No Limit Strategies: Going Beyond the High Hands
One of the first things that a No Limit player will learn on are the premium and high hands. Indeed a majority of books and No Limit strategy guides concentrate their techniques based on these cards. But there are other hands that new players should be aware of.
It is true that a lot of players only play with select No Limit starting hands, but this is, in fact, only applicable in tournament play, where the emphasis in on survival. In No Limit cash games it is important to be more flexible so that you will be able to compete for more pots.
Simply put, if you wan to win a lot of money in cash games, you need to be able to play other No Limit starting hands.
Besides the premium hands, other No Limit starting hands that you should play are the pocket pairs. While they are also serviceable in Limit Holdem, they are especially valuable in No Limit. Holding a 77 pre flop may not be much, but getting the other 7 on the flop will give you a very strong hand, something that can win the game outright.
Other No Limit hands that can give you control of a game are the two pair. Of course it will be dependent to an extent on their value, but having them will give you the advantage. They are quite easy to conceal, and unlike Aces and Kings, having them on the board will not cause the other No Limit players to fold.
This is good for you of course, because it will allow the pot to grow, and then you can bet high on the turn or river. One of the problems that players who go after premium hands do not see is that the moment the others on the Poker table see the presence of a lot of Aces and face cards, they will fold.
The result, of course, is that the one with the premium hands will win the pot, but it will be a very small one.
Other hands that will give you more flexibility are connectors. They should have only a gap, of course, and if you want to draw a straight, it has to be open ended, because that will give you more outs. However, while straight draws can be powerful in No Limit, make sure that it is not a low straight.
The same is true with that of the flush. A lot of No Limit players end chasing after a low flush, only to see it lose to a higher flush. Always check the board to see if these threatening hands are present.
As you can see, there are a lot of hands in No Limit that one can play, and this is something that a lot of players are unaware of. Do not allow yourself to be one of those individuals who cannot see beyond AA or AK.
No Limit Holdem is a complex game, and there are a lot of ways to win it. By having the know-how to play a wide variety of hands, your ability to pull off the win will be augmented.