Poker for Dummies (Mini Edition) (14 page)

Suited gapped cards

That’s it. Five categories. That’s all you have to worry about.

If you aren’t dealt a pair, your cards will be either
suited
 (of the same suit) or unsuited. They also can be 
connected
(consecutive) or
gapped
(unconnected). Examples of connectors are K-Q, 8-7, and 4-3. Unconnected cards might be one-, two-, three-gapped, or more, and would include hands like K-J (one gap, with Q missing), 9-6 (two gap, missing 7-8), or 9-3 (five gap, missing 4-5-6-7-8).

Small gaps make more straights

Generally, the smaller the gap, the easier it is to make a straight. Suppose that you hold 10-6. Your only straight possibility is 9-8-7. But if you hold 10-9, you can make a straight with K-Q-J, Q-J-8, J-8-7, and 8-7-6.

Every rule has exceptions. A hand like A-K can make only one straight. It needs to marry a Q-J-T. An A-2 is in the same boat and needs to cozy up to a 5-4-3. Although connected, each of these holdings can make only one straight because they reside at the end of the spectrum.

Other exceptions include a K-Q, which can make a straight only two ways, by connecting with A-J-10 or J-10-9; and 3-2 is in a similar fix. The only other limited connectors are — yes, you guessed it — Q-J and 4-3. These two holdings can each make three straights. The Q-J needs A-K-10, K-10-9, or 10-9-8. It can’t make that fourth straight because there is no room above an Ace. The 4-3 is similarly constrained because there is no room below the Ace. But any other connectors can make straights four ways, and that’s a big advantage over one-, two-, or three-gapped cards.

Unless you’re fortunate enough to wrap four cards around one of your four-gappers, there’s no way these cards can make a straight. But don’t worry about that. If you take our advice, you’ll seldom, if ever, play hands that are four-gapped or worse unless they’re suited — and then only under very favorable circumstances.

Gapped cards

Gapped cards, in general, are not as valuable as connectors because of their difficulty in completing straights. But if you make a flush, there’s no need to be concerned about the gap. After all, a flush made with A
6
is just as good as an A
K
flush. But A-K is more valuable for other reasons. Suppose that flush never comes. You can make a straight with A-K; you can’t with A-6 (unless four cards come on the board to help your straight).

You might also win if you catch either an Ace or a King. If an Ace flops, you’ll have made a pair of Aces with a 6 side card, or kicker, and could easily lose to an opponent holding an Ace with a bigger companion. But any pair you’d make with the A-K would be the top pair with the best possible kicker.

Acting last is a big advantage

Acting later in a hand is a big advantage, so you can afford to see the flop with weaker hands when you’re in late position. If you’re last to act, you’ve had the advantage of knowing how many opponents are still in the pot and seeing how each of them acted on the current round of betting. That’s a big edge, because some starting hands play better against a large number of opponents, while others play better against a smaller field.

In late position, you’ll also know which of your adversaries are representing strength by betting or raising. The later you act, the more information at your disposal. And poker is a game of information — incomplete information, to be sure, but it’s a game of information nevertheless.

Starting Hands

Some starting hands are so strong that they can be played in any position. You don’t get these hands very often, but when you do, you’re generally a favorite from the get-go to win that pot.

Table 2-1 shows that we recommend playing any pair of 7s or higher in early position, as well as the 12 suited and 6 unsuited card combinations.

When you are the fifth, sixth, or seventh player to act, you’re in middle position and can safely play smaller pairs like 6s and 5s. You can also add ten additional suited hands and four more unsuited combinations to your playable repertoire if the pot has not been raised. Table 2-2 spells it out.

In late position, you have the advantage of acting last or next-to-last. As a result, you can add a variety of hands to your arsenal. Most are bargain-basement specials, however, that you should play only if the pot has not been raised. Moreover, you should be disciplined enough to release them if the flop brings anything less than an abundant harvest of friendly cards. Check out Table 2-3 for the breakdown.

If you’re new to the game, you’ve been playing indiscriminately, or you have an any-two-cards-can-win philosophy, you may believe that these recommendations are too tight. They’re not. In fact, they’re somewhat loose.

A hand like K
2
, while playable in late position, is a pretty sorry excuse for a Hold’em hand. If you flop a King and there’s any appreciable action, it’s fairly apparent that someone else has a King with a bigger kicker than yours. If you flop a 2, you’ve guaranteed yourself the lowest pair on board. Even if you’re incredibly lucky and you flop a flush, there’s no assurance that it’s the best flush. Probably the very best flop you could hope for is something like A
2
2
, which gives you three deuces with a strong kicker. You also have three cards to a flush, and though the odds against catching two more hearts are long indeed, it is an additional way to win. Players call this a
backdoor
draw. More importantly, an Ace on the board guarantees a call or two from any opponent holding an Ace in his hand.