Early Position: Sklansky & Malmuth Answer Questions Regarding Hole Cards
If you are first in, or if there is only a call to your right, what should you be prepared to play?
Those hands in the first four groups.
Group 1: AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AKs
Group 2: TT, AQs, AJs, KQs, AK
Group 3: 99, JTs, QJs, KJs, ATs, AQ
Group 4: T9s, KQ, 88, QTs, 98s, J9s, AJ, KTs
Group 5: 77, 87s, Q9s, T8s, KJ, QJ, JT, 76s, 97s, Axs, 65s
Group 6: 66, AT, 55,86s, KT, QT, 54s, K9s, J8s, 75s
Group 7: 44, J9, 64s, T9, 53s, 33, 98,43s, 22, Kxs, T7s, Q8s 1
Group 8: 87, A9, Q9, 76,42s, 32s, 96s, 85s, 58, J7s, 65, 54, 74s,K9, T8
What about a loose game if the players are not too aggressive?
You can add the Group 5 hands, especially the suited connectors.
What about a tough game?
Discard the Group 4 hands.
What do you do as the game gets more aggressive?
Discard hands such as AJ and KTs.
What do we mean when we refer to a loose game?
A game without much before-the-flop raising and with many players in most pots.
What do we mean when we say tough game?
A game with a fair amount of raising, but not many large multiway pots.
What if you are not sure which type of game you are playing?
Assume that the game is typical until you can determine otherwise.
What if the game is loose, but very aggressive?
You should not be in many pots.
What if the game is tight, but passive?
You can play a fair number of hands.
Why should you occasionally add a few hands to those you play up front?
To throw your opponents off.
Why would you play a hand like 7S 6S up front?
To stop your more observant opponents from stealing against you when "rags" flop, or if you feel that your early position raises are getting too much respect.
What if there is a raise to your right and the game is typical or
tough?
Limit your play to those hands in Groups 1 and 2.
What if the game is loose?
You can play Group 3 as well (beware of AQ).
Should you be calling many raises if no one (except the raiser)
is in?
No.
What should you be doing?
Usually folding or occasionally reraising.
Against a loose raiser, what additional hands should you play?
AQ, 99, and 88.
Assuming you play against a loose raiser, what do you do?
Reraise, except just call with AJs and KQs.
If no one has yet called, what hands do you almost always raise with?
AA, KK, QQ, AK, and AQ.
What if there have already been callers?
Usually raise with hands in Group 1 and 2, AQ, and some others at random.
What hands do you raise approximately two-thirds of the time?
AKs, AQs, AJs, and KQs.
What if you are against weak opposition?
Almost always raise with them.
What if the game is tight and most players respect your raise?
Be more inclined to limp with the big suited connectors.
When is it correct to limp with AA or KK?
When your early position raises are not getting any callers.
What if you are now raised?
Frequently, but not always, reraise.
What about a hand like T+9+ if no one has yet called?
Raise approximately one-third of the time if the game is typical or tough.
What if you are in a game with many weak opponents?
Just call.
What is proper if you call with a large suited connector and are raised?
Reraise with AKs and possibly AQs.
When can you reraise with a hand like J+T+?
If a lot of people are in the pot.
What about hands like 8S 7S?
If there are a lot of callers, but not much raising, they become playable.
What about small pairs?
They can also be played provided that you are sure that you will get a multiway pot. However, they can stand a little more action than the suited connectors.
What if the game is moderately aggressive, but features two or more players who will play virtually any ace?
Play A9s, Ah , 77, and 66 as long as the pot is not yet raised.
What if no one has opened and you have JJ?
Raise in a tight game and call in a loose game.
What if you hold JJ and the pot has been raised and reraised?
Fold.
What if you opened with JJ and the pot has been raised and reraised behind you?
Call.
Those hands in the first four groups.
Group 1: AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AKs
Group 2: TT, AQs, AJs, KQs, AK
Group 3: 99, JTs, QJs, KJs, ATs, AQ
Group 4: T9s, KQ, 88, QTs, 98s, J9s, AJ, KTs
Group 5: 77, 87s, Q9s, T8s, KJ, QJ, JT, 76s, 97s, Axs, 65s
Group 6: 66, AT, 55,86s, KT, QT, 54s, K9s, J8s, 75s
Group 7: 44, J9, 64s, T9, 53s, 33, 98,43s, 22, Kxs, T7s, Q8s 1
Group 8: 87, A9, Q9, 76,42s, 32s, 96s, 85s, 58, J7s, 65, 54, 74s,K9, T8
What about a loose game if the players are not too aggressive?
You can add the Group 5 hands, especially the suited connectors.
What about a tough game?
Discard the Group 4 hands.
What do you do as the game gets more aggressive?
Discard hands such as AJ and KTs.
What do we mean when we refer to a loose game?
A game without much before-the-flop raising and with many players in most pots.
What do we mean when we say tough game?
A game with a fair amount of raising, but not many large multiway pots.
What if you are not sure which type of game you are playing?
Assume that the game is typical until you can determine otherwise.
What if the game is loose, but very aggressive?
You should not be in many pots.
What if the game is tight, but passive?
You can play a fair number of hands.
Why should you occasionally add a few hands to those you play up front?
To throw your opponents off.
Why would you play a hand like 7S 6S up front?
To stop your more observant opponents from stealing against you when "rags" flop, or if you feel that your early position raises are getting too much respect.
What if there is a raise to your right and the game is typical or
tough?
Limit your play to those hands in Groups 1 and 2.
What if the game is loose?
You can play Group 3 as well (beware of AQ).
Should you be calling many raises if no one (except the raiser)
is in?
No.
What should you be doing?
Usually folding or occasionally reraising.
Against a loose raiser, what additional hands should you play?
AQ, 99, and 88.
Assuming you play against a loose raiser, what do you do?
Reraise, except just call with AJs and KQs.
If no one has yet called, what hands do you almost always raise with?
AA, KK, QQ, AK, and AQ.
What if there have already been callers?
Usually raise with hands in Group 1 and 2, AQ, and some others at random.
What hands do you raise approximately two-thirds of the time?
AKs, AQs, AJs, and KQs.
What if you are against weak opposition?
Almost always raise with them.
What if the game is tight and most players respect your raise?
Be more inclined to limp with the big suited connectors.
When is it correct to limp with AA or KK?
When your early position raises are not getting any callers.
What if you are now raised?
Frequently, but not always, reraise.
What about a hand like T+9+ if no one has yet called?
Raise approximately one-third of the time if the game is typical or tough.
What if you are in a game with many weak opponents?
Just call.
What is proper if you call with a large suited connector and are raised?
Reraise with AKs and possibly AQs.
When can you reraise with a hand like J+T+?
If a lot of people are in the pot.
What about hands like 8S 7S?
If there are a lot of callers, but not much raising, they become playable.
What about small pairs?
They can also be played provided that you are sure that you will get a multiway pot. However, they can stand a little more action than the suited connectors.
What if the game is moderately aggressive, but features two or more players who will play virtually any ace?
Play A9s, Ah , 77, and 66 as long as the pot is not yet raised.
What if no one has opened and you have JJ?
Raise in a tight game and call in a loose game.
What if you hold JJ and the pot has been raised and reraised?
Fold.
What if you opened with JJ and the pot has been raised and reraised behind you?
Call.
posted by Rog at 2:33 PM
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