19.5% TT - 19.92% QJs - 19.71%

So you will win approximately 1 out of 5 times. A raise of 3 times the big blind is wrong according to pot odds but perhaps not expected value (EV) if you hit.

Another reason these hands are so powerful is the percentage that an over-card with appear that can beat your hand.