The First Two Cards: Early Position

Hold’em is a positional game, perhaps more so than any other form of poker. This is because the button determines the order in which players act for all betting rounds. (The only exception to this are the blinds, who act last on the first betting round, but act first on all succeeding betting rounds.) Consequently, the number of hands that can be safely played from an early position — which we will define as the first three positions to the left of the big blind in a ten-handed game — is quite limited. Since you are out of position on all betting rounds, you need a superior starting hand to make it worth playing.³Specifically, in early position in a typical hold’em game, ii you are the first one in, or if there is only a call to your right, be prepared to play only those hands in the first four groups. In a loose game, as long as the players are not too aggressive, you can add the Group 5 hands, especially the suited connectors. In a tough game, it is probably best to discard even the Group 4 hands. These guidelines are very important. Playing too many hands up front is one of the most costly errors that you can make.Even though we just said that you can play the Group 5 hands in non-aggressive loose games, notice that we said "especially the suited connectors." The game would have to be almost perfect for hands likeK§ J¨ or Qª J© to be playable in an early position.Furthermore, as the game gets more aggressive, you should discard some of the weaker Group 4 hands such as AJ and KTs. These can be difficult hands to play out of position, especially if you find yourself isolated by an aggressive player.When we refer to a game as loose, we mean a game without much before-the-flop raising and with many players in most pots. (This game would actually be loose and passive.) When we say tough, we mean a game with a fair amount of raising, but not many large multiway pots. (This game would actually be tight and aggressive.) There's also a type of game where several players play very well, but only once the flop comes. If you are not sure which of these types you are playing, it is best to assume that the game is typical until you can determine otherwise. Remember that big pots do not necessarily make a game good. If the big pots are created by a lot of tactically sound raising, your best strategy might be to look for a softer game.We also want to point out that loose and passive are not the same thing. If a game is loose, but still very aggressive, you should not be in many pots. On the other hand, you could play a fair number of hands in a tight but passive game.Put another way, passive/aggressive should have a major impact on the number of hands that you play, while loose/tight should impact the mix of hands that you play. There will be more discussion of this throughout the text.Sometimes you will need to add a few hands to those you play up front to throw your opponents off. For example, you occasionally should play a hand like7ª 6ªin an early position, even if the game is tough, to stop your more observant opponents from stealing against you when "rags" flop. Also, this is a good hand to occasionally raise with if you feel that your early position raises are getting too much respect. (That is you are not getting any action.) However, no matter what the reason for playing a hand like this, make sure that your hand is suited, and only do this occasionally.If there is a raise to your right and the game is typical or tough, you should limit your play to those hands in Groups 1 and 2. Against an extremely tight player in a tough game, it may be correct to throw away some of the Group 2 hands, such as: A¨ Jª and K© Q© (Remember that this chapter refers to early-position decisions.)If there is a raise to your right and the game is loose, you should be able to safely play Group 3 hands as well. However, beware of AQ. Even in a loose game, this hand does not play well against an early-position raiser if many players remain to act behind you. (Of course, if the AQ is suited, you definitely would play the hand.)We want to pause and point out that you should not be calling many raises if no one else (except the raiser) has voluntarily entered the pot when playing hold’em , no matter what your position or what your two starting cards are. You should usually either fold or occasionally reraise. We just mentioned that if the game is loose it can be correct to play a Group 3 hand in a raised pot. However, to call a raise with a hand likeQ© J©before anyone else is in you need to be very sure that several other players are coming. If you are consistently wrong it can prove to be quite costly to your overall strategy. (The exception is if you are in the blind. This will be addressed later in the text.)While we are on the subject we also want to address loose raisers. That is players who have weak raising standards and thus frequently are first to put two bets in the pot. If you follow the above guidelines, you will mainly be playing only Group 1 and 2 hands against an early position raiser. However, against the aforementioned loose raiser you should go ahead and play AQ, 99, and 88, and probably