THE STRATEGY - Of holding on to a hand in Texas Hold'em
When to Stay in a game of Texas Hold 'Em
One of the biggest disagreements that can be found amongst Texas Hold'em players is whether the strength of a hand is determined by the "hole" cards or not. Some would say, and we would have to agree with them, that a player should not place bets unless he has reasonably useful cards to begin with. The chances a player has of starting off with three useless cards and finishing off with a winning hand is, well, zilch, or nearly zilch.
Others would oppose to this statement, and say that when making a five card hand out of seven cards, it really doesn't matter which cards were given first and which were given last. This claim is, to our opinion, wrong. Though surprises do occur in poker, and the final cards can sometimes make a twist of the game, this happens seldom, and one should not trust his luck so much, especially when there is money at stake. So our tip would be to play a hand only if you were given good starting cards.
Just how good should these starting cards be? That's a great question, though its answer is kind of complex. First of all, your strategy should take into account whether you are playing a game of high limit or of low limit poker. Secondly, you should take into account the skills of the other players around your poker table. If they are experienced players who are willing to take risks, then you'll need a pretty good starting point in order to win the pot.
You should also take into consideration that in a game of Texas Hold'em, the average winning hand would probably be three of nine. That means that if you have a pair in your "hole" cards (face-down cards) that is higher than nine, you stand a chance at winning the round. (If that pair is a King or Ace, your chances are obviously higher than if your pair consists of two tens.) If by the second to last round no high ranking cards were dealt face up, you should be suspicious that your fellow players have good hole cards too, and act accordingly.
In order to help you with your decisions, we've come up with a list of different possible hands, and advises as to how to take them forward.
Three cards in sequence, of the same suit
If you've been good the Gods are smiling to you, you should make a wish for getting three cards of the same suit in sequence. If to be more specific, your best fortune would be to receive a Queen, Jack and ten of the same suit, preferably - a heart.
With this combination of cards you have plenty of combinations possible, depending on the other cards which are dealt face-up. You can make up a Flush with any two cards of the same suit. You can make up a Straight or a Straight Flush of Ace to ten, King to nine or Queen to eight.
You stand less of a chance getting a Straight if your starting point is an Ace, King and Queen of the same suit. Though they are of the highest ranking value, they do not offer the highest chances. Cards which are "skipped", like a Jack, nine and eight are risky, but you might want to take that risk and aim for a Straight.
If you're not lucky enough to make a Flush or a Straight, there is still a chance to find two other Queens or Jacks, thus making a strong hand of three of a kind, which stands a chance of winning the pot. You can also make high ranking pairs with your Queen and Jack, which would make a strong two of a pair, which is also a hand worth a shot.
If you're aiming for a Straight or a Flush and you got one card on the fourth or fifth, it is worth to stay and hope to get your last card on the sixth or seventh.
Three cards of the same suite
Let's say you have three cards of the same suit: Queen, ten and a five. With the Queen and ten you stand some chance of making a Straight or even a Straight Flush. Having three cards of the same suit also gives you about 20% percent chances of getting a Flush, which you need only two more cards for (as oppose to three more cards for a Straight). Depending on how big the betting sums are, and how tight you are with money, it is recommendable to stay in the game even if the fourth card did not add on to your hand. Some players would quit if the fifth card happened to also be futile.
Three cards in sequence
This situation is similar to the previous one, of three making a flush. Let's say you have Queen of Hearts, Jack of Spades and ten of Clubs. You have a pretty good chance of making a Straight, and if that doesn't happen, you can still get high ranking pairs or three of a kind. If you have a Queen of Hearts and a Jack and a ten of Spades that's even better, because you stand a chance of making a Flush.
Three of a kind
Having three of a kind is great, and the higher ranking - the better. However, even if they are relatively low ