A Different Perspective On Poker Rankings

Ezekiel162

Ezekiel162

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I see so many players that play Any Two Cards with the thinking that any 2 cards can win. As true as that might be, poker's "luck" can be bent to further effect by playing better cards. I figured this might might help the players that want to sway their "luck" to a more favorable outcome rather than allow "luck" to just randomly run it's course...

I treat the game of poker like a strategic battlefield situation because it helps my perspective. Players are assigned "troops" of various rankings(cards) that are given ammo(chip stacks) to defend their positions/territory(blinds) against an onslaught, while trying to meet up with the strongest reinforcements possible(matching the board while betting the odds the the enemies/players haven't received BETTER reinforcements) to achieve World War domination(Placing in the money).

Because I formerly served in the military, MY troops are ranked similar to military rankings as such (use whatever kind of system works for you) -

The Number Ranks
--------------------
Enlisted Ranks:
2 = private 2nd class
3 = private 1st class
4 = specialist
5 = sergeant
6 = staff sergeant
7 = sergeant 1st class
8 = master sergeant
9 = first sergeant

Broadway cards are Officer Ranks:
-----------------------------------
T = lieutenant
J = 2nd lieutenant
Q = captain
K = major
A = colonel
? = general (where the...? where the heck is my general?)

YOU and only YOU are always the GENERAL because YOU determine the strategies of where/when/if your troops go into battle, how much ammo to dispense to who and how tactical situations will be resolved.

An army is only as capable as the GENERAL or FOOL/DONK, leading them...

The suits to me are like branches of the service (Army, Air Force, Navy, National Guard), fraternities, teams. Obviously teams work better together than those put together from different teams.

The Suited Ranks
------------------
Spades = Air Force (resembles planes somewhat)
Clubs = Army (uses brute force)
Diamonds = Navy (almost boat shaped)
Hearts = National Guard (used more in peace-time situations)


Battlefield Coordination
---------------------------------
It is what it is.... coordination between your troops. The better your coordination(outs) obviously the better your chances(odds) of winning battles(hands) in the war(game/placing in the money). It's amazing how many players (that don't read, or practice, etc...) do NOT understand this concept.


Higher Ranking is obviously better than lower ranking:
Would you rather have an Ace(Colonel) or a King(Major)? A Nine(First Sergeant) or a Two(Private 2nd Class)?

Connecting is better than non-connecting:
Would you rather have AK(A Colonel and a Major) or T5(A Lieutenant and a Sergeant)? A KQ(A Major and a Captain) or KT(A Major and a Lieutenant)?

Suiteds are obviously better than nonsuited:
Would you rather have two diamonds(2 Navy members together fighting) or a spade and a club(1 Airforce and 1 Army Member)? 2 clubs(2 Army members) or a club and a heart(1 Army member and a National Guard member)?

Pairs are better than non-pairs
Would you rather have AA(2 Colonels) or a AK(a Colonel and a Major)? QQ(2 Captains) or AJ(A colonel and a 2nd Lieutenant)?

NOTE: How you might answer some of the above ALWAYS depends on YOU (The General) because every General has their own strategies...


Thinking of the above in this manner helps to give me more perspective so that now:

AcKc is a Army Colonel and a Army Major. Powerful combo because they both are high ranking & coordinated because their ranks are fairly similar (connected) and they work under the same branch (suited).

AcKd is a Army Colonel and a Navy Major (some ranks are not the same between branches. I'm keeping it simple...) Still a Powerful combo because they both are high ranking but less coordinated because their ranks although fairly similar (connected) they don't work under the same branch (suited) so they don't agree on certain tactics making them slightly weaker than the team before...

Other examples should be self explanatory at this point...

Hopefully this brief article gives newer players more insight as to why certain card combinations should be played or folded at least until they become a General with complex strategies (learning post flop play...) Experiment with your own card types/groups/rankings for whatever is most comfortable for you... Enjoy...

ps: I'm no teacher, nor trying to be... I'm just here learning new insight from more advanced players as well as trying to give something back. Thanks for your time... :)
 
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baudib1

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tl;dr

seems easier to remember that 4 is bigger than 3 than "specialist-private suited" etc.
 
Karkus77

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this just seems to overcomplicate things massively surely?

i know which numbers are higher and therefore better than others, i learned this when i was very young, i am sure most did

might be fun though, like playing Risk and poker at the same time

ARGGHHHH sheeeeeeeeet, my Colonel and Major of the navy because they are diamonds because they are shaped like boats got beat in a flip by a pair of seargeants one was also from the navy and one from the army because he uses a club

i was wrong, doesn't overcomplicate it at all :p
 
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RamdeeBen

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Nice of you to put the effort in to writing it, it might help for some but I'm sure for me it would over complicate things so much :p

Good job either way!
 
JOEBOB69

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b 4I SUNK YOUR BATTLE SHIP
wait wrong game ;)
 
Ezekiel162

Ezekiel162

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Sigh... There's some in every group...

I wrote this as an example of how my mind thinks during tournament play. Maybe others do something like this w/o even knowing it. Either way, I was relating the ranking/team structures as examples of why players should think about twice about what cards they should play during hand selection and the reasons why. When I see players that reveal like 27o, 39s, Q3s at showdown I sit back and say to myself sometimes wtf? ...are they thinking?