reraise with them. (You should also be reraising with the Group 1 and Group 2 hands with the exception of AJs and KQs which are still best to just call with.) Again, for this play to be correct your judgment must be accurate. If you are not sure it is probably best to throw these additional hands away. (Also note that we are making a distinction between a loose raiser and a loose game.)If no one has yet called, almost always raise with AA, KK, QQ, AK, and AQ. Part of the reason to raise with these hands is that they lose value as the pot gets more multiway (especially if your opponents see the flop for one bet rather than two). If there have already been callers, usually raise with hands in Groups 1 and 2, AQ, and perhaps some other hands at random. (Again, these random raises should be made only occasionally.)Also, if no one has voluntarily put money in the pot, you should raise approximately two-thirds of the time with AKs, AQs, AJs, and KQs. The reason for sometimes calling with these hands is not only for deception purposes, but also because they play well in multiway pots. However, because of the large blind structure in today's game, it is not necessary to just call with these hands very often. In fact, against weak opposition, it is best to almost always raise with them, since the deception you are trying to gain by just calling won't do you much good anyway. On the other hand, if the game is tight and most players respect your raise, be more inclined to limp with the big suited connectors. Again, these hands play well in multiway pots.You may also occasionally limp with AA or KK. The time to do this would be when your early position raises are not getting any callers. If raised, you would frequently, but not always reraise. (However, if you are heads-up and are raised we suggest that you usually just call with aces or kings to add deception against your one opponent. Then plan to raise on fourth street.) In addition, be less inclined to limp with two kings as opposed to two aces. This is because with a pair of kings, an overcard — the ace — can come on the flop, while no overcards can come to a pair of aces.Finally, if no one has yet called, raise approximately one-third of the time with a hand like10§ 9§as long as the game is typical or tough. This is mainly for deception purposes. Again, keep in mind how strong your competition is. If you are in a game full of extremely weak opponents, it is generally best to simply call with these hands. That is, in a game where most of your opponents are going to come anyway, this play will lose its value.By the way, if you call with a large suited connector and are raised, go ahead and reraise with AKs and possibly with AQs. In addition, if a lot of people are in the pot, you sometimes can reraise with a hand like:J¨ 10¨The reason for this last raise requires some explanation and will be better understood after you get further into the book. Basically, you are making the pot larger so that if you get a flop you like, such as two flush cards of the appropriate suit, then more of your opponents will be encouraged to stay for one or two more cards with as little as one overcard.Let's return to loose games. Keep in mind that some hands, such as8ª 7ªplay well against many opponents. If there are usually a lot of callers but not much raising, these types of hands become playable in early position. However, overplaying these hands up front — and most players do just that — can get you into trouble. Make sure that the requirement of loose and passive is met. Again, if you are not sure, it is usually best to pass on these hands in an early position.The same is true of small pairs such as:3§ 3©They can be played from an early position providing that you are sure that you will get a multiway pot. However, they can stand a little more action than the suited connectors. But if many pots are going to three bets or more, they are probably never worth playing, even if you can usually anticipate several opponents.One criteria to keep in mind when deciding to play a small pair or a medium to small suited connector is how passive/aggressive the game is, in addition to its being loose. Specifically, as just mentioned, small pairs play well in loose aggressive games providing that they are not too aggressive. This is because if you flop a set you can anticipate many bets going into the pot. If the game is too aggressive and you hold a small pair you will frequently be forced to play for several bets, and now your hand will not achieve the implied odds that it needs to be profitable.If the game is passive, you prefer the suited connector to the small pair. This is because a "set" will have trouble collecting a lot of bets. On the other hand, if the suited connector flops something like a gut shot draw it won't necessarily be bet out of the pot.Here's an example of this last idea. Suppose you start with the 8474 mentioned above and the flop comes:A¨ 9§ 5©If the game is passive you may still be around on fourth or fifth street to catch a six if it slides off. If the game is aggressive you may find yourself out of the hand.Sometimes the game will be moderately aggressive but will feature two or