What hands do you play with?

I started reading Hellmunths book and he says only play with the top 10 hands ( AA, KK, QQ, AK, AQ, JJ, TT, 99, 88, 77)

Is this good advice?

I play .50-1 limit, and I tried this strategy out for a day...
I only get one of these playable hands once every 20 hands if that...

Nobody else who wins at my table seems to play that tight...

Thoughts?

It's great advice in the early stages of a tourney or a SnG, then you can loosen up a bit once your chip stack is satisfactory, play those suited connectors and low pockets as long as it doesnt take more than 15-20% of your stack preflop, and if you dont make a hit on the flop, dont chase unless you have a read on your table.
As for ring games, the same applys.

That's my opinion.........THAT'S THE WAY I ROLL HOMEY:icon_rr:.......LOL.
Keep it real and dont do drugs..........:canabis:unless mother nature provides it:canabis:...lol

Depends on the nature of the game.

Lately, I`ve been playing a lot of 6-max ring games, where you have to be much looser than that.

Early in an MTT, though, I might very well play even tighter and bin things like 77, 88 unless I`ve got position.

messwithtx said:

I started reading Hellmunths book and he says only play with the top 10 hands ( AA, KK, QQ, AK, AQ, JJ, TT, 99, 88, 77)

Is this good advice?

I play .50-1 limit, and I tried this strategy out for a day...
I only get one of these playable hands once every 20 hands if that...

Nobody else who wins at my table seems to play that tight...

Thoughts?

Click to expand...

If I can look at someone and say, hrm, well I know they dont have anything but those hands, isnt that a major disadvantage?

I believe what Hellmuth said was to only play top 10 hands when you're starting out as there is very cut-and-dry strategies to play those hands. As you gain experience and feel comfortable playing top 10 hands, then you can start adding more hands to your arsenal like suited connectors.

I am capable of playing any hand in any game in various ways; as bluffs, semi-bluffs, slow-play. Although most of the time my starting hands are relegated to top 10 + suited-connectors + any Ace-suited. That tight image allows me to have a lot of succcess with the occasional bluff.

So, normally the slogan "tight is right" holds true. You have to be extremely good at reading players (as in being able to determine a range of hands they could be holding) to open up your game as someone like Negreanu does. It comes with tons of experience and knowledge of the game, as well as a decent amount of insight and instinct.