There are 1,326 possible hand combinations in Texas Hold Em. That means you have an awful lot of choice when it comes to your starting hand selections. You do not need to be Stu Ungar to understand that playing the strongest of these starting hands will stand you in great stead, but there are times you will also want to play the weaker hands in the 1,326 starting hand range.
One good reason to play a weaker hand range is if you have picked up a particular tell against an individual opponent. If you have worked hard on this area of your game and are sure that you have a tell then your starting hand rankings drops down the priority list.
Imagine you have picked up a tell that your opponent has a c-bet flop, check-fold turn line. You have played a large hand sample against him and know he takes this line 70% of the time. In this case you can play in position with any two cards and exploit his weakness.
Now lets take this one step further and consider the possibility that you are not the only person who has noticed this weakness in your opponent or that you are playing in a loose game. Imagine that six players have all called and you are stuck in the middle of these players with a weak hand. To start showing aggression in this spot will be like starting a sword fight with a stick. And that isn’t too bright is it!
Alex, who wrote this article, is a huge casino fan. She loves playing everything from poker to blackjack and is always on the lookout for new games to take up, so feel free to offer tips!