three players who will play virtually any ace. In games like this, (and they are very common even at limits as high as $20-$40), we recommend that you play A9s, A8s, 77, and 66 as long as the pot is not yet raised. Now if you hit your ace someone may have aces with you, but with a worse kicker, or if you flop your set someone may call a bet trying to catch that elusive ace.One hand that we have not yet addressed is a pair of jacks in the pocket. If no one has opened and you are in an early position, it is usually best to raise with JJ in a tight game and to just call with it in a loose game. With two jacks you would prefer either to have no more than one or two opponents in the hope that your hand holds up without improvement, or to have as many opponents as possible when the majority of your profits come from flopping three-of-a-kind. The worst scenario is when exactly three or four opponents see the flop with you. This most likely would occur if you called in a tight game or raised in a loose game.If you hold JJ and the pot has been raised and reraised before the action gets to you, you should fold. This is correct even when you are in a middle or late position. However, if you have already opened with JJ and the pot has been raised and reraised behind you, then it is correct to go ahead and call because of the pot odds. What you are hoping to do in this situation is to flop trips. If you do not make a set, be prepared to fold (although folding is not necessarily automatic).----- ³A fuller treatment of the importance of position can be found in both Hold’em Poker and The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky. The First Two Cards: Middle Position Playing your hand from a middle position, which we will define as the fourth, fifth, and sixth positions to the left of the big blind, is similar to the play of your hands from an early position. The main difference is that you now can play a few more hands, since your positional disadvantage is not as great.This means that in an unraised pot, you can play all hands in Groups 1-5 when the game is typical or tough. In a loose, passive game it is all right to play the Group 6 hands as well.However, if the game is loose, aggressive, some of the weaker hands such asK§ J¨ and 10ª 8ª should probably be thrown away. You will find it difficult to "steal the blinds" as someone in a later position may be quick to try to isolate you (make it three bets) if you come in with a raise.Also, if you are not the first one in, consider the strength of your opponents. Specifically, the weaker your opponents are, the more hands you can play. Put another way, you should be more inclined to play marginal hands only against poorer players.Small pairs and medium suited connectors should also be played differently than you would play them in early position if you are first in, and the game is loose. Up front, you should enter the pot if the game conditions are right. But if you are in middle position and no one has voluntarily entered the pot means that it is unlikely that you will get the multiway action that these hands require.Here's an example. Suppose the game is loose but not overly aggressive, and you expect pretty good action on most flops. It would now be correct to play2¨ 2ªif you are first in from an early position. However, if the first three or four people pass in this exact same game, you should throw this hand away. (Note that we consider these players to have passed if they are away from the table as well as if they threw their hand away.) If you do play, in addition to not getting the multiway action that you wish, you may find yourself isolated by an aggressive player. Now unless you flop a set you will be playing a weak hand out of position. Similar comments apply for a hand like:8§ 7§The situation changes if there are already one or more players in and you can anticipate a multiway pot. Now the 2¨2ª or the 8§7§ may become playable if the game conditions are right. (Remember, small pairs like games where there is a lot of action on the flop, while the connecting hands prefer more passive play.)Another difference between early and middle position is that in middle position you virtually never just call as the first one in with the large suited connectors, such as:Aª Kª One of the reasons for this is that some of your opponents will begin to suspect you of trying to steal the blinds (with weak hands) when you raise after several people have passed. So you may as well raise all of those times when you hold a good hand.Thus, if you are the first one in, raise with all hands that are in Groups 1, 2, and 3. This is also usually correct if there have been callers to your right. However, when there are callers, don't always raise with the Group 3 hands. If you hold a Group 3 hand, consider how well your opponents play and whether you want a lot of players or a few players. If your opponents are strong, tend to call; otherwise, raise. When you want a lot of opponents, such as with JTs as opposed to AQ; this is another time to just call (when you are not the first one in) with a Group 3 hand.It may also be correct to raise with Group 4 hands AJ or KQ. The time to do so is when you think it is likely that your raise will:1. Knock out most (if not all) of the players behind you.2. Keep the pot short-handed.And no strong player has voluntarily entered the pot.It also helps to have tight players in the blinds. If this is not the case, it is probably best to only call with these hands. And if someone has limped in who is likely to hold a dangerous hand such as AA or AKs — you should consider folding.If the pot already has been raised, almost always reraise with AA, KK, QQ, AKs, and AK. In addition, occasionally reraise with other good hands, such as:10§ 9§ or 8¨ 8©Remember, these raises are made so you can vary your play and throw some of your opponents off. Raising too often with these types of hands could prove to be very expensive. Moreover, you usually should throw these hands away if the pot already has been raised.If the raiser is a "loose raiser" you should use the same guidelines as given for early position play when considering reraising with a hand like:A§ Q¨But remember, if you are not sure as to the correct course of action, it is probably best to throw the hand away.One strategy, that begins to come into play in the middle positions is that you should almost always raise rather than call when:1. No one has yet entered the pot.2. You have a playable hand (generally Group 1-6).3. You think there is a reasonable chance (perhaps as small as 25 percent), that all players behind you (including the blinds) will fold.However, if criterion one or three is not met you should usually just call except with your best hands, and actually fold some of the weaker hands (basically Group 6) that you would have otherwise raised with.

The First Two Cards: Late Position On the button, and in the position j just to the button' s right (and sometimes in the position two to the button's right), much of what is correct play is quite different from what we have seen in the early and middle positions. One of the reasons for this is that you will have excellent position on all betting rounds which will enable you to make better decisions than you can make in the earlier positions. This is because when your opponents check or bet, you have gained a great deal of information about their hands, while they do not have this same information about your hand.This means that in general you should tend to play aggressively if the pot is short-handed, unless the blinds and the remaining players are loose. If the pot is already multiway, however, you should be less aggressive unless you hold a hand that plays well in multiway pots.You should understand that if you are in late position and are the first player to enter the pot, any hand that you should play is almost always worth a raise. This usually means hands in Groups 1-7, maybe those in Group 8, and even worse hands if you think your opponents are tight enough that you have a decent chance to steal the blinds. However, if there are already callers, only normally raise with hands in Groups 1-3, and sometimes with Group 4 hands (except if there are many players, do not raise with unsuited high cards, but conversely be somewhat inclined to raise with hands as weak as Group 5 if they are straight flush combinations).For example, if you holdAª Q¨and a lot of players are in the pot, it is probably best to just call (if there has not yet been a raise). On the other hand, if you have8© 7© several players are already in the pot, and no one has yet raised, then raising is probably a good play.But we should point out that you need to consider your opponents before raising with a hand like 8©7©. If you are against players who not only play too many hands, but go too far with their hands regardless of the size of the pot, there is less value to raising. Part of the reason for making this raise is to entice your opponents to continue on if you happen to get a flop to your liking. But if you are fairly sure that they will do precisely that anyway, then you should usually just call.Another reason to raise is if you think it may "buy you the button." Being able to act last on succeeding betting rounds is a major advantage. Thus with marginal hands it may be worth raising if you think it will take that raise to get the button to fold.Sometimes you can raise with some weaker hands in late position. This opportunity arises when you are against one or two callers who play poorly and did not enter the pot from the early positions (and thus probably have weak hands). If you have a playable hand that would prefer to play against a small number of opponents, and you believe that your raise will fold everyone out behind you, then you should raise. This would include hands likeA7s, KJ, QJ, and even a hand as weak as QT. However, if you don't think that everyone behind you will fold, you should not make this play and even consider folding some of these hands (e.g. QJ and QT).One of the reasons for this type of raise is that against weak opposition (and, as usual, you always should consider your opponents when making your playing decisions), it allows you to "take control" of the pot. That is, if your opponents do not flop a hand, and you bet after they have checked, you often will