Poker is a complicated game that demands a considered and well thought out strategy. The blinds ensure that players cannot sit back and wait for super premium hands like KK or AA so other, weaker poker hands must be played. Because straights flushes and straight flushes are concealed yet so very strong players should consider playing cards that can win them a big pot when you hit one of these disguised monsters. Hands like suited connectors or one gapped cards are playable in these spots.

When you learn how to play poker you are told to play premium hands to avoid bleeding chips against tight players. Then we are told to loosen up! We are told this because once you are good enough to understand how strong you are post-flop and what your opponent’s bets or raises could mean you are in a better position to handle tough decisions with more marginal hands.

In early position your hand range should be quite tight. AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK, AQ, KQ suited are probably the only recommended starting hands from early position. However your opponents are likely to know this information also. This gives you the opportunity to add some other hands like high suited connectors or anything you speculate with that can possibly flop a monster hand. Do not overdo this looseness, as the more you do it the less it will be respected by opponents. You need to fold enough hands so opponents expect something big from you when you do play from early position.

Playing from early position is known as the new button online because it is the only position where players usually get respected for hands. Players are aware of this and are starting to open up with a wider variety of starting hands. You will also face more opposition from late position as the image of the early position being the new button spreads throughout online poker. This is another argument for keeping your early position range tight, the image of early position is changing and this only helps a tight early position range profit.

In middle position many online poker players loosen up too quickly and play what should be a late position set of hands in middle position. They forget they are still out of position when faced with a late position player in the hand. Only add a few standard hands to your range like AJ, KQ, KJ, AT. Many would say even this is too loose. I say add these hands provided you are a good enough Texas Hold ‘em player to know when to let go. An accurate and objective knowledge of flop texture will help you know when these hands are negative expected value. If you are still learning and have a tendency to overplay and overvalue hands in middle position then remain tight until you get better.

Late position is where the fun really begins. Although you should not go crazy in style this is as loose as you will play at a real cash game table. All the hands you play in the earlier positions are played here but you can add one gapped hands like QT and suited connector hands that can potentially flop huge to your starting hand range. You should not play every single hand, many players make this mistake. Position is important but so is having a hand capable of winning the pot. The general image of late position is that players could have anything, so it is more difficult to get players to fold. Therefore you need a hand with some showdown value.

Note that we are mainly talking about being first in to the pot where will be make our standard raise. If you are facing a raised pot then you must tighten up, despite what our high stakes poker friends on TV may show you. These players are very good at assessing things post flop and know each others game. When you are playing unknown or vaguely known online poker opponents you must be a little more prudent in your approach. The stronger hands can be three-bet and the smaller hands must be mucked. I would avoid limping in as much as possible unless you get excellent odds to call.

By Malcolm Clarke