thoughts on playin 8/9

I see in freerolls everyone seems to play any 2 cards like 8/9 I see that alot..but is that really 2 good playing cards..I seem to lose to them all the time but never seem to win with them anyway..

89 is a decent hand if you get to see the flop cheaply. 89 suited gives you some more outs.

After the flop, it's either hit or miss, so go after it, or fold.

Agreed. 8,9 can be a profitable hand in certain situations. Just remember in a family type pot you can't overvalue top pair if that's what you end up flopping. You really want to hit the flop harder. Also, when you play these kind of hands it becomes increasingly important to not be out of position. If you flop a medium strength hand it will be easier to tell if your good. Position can also help with pot control if you decide to try and keep the pot small. Your position can also help you make the max when you flop a monster.

I almost never play 89 offsuit unless maybe if I am on the button and everyone has folded in front of me. I think you can just fold it preflop in most cases and you will probably be better off.

playing connectors is all about position, when u do hit is usually is for all of someones chips.

omnly play them if also suited and in late position or from sb/bb after a small raise

can get surprising hits that can payoff very big

89 suited is my wife's favorite hand. I play them sometimes. not too often. i like to play them live more than online. Lately I haven't done good when i play with 89. I think I have won once with them over the last 50 times I have had 89.

Leatherass said:

I almost never play 89 offsuit unless maybe if I am on the button and everyone has folded in front of me. I think you can just fold it preflop in most cases and you will probably be better off.

Click to expand...

Exactly my advice and the way I play it. Wally

billdogg said:

89 is a decent hand if you get to see the flop cheaply. 89 suited gives you some more outs.

After the flop, it's either hit or miss, so go after it, or fold.

Click to expand...

i agree...i will play a hand like this if i can see a chep flop and have pos. but other than that fold it if your playing with your money

incredible hulk;1522698[B said:

I see in freerolls[/B] everyone seems to play any 2 cards like 8/9 I see that alot..but is that really 2 good playing cards..I seem to lose to them all the time but never seem to win with them anyway..

Click to expand...

Best not to begin a question with the answer.

connectors gives you more outs.. well in freerolls, people don't seem to care and shove all in with connectors.. well it's a pretty decent hand.. but you need luck! You can flop two pairs or even a straight flush or a full house :d

stuff like 89 should only be played early in a tournament, or possibly on a cash table (But im no cash master, so dont take my word for anything), play them cheap, play them from position, when people make donk raises like 3xBB from UTG with 30/15 blinds, call them down from the BTN or CO and see a flop. If you hit big (trips, straight, flush) take em for all their chips. Dont try and get cute with 89, hit a pair and then get it all in... its going to bite you in the ass.

i had 8 9 suited, and flopped the nuts, and got the flush on the turn, it was a cash game so i raised 80 cents and got raised in dollar more so i called, 3 people all in, and we all had flushes lost to both players though to J 3 and A 6, every hand is a different story

txdfwshooter said:

i had 8 9 suited, and flopped the nuts, and got the flush on the turn, it was a cash game so i raised 80 cents and got raised in dollar more so i called, 3 people all in, and we all had flushes lost to both players though to J 3 and A 6, every hand is a different story

Click to expand...

That can definitely happen, but you have to be expecting this as a possiblity when you aren't heads up... when 2 other people get committed all in you have to wonder what they have with a straight and flush possibility on the board. I don't know your stack vs. theirs, but if you had more than 10 dollars at the table I would say it was possible to get away from unless you shoved all in first.

Again, I suck at cash though so feel free to ignore me for a better experienced opinion that pops up.

I can play anything at any time. You're not always going to hit with them, but in certain hands they can be really profitable.

Obviously it helps a lot to be able to disguise those cards in late position where you can see what the players in earlier position are doing.

Play them in late position or if in a limped pot out of position from the blinds. I generally fold them to big preflop raises. Don't hit them often enough.