be able to pick up the pot. This is especially true if a high card has flopped. In addition, if you choose not to bet on the flop, your raise may have gained you a free card. (More on this later in the text.)Here's an example of this idea. Suppose you raise a weak player who calls from a middle position, and you hold:Q¨ 10©If the flop comes something likeK§ 6ª 2©your opponent will likely check and fold, assuming that he does not flop anything, since he now will fear that you have a king.You can also occasionally make this same play with a small pair or a suited connector such as:9ª 8ªThe time to do it would be when you have very good control over your opponent, you are very sure that everyone behind you will fold, and the blinds are tight. (Note: This will not usually be the case in many of today's games.)Finally, when deciding if it is correct to make this type of play you need to have a good idea of what your opponent thinks of you. If your play scares him, be more inclined to go ahead with this type of raise. But keep in mind that these are volatile strategies that can backfire, especially if you have misjudged your opponent.To call a raise cold you still need a very good hand, even in late position. However, if several people are already in the pot, even though it has been raised, you also can play hands like:10¨ 9¨ and 8§ 8ªYou can even play smaller pairs in this spot if you can anticipate at least five players. Even without this many you can still call the raise if you are against players who have the potential to lose many bets. If these conditions are met, it becomes correct to call with all pairs down through deuces.If the raise is from a middle position or later you can play a few more hands if the raiser is the first one in and does not play well. (Being first in means that he is more likely to be raising with a weak hand because he may be trying to steal the blinds.) However, you still need to be cautious and never play a hand like:A§ 10¨In addition, almost always reraise with any Group 1 hand, and as before, be prepared to reraise with hands as weak as AQ, 99, or 88 if it is a "loose raiser."If the pot is not multiway and you are against a legitimate raise you can occasionally make it three bets with a medium pair or a hand like JTs. You don't need to be in a late position to make this play, but it is probably a little better if you are. A play like this is occasionally correct because if you only make it three bets with AK or a big pair you are giving away too much information. However, if you are against players who are not observant, and tend to automatically go too far with their hands, then this play would never be correct.There is also a time when you would almost always reraise with weaker hands, even those as weak as Group 4. This occurs when your opponent is the first one in from a late position and he enters the pot with a raise. Notice that your opponent may be trying to steal the blinds, so a reraise on your part, with reasonably strong hands, becomes correct. However, with the exception of AJ and KQ, reraise with a Group 4 hand only if your opponent is a weak player and you believe you have excellent control over him. Otherwise, you are probably better off to limit yourself to Groups 1-3. If neither you nor your opponent flops a hand, your reraise not only may stop him from trying to steal the pot, but also may allow you to do the stealing. So again, the correct play on your part is to either reraise or fold before the flop. It is almost never correct to just call.The above play can also be correct with pairs down through sixes and occasionally as weak as fours. However, for this to be the case, you need to be against someone who will quickly release on the flop or someone who will check it down if they have any doubt over their hand. This usually means a solid player who is winning in the game (and thus is not steaming), or an extremely weak player.If you hold a hand like KT, QT, or JT, (all offsuit) and a couple of players have called from early or middle position, you should often throw it away. This would be particularly true if one of the limpers plays well. It will now be easy for you to hit your hand but still lose because you have made a second best hand. You should also discard any of these if one of the limpers, particularly the first player in, is known to limp with very good hands. However, against bad players who will come with many hands they are definitely playable.If you are dead last — that is, if you are on the button — and there are already callers, you can play hands in Groups 1-7. If you have a small pair and are against four or more callers, the correct play is to sometimes raise. This is another example of making the pot larger so that if you hit your hand, your opponents may be more inclined to call you with just overcards on the flop. In addition, they all may check to you, thus giving you a free card and another (small) chance to make your set. Also, this play is sometimes correct with small suited connectors. Again, don't get carried away with these plays. But making them occasionally can be very effective.If you are on the button, a lot of players are already