More recently, Carnagie Mellon University conducted a study based on the Sklansky/Malmuth hand rankings. After testing millions of hands, they came up with a slightly different variation of what hands will provide a long term profitable edge against any type of limit hold’em game or opponent.
However, since both of these groups based their study on limit holdem, a no limit version was in order. The first such list I’ve seen was originally posted at flopturnriver.com
I base my no limit preflop strategy on this list, but have adapted it a bit to my own playing style. My list and method of playing is So, based on these starting hands we will define the starting hands we will use for no limit hold’em.
Category 0:
AA KK
Without a doubt, the two strongest starting hands in the game. AA dominates every other hand combination, and KK is ONLY dominated by AA. I will play these hands for any amount, from any position, against any opponent.
But, I do vary my play with these hands depending on who my opponents are, and what my table is like.
In early position, against a table who raises most of the time preflop:
I’ll limp in, and hope for a raise. If the raiser has no callers, and often bets preflop. I’ll simply call, and check raise once the flop comes.
If the raiser has one or more callers, I’ll re-raise usually ¾ - 1 full pot bet, hoping to drive most of them out. I DO NOT slow play this on the flop. I just want to take the pot down fast.
In early position, against a table that limps most of the time preflop:
I’ll just bet it out about 3 - 5 times the big bet, and hope someone calls.
If someone does, I don’t slow play it. I need to know where I stand once the flop comes, particularly if it’s a scary flop for me.
In mid or late position, I just raise, hope for 1 or 2 callers, and I bet out the flop hard with a ¾ - full pot sized bet. Again, I need to see where I stand.
The most important thing I want you to understand about category 0 hands are that they are not to be slow played. A pair is just a pair, not a real monster. Play it fast, and you will make a good profit on them.
Category 1:
QQ, JJ, AKs
Also great hands. These hands have a long term profitable expectancy from every position. I always open for a raise with these, from every position. If a raise is already in play, I will often re-raise with QQ, sometimes with Aks, and rarely with JJ. If there is a raise and a re-raise, I will usually call and play the hand cautionsly on the flop, though if it is a large reraise by a tight player, I’ll let these hands go most of the time.
If someone makes it 3-to-go, (a re-re-raise preflop) I’ll let these hands go 90% of the time, unless I‘m calling for set value, or unless the two re-raisers are particularly bad.
Category 2 hands:
AK, TT Aqs, Kqs Ajs
All of these are great hands, and I placed them in the order of strength as I’ve experienced. These are very similar both to the carnagie mellon category 2 hands, and the Sklansky/Malmuth hands.
TT can be a monster when the flop-watching field is small, AK can do better against a slightly larger field, and Kqs I am usually happy to play against any size feel, because it is the best open ended suited connecter a bet can buy.
As for Aqs and Ajs, they stand well against a small field on the flop. In any given 10 handed deal, AJ and AQ have greater than a 50% chance of being the best two hole cards of all the players at the table. In a short handed game, they become exceptionally strong.
I tend to raise these hands 3-5 times the big blinds. Smaller raises for early position, larger raises for late position. If there are more limpers than I like I will raise a pot sized raise to push people out, as long as I have position.
If there has already been a raise, I will call 70% of the time, and reraise 20% of the time. Moreso with AK, AQ and TT than KQ and AJ
This category is the last of the “super power” hands. Super power hands will show a positive expectancy from all positions, against all types of opponents if played correctly.
Catagory 3 hands:
AQ, 99, 88, Ats, Kjs
This group is strong, but they are not necessarily your instant money making hands.. They make money, that’s for sure. But you can’t play them like a machine gun, blast away at everything, and often hit. Nevertheless, I’m playing these from all positions, and raising from most.
Again, these are similar to the sklansky and Carnagie rankings, but I have changed the order, based on my style of play, and what I’ve found to be most successful.
AQ, 99: I raise from almost all positions. I may not raise in the blinds, if there have been a lot of limpers, unless I think a raise will knock nearly all of them out. I may not raise 99 from early position if the table is loose and aggressive. Position is important with these two, since they can be dominated. Pocket 8’s I almost always play for set value, unless there are few limpers, and I’m in late position. Then I will raise it. Ats I will raise from all positions except the blinds. Kjs I limp early, and raise mid or late position.
A typical 3-5 BB (big blind) raise is what I like here with these hands. I am wary of raising them if I think 4 limpers will call. I generally don’t like to build big pots with small hands.
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