Opening Hands Strategy if You're First In

we suggest K6 as a minimum-suited King to open with from late position, when you're either last or next to last before the poker blinds. To many people K6 doesn't seem o be all that much different a hand than K2. This is because if you flop a King then in any case if someone else also has a King, your hand will be beaten by a better kicker. The flush draw potential of the two hands is the same, and the difference between a pair of Kings with a 6 kicker and a pair of Kings with a 2 kicker isn't much. Also, two pair with Kings and 6s aren't much different than two pair Kings and 2s. It is correct but the difference between a 2 and 6 is still large, particularly when you're opening from late position.

We suggest the K6 as minimum if you're one of the last two players (the button and one to the right of button). Here you have got two or three possible callers. You are not actually looking to flop a flush draw - your odds are pretty weak for that with at most two or three callers. The flush possibility odds little when you are first in from late position. In the same position, we suggest K, 7 unsuited as a minimum opening unsuited King.

Against such kind of rivals, the King can sometimes even win just with its high-card value. Flopping "second pair" (pairing the second highest card on the flop) is a good hand in a short handed games and if only three or four of you haven't folded, that is the situation you are in. so, pairing the King is possibly enough and you won't need a kicker.

The King is a kicker in this case. The 6 can flop second pair and the second pair with a good kicker is a strong hand in a short-handed confrontation. A deuce or trey will not be flopping a second pair much. That is the difference between K6 and K2. Very small pair will be beaten by second pair but a small card as large as 6 or 7 is often large enough to make a difference.

The second difference between the 6 and a 2 is overcards. If you pair a 2 on the flop then every card that comes on the turn or river is an overcard to your pair, bringing a risk of beating you by pairing a card in the hand of a rival. If you flop the bottom pair with 6 then only six holdem overcards might make someone a larger pair on the turn or river. This is major difference.

MINIMUM CALLING HANDS WITH ONE OR TWO EARLY POSITION LIMPERS

Suited Cards
	Pairs	Ax s	K x s	Q x s	Jx s	10x s	9x s	8x s	7x s	6x s
Under the gun	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Early Positions	9,9	AJ	KQ	QJ	JT	-	-	-	-	-
Middle Positions	9,9	AJ	KQ	QJ	JT	-	-	-	-	-
Button	8,8	AT	KJ	QT	J9	T8	98	87	-	-
Small Blind	6,6	A6	KT	Q9	J8	T7	97	86	76	65

Unsuited Cards
	Ax s	K x s	Q x s	Jx s	10x s	9x s	8x s
Under the gun	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Early Positions	AK	-	-	-	-	-	-
Middle Positions	AK	KQ	-	-	-	-	-
Button	AQ	KJ	QJ	JT	T9	98	87
Small Blind	AJ	KT	QT	J9	T9	98	87

A x s: means an Ace and another lower card of the same suit.
K x s: means a King and another lower card of the same suit.
A x: means an Ace and another card of a different suit from the Ace.
K x: means a King and another lower card of a different suit from the King.

Continue:When Others have called

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