This particular style works for me because:

One, from serving in the military formerly I already know the ranks/suits instantaneously off the top of my head.

Two, relating it to a strategic campaign helps my aggression levels immensely when playing SNGs. (Obvious I've played Risk, Chess, Stratego...)

Three, Online players sometimes have to confront two difficulties when transitioning live: Chip Counting & Card Memorization among others. The above helps me with Card Memorization. I found that when I played online when/If I turned bet/pot amounts off or let my attention slip just briefly that I either could not remember my cards, sometimes even within seconds, w/o looking at my hand again or didn't have a feel for the approximate pot sizes.


So, No, I don't just sit dressed in a Napoleon Bonaparte suit, waving a saber, yelling "troops fall in" when I'm playing online.

Once again, I mentioned "whatever works for the player". Hopefully newer players will get maybe the tiniest bit of logic in not just playing ATC and the reasons why. While the more advanced players will just ridicule me because they are doing something already that comes fairly natural...

In other words take my babblings with "a grain of salt"...
 
Karkus77

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but people aren't playing Q3 because they cant remember if a 3 is good or not, people play those cards because they want to see lots of flops and get lucky, they dont play them because they thought a 3 was better than a ace
 
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RamdeeBen

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Wasn't saying anything but postivie for the effort.

All we was saying is it over complicates things for most people. For you, maybe not because you know the ranks of the top of your head, not everyone does.

It's good like I say, just not for me personally, hope it works for someone else :)
 
Karkus77

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One, from serving in the military formerly I already know the ranks/suits instantaneously off the top of my head.

i am also sure you know what numbers are higher than others off the top of your head too

all joking aside, its great that you have found a method that works for you and it was a interesting read
 
dj11

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I like it. It goes more to the point of how each of us will 'hang' al the data we have on the game on some structure. Because Ezekiel was Miltary, he hangs the data on a miltary structure he understands.

Me?

As an old hippie, I use the whole drug culture based in the 60's,
Where Woodstock :thrasher:is a royal flush, and Altamont is quads getting the bad beat from a str8 flush.:eek:

Facepalm.....
 
Ezekiel162

Ezekiel162

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I like it. It goes more to the point of how each of us will 'hang' al the data we have on the game on some structure. Because Ezekiel was Miltary, he hangs the data on a miltary structure he understands.

Me?

As an old hippie, I use the whole drug culture based in the 60's,
Where Woodstock :thrasher:is a royal flush, and Altamont is quads getting the bad beat from a str8 flush.:eek:

Facepalm.....
Thank You...

You've stated this much better than i've been able to and in fewer words... :D
 
Charade You Are

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Hopefully this brief article gives newer players more insight as to why certain card combinations should be played or folded at least until they become a General with complex strategies (learning post flop play...) Experiment with your own card types/groups/rankings for whatever is most comfortable for you... Enjoy...

Very interesting way to explain it. As you said, just a way of giving newbies some perspective. Not everyone learns the same way. Also seems like it might help you to stay engaged in the game.

How many times have you thought someone got your explanation of something only to realize later they got it totally wrong!
 
Ezekiel162

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Thanx as well...

I guess my whole point for an inexperienced player is just to state simply "The better your rankings and coordination, the better your chances for winning" and gave an example (albeit, maybe a bad one) of how I view the game to make me realize this better...

People do this sometimes when they don't realize it. Like referring to certain cards as "Big Slick, Dead Man's Hand, Dolly Partons, etc..." Maybe I went a little overboard tho...
 
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JOEBOB69

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Nice effort.I still don't get it though.
yeah i don't really like hand nicknames either o.
 
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falstaff99

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It's a good idea to discuss how we can look at poker hand rankings though since it does give players a chance to understand the strength and value of a hand. For instance, I used to think that A 10 or KJ were extremely strong hands, even in early position, but have come to realize they are not as top tier as I was thought they were. One thing I have to agree with everyone is your ranking system, military. It is difficult without the background, but I think your "battlefield coordination" is pretty helpful and dead on. Sklansky also places quite a bit of emphasis on suited cards as well as suited connectors in his hand selection and that is something that can affect your outs and probablility greatly. No matter what, this should definitely get the ball rolling on how a player should think of starting hands as having value rather than the notion of everything is a winner.
 
jolubman

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I like your idea. Never thought of poker like this. However, there're not for me. thanks anyway
 
Ezekiel162

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...idea to discuss how we can look at poker hand rankings though since it does give players a chance to understand the strength and value of a hand...

...how a player should think of starting hands as having value rather than the notion of everything is a winner.
Thanx... Once again what you stated here was my main point. If I start another thread on certain topics I'll be sure NOT to use the military as an example. I just look at every hand as a "battle" in order to win the "war" (game). Keeps ME focused anyway...
 
c9h13no3

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I like to play with myself while I'm at the table. Keeps me focused.
 
Ezekiel162

Ezekiel162

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I like to play with myself while I'm at the table. Keeps me focused.

That's good... How's that working for you? Maybe you should create your OWN thread to tell jokes on smart guy... I created this one with fairly serious intentions...
 
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