[GOIVIT]

Good info Shar and the following is great stuff. I see too many A rags chased when it is clear they are going to lose the hand.

Originally Posted by pkrplr4116

Thanks for posting this, Shar. To be honest, I needed the refresher. I'd like to add another very important key:
Before you bet or fold your 2 cards. Have a plan for the hand. By forcing yourself to have a plan for the hand you will be forced to toss hands like A-8o,K-3s Q-5s ect. Why? Because hands such as these can have no plan. You shouldn't plan to play A rag (A-8o) You shouldn't plan to get the 2nd nut flush (K-3s) and you really shouldn't plan to get the 3rd nut flush (Q-5s) why not? These most likely won't win the hand.

OK say you have 2 cards with a solid plan, but they're not a big pair. In this case you need to be set mining. No set, no bet if the board has cards higher than your pair. You have A-xs (low card) no flush? No bet. Why not play the A if the A flops? Because when you begin to bet the AA with low kicker, you're setting yourself up for a loss; someone who was planning to play a big A is already in the hand and waiting for A-rag to try to take it down. If you don't get what you'd hoped for, fold. Preflop, when you plan for the hand, bet accordingly. Your betting tells a story; make the story sensical and believable; that's how to win in these hands and then, that's how to win tournaments.