Poker: Playing Non Premium Hands

[Alan Mendelson]

Poker players will always play AA and even KK. QQ and JJ are cards that are often played along with AK and AQ depending on previous betting or position in tournaments. These pocket cards are generally referred to as "premium hands."

But we also play "non premium hands" including KQ and JQ and J-Ten as well as small pairs and small suited connectors such as 76 and 78.

I will play the non premium hands if my chip stack is good (I can afford a loss) and if my position is good in a tournament (I am not in danger of missing the money if late in the tournament) and if there were no big raises ahead of me.

Since I don't play much poker, is my strategy okay or am I missing some big factor?

[RS__]

I don't play much poker (actually, I've never played in a casino or "for real" other than friends/family at kitchen table)....but from those whom I know that do play poker, I hear a lot of poker is reading your opponents AND how they read you. If you just folded 10 hands in a row and now you have AA, you're gonna have a tough time getting others to put money in the pot. And if you're frequently playing poor hands, you're not gonna be able to bluff anyone. That is, assuming, your opponents are competent poker players.

[Dan Druff]

It sounds like you might be missing an aggressiveness and unpredictability factor.

I love playing against guys who only bet when they have it. It's very easy to lay down hands against them. Basically, I bet-bet-bet against them, and fold when they raise unless I have something very strong.

You need to play enough hands and be aggressive when you both hit and miss, or otherwise observant players don't pay off your big hands.

[Alan Mendelson]

Thanks Dan. I am definitely not an aggressive player which is why I don't do well in tournaments. I stick to cash games.