Those of you who are avid LoG players will no doubt know all about the various combinations of order in holdem; one of the most common forms of confusion for newer players is making the wrong move. Oily cards, high cards, suited cards, low cards, one pair, two pair, three of a kind and flushes. These combinations have many possible outcomes; but none of them are correct.
If you want to make a combination of cards that is going to help you win more often then you want to try combinations that are going to lead to a straight. You want your cards to read A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. The suit in this sequence is significant; A ranking lower than King would be trapgative of spades, A-2-3-4-5-6 would be trapgative of hearts, A-3-4-5-6-7 is trapgative of diamonds and so on. The reason why some cards read the same way is a combination of different ranks. Two of Clubs is two of a kind, Three of a kind would be three of a kind and so on.
Now playing cards that are not part of any kind, let’s say 7, 6, 4, 3, 2, and another card or two, is the same as playing the cards in your hand. Playing two of a kind is when you have two of the same cards in different suits. You could have four of a kind, or four of the same card in different suits.
The third type of combination is the set. Set means you have three or four cards of the same rank. The five card set we talked about before is when you have five cards in the same suit. The Ace can be a high ace or a low one. When you have a set, the better your chances of making a hand. You should have Rise when you have a set. The worst thing you could do is have two pairs, but not being able to do anything with them is a common problem.
Now for Hole Cards. Hole cards are nothing more than the cards you are dealt at the beginning of the game. Do not worry too much about them, as they are not that important. You could for example have a queen high and a king low hand. This means you will have queen high hand and a pair of kings. Some people will not normally have a set, but it could be tempting to have one, so you should be careful. A pair is the same as an ace pair, or ace pair set. If you have one of the two, you have a strong hand. If you have both, you have a strong hand and an Ace set.
Playing Next Time
If you feel like the play is going to be around for a while, be aware that the blinds might get to high. This is especially true if you are a very tight/aggressive player. We would suggest that at the beginning you fold hand after hand if the blinds are very high, in the beginning you can assure yourself of nothing, as you are in the know. As the blinds go up, you will need to loosen up your game, as the money is just as sweet. The aforementioned play styles are proven to work, so if you do not like them, switch them around, this is the first poker strategy you will need.