in, and the pot is not raised, you can call with many additional hands. This includes those hands in Group 8 and even hands as weak as:Q¨ 5¨The reason for this is the tremendous implied odds that you will be getting if the flop comes just as you would like it to come. However, don't take this idea too far. It is unlikely that it would ever be correct to call with a hand like:9§ 6¨As already mentioned, if no one has called, you can raise the blinds from the last position (button) with any hand in Groups 1-8. With a hand like an ace with an unsuited weak kicker, you still should raise the blinds if they are either very tight or very weak players. When we say weak, we are referring to a player who will let your ace win in a showdown. For example, suppose you raise with something likeA¨ 6§and are called by the blind. If this person is willing to check on the river with nothing, even if you show weakness by not betting on the turn, then he is the type of player you would be happy to play a lone ace against.The same caveat applies to a hand like Kx, but even more so. That is, against typical opposition, usually pass with Kx. However, if you do play a hand like Kx on the button, make sure that you always raise. Never just call the blind if you are the first one in. (There is an exception to always raising with Ax or Kx if you play them first in on the button. See "Part Five: Playing Short-Handed" — "When the Blinds are Very Loose" on page 59) The First Two Cards: Live Blinds Playing your first two cards out of the blinds is very different from the other positions because you will have terrible position for the next three rounds. But this is somewhat compensated for by the fact that you have to call only a partial bet. The net result is that you play rather tight in some situations, but quite loose in others.Over their careers, many players lose quite a bit of money from the blind positions. This is because they frequently overestimate the value of their hand in comparison to the partial bet that they are required to make to continue playing. Even though you can play looser in some situations, you still must play fairly tight if the pot has been raised and the raiser is not in a steal position. More on this later.First let us discuss the situation where you are in the (live) big blind and no one else has raised. In this case, you should usually raise only with extremely good hands. Remember, one of the reasons to raise in late position is to help you to take control of the pot. However, this is much harder to do when you are first to act on the flop.Let's suppose you haveA¨ Kªand one or two aggressive players have called from an early position. Your best play usually (but not always) is to just call and (perhaps) to try for a check-raise later. You don't have to hit your hand to make check-raising the correct play. You just need to befairly sure that the flop did not help anyone else. An example might be a flop like:7¨ 4ª 3§ or 5ª 2§ 2¨Since these were early-position players, there is an excellent chance that you have the best hand. You can check -raise if you think someone with a hand that is worse than your AK will bet in this spot.However, if you hold AK in the big blind and are called by only one or two players from late positions, then you usually should raise. Because of their positions — and implied weakness when they just call — you cannot rule out any flop from hitting them. However, a raise is now the best play, since it is likely that your hand is far superior.It also is sometimes correct to raise in the big blind when several people have called and you hold a hand like JTs, A5s, or a small pair. Keep in mind that this play is not as strong from the blind position as it is in late position because you will be unlikely to get a free card if you check. However, if the flop does come as you would like, your raise may entice some players to stay with hands that they should fold if they knew what you held. (See The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky for more discussion of this idea.)Suppose you are the big blind, the pot has been called on your left, and someone now raises on your right. In this case, you should call only with your better hands. This is because you can be reraised on your left. Still, if many players are in the pot, you should play more hands, especially hands that have the potential to make big hands, such as straight and flush draws. This would include hands like: A© 6© and 9§ 8¨But normally you would only play these hands if the raiser were on your left.We generally do not recommend that you call raises in the big blind with a hand like:5§ 4©If this hand was suited then the call would be okay. But for these calls to be profitable, you usually need at least two ways to win. When the above hand is suited you have the two ways - a straightand a flush. But when it is not suited, there are not enough ways to come out on top. If your cards were higher, usually nine-eight or better, then you might be able to win if you flop a draw, miss it, but make a pair after the flop. Thus a call would now be correct since it is much easier to win the pot with something like a pair of nines than a pair of fives. To call with a small unsuited connecting hand you need to be against weak players who will not extract the maximum from you when you flop a draw, but who will frequently pay off if you make something.When the pot is raised in early position and you are in the big blind, one hand that demands special attention is KJ. The reason for this is that a hand such asK© J¨can easily make a second-best hand that you will have to pay off all the way. This does not mean that you can never call a legitimate raise with KJ, but it does mean that the typical player calls much too often with this hand. Again, this is one of those situations where knowing your opponent can be a crucial factor in determining the correct decision. Similar comments apply for AJ, AT, and KT.To call with a small pair you usually only need two players in. Thus3¨ 3ªwould be playable against an early position raiser and a caller. This should assure you the implied odds that are necessary in case you flop a set. And, of course, you usually would reraise with AA or KK when you are in either blind. But as already discussed, don't automatically reraise with AK (or QQ, for that matter).One situation where big-blind play changes drastically occurs when you are against a possible steal-raise - that is, a raise from a late position by a player who you think would attempt to pick up the blinds with a weak hand. Remember, against a legitimate raise, you still need a fairly good hand to call. In fact, a good guideline is to play essentially the same hands that you normally would cold call a raise or reraise with if you were in a late position. But a steal-raise is a different matter. Now you are forced to play more hands. How many more hands depends on the skill of your opponent. The worse he plays the more you play.Against weak opponents who won't make good use of their positional advantage on the flop, you can call in the big blind with hands as weak as those in Group 8. However, it still might be best to throw some of the smaller non-suited connectors away. You should reraise about one-fourth of the time, usually with your best hands.If someone calls in between you and your opponent, or if your opponent plays well, then you must tighten up some. But you still can play a lot of hands, perhaps Groups 1-6.Many of these same comments also apply to the little blind. However, when you call a raise from the little blind, not only do you have to put a larger fraction of a bet into the pot, but also a player remains to act behind you. One situation where correct little-blind play differs from big-blind play is against a possible steal-raise. Now if you are going to play (usually with a hand in Groups 1-6), you should almost always reraise. The purpose of this reraise is to drive the big blind out of the pot. However, if someone else has already called the raise, then this play is usually incorrect without an excellent hand because you now know that at least one of your opponents is likely to have a legitimate hand. In addition, you should, as usual, consider how well your opponent plays. Remember, the better he plays, the higher quality hand you need to make this type of play.There are two other spots where little-blind play differs from big-blind play. The first occurs when the pot is not raised and it will cost you only a fraction of a bet to play. If the fraction to enter the pot is half a bet, then you (the player in the little blind) should still be somewhat selective of the hands you play, though you should play loose. For example, hands like 8ª 6¨any two suited cards, or if the pot is short-handed, a hand that contains an ace, are all probably right to call with. But hands likeJ§ 2©should still be thrown away. However, if it costs only one-third of a bet to enter the pot, every hand should be played. In this spot, it is just too cheap to throw away your hand, no matter how bad it is. The one exception occurs when the big blind is a frequent raiser. Why waste even one-third of a bet, since you have to fold if he raises.If no one has raised, the pot is short-handed, you are in the small blind, and the big blind is apt to call your raise, you should only raise with your best hands. This generally means Group 1 and 2. On the other hand, if the big blind will fold a lot you should now raise with many more hands. This would include the Group 3 hands and those Group 4 hands made up of high ranking cards. However, when making this play with a marginal hand do not forget toconsider your opposition. You should be less inclined to make this play against the better players.If no one has raised, the pot is multiway, and you are in the small blind, only raise with the hands that are either very strong or some hands that play well multiway.Remember, when you make this raise you are putting a lot of money in the pot out of position.The other situation that is unique to the little blind is when everyone has thrown away their hands. The question now is whether to fold, call the big blind, or raise the big blind. In addition to the ideas in the previous paragraph, keep in mind that for all four betting rounds, you will be at a positional "disadvantage to the big blind.However, if the big blind throws away too many hands in this situation you should frequently raise. For example, in a $10-$20 game, it costs you $15 to raise when you have the little blind. There is $15 in the pot already. Therefore, if the big blind folds more than 50 percent of the time, you would show an immediate profit with any two cards. Add this to the fact that sometimes you will win when you are called, and it becomes worthwhile to raise when your chance of stealing the ante is as little as 30 percent. Few players in the big blind will discard their hands this often in this situation, but when you find one who will, you should take advantage of him.To clarify this idea, here's an example. If you hold a hand likeA© 6¨you should frequently just call. However, if the big blind folds a lot, or folds too much on the flop, you should always raise. (For more discussion see "Part Five: Playing Short-handed" which begins on page 56.)Generally, if you are in the big blind, everyone passes to the small blind, and he raises, you normally need to make sure that you call enough so that the player in the little blind does not show an automatic profit. (Remember, this will be the case if you fold as little as 30 percent of the time.) On the other hand, if you know that this player has high raising standards, you should fold your weaker hands. The First Two Cards: Late-Position Blind In most cardrooms, if you miss your blinds or have just entered a game, you are allowed to post what is known as a late-position blind. (A blind just to the right of the button.) If you are new to the game, you must post an amount equal to the big blind; if you have missed the blinds, you must post an amount equal to both the big and the little blinds. However, in both cases, only an amount equal to the big blind is live. (This late-position blind is posted in addition to the big and little blinds to the left of the dealer button.)Because of your improved position and the increased amount of money in the pot, there are some significant strategy changes versus regular blind play. For instance, if everyone passes, you should raise with most of your hands. This is one of those situations where either folding or raising is the best play, while just calling is usually the worst option. But because you already have posted your blind, you cannot fold. This means that raising is usually correct. The exception is when you are against opponents who almost always will defend their blinds, no matter how poor their hands are.If some players have already called, you would normally raise only with those hands that you usually raise with had you not posted a late-position blind. In fact, you may want to raise less often, since your opponents will now misread the strength of your hand.Because of your position, if the pot is raised in front of you, you can call with a hand slightly worse than what you would play in the big blind. But you still must be very selective, especially if you are against a good player. Remember to distinguish between a legitimate raise and a possible steal-raise. Against the latter, it is probably okay to play with any ace and most kings, depending on how well your opponent plays. And if you do decide to play you should often reraise. The First Two Cards Afterthought We have seen that in Texas hold’em it is relatively easy to specify exactly how the first two cards should be played. This is because at this stage of play, proper strategy is not yet that complicated. This doesn't mean that you cannot make mistakes, but it does mean that if you understand the situation and have good judgment, it should be fairly clear as to what the correct play should be. Unfortunately, as we shall soon see, this is not always true with play on the flop and beyond.We would also like to stress again that unless you are in the blind, you should not be calling many raises, particularly if the pot is short-handed. You should usually reraise or fold, with folding being much more prevalent. To do otherwise is the classic "weak player" mistake, and it is the easiest way to tell if an opponent does not understand the game as well as he should.Another idea to keep in mind when playing hold’em is that it is easy to become frustrated and to start playing too many hands. For example, a hand likeA¨ 10§can begin to look almost as good as a hand likeAª Q¨In some situations, such as when you are in a steal position and no one has yet entered the pot, this is probably true. But in other spots, having the bigger kicker is crucial. If an ace flops, a queen should win where a ten may not. You are also much more likely to flop top pair with a queen than with a ten. In addition, if you do flop top pair with a queen rather than a ten, you don't have to worry as much about overcards hitting on a later round. This adds up to a lot of extra pots and extra money.The ideas in this chapter are all very important. But even though playing your first two cards correctly is absolutely crucial to winning play, it will not automatically make you a winner. Perfect play on the first two cards will enable you to only break even at best if you are not adept at the later rounds. So read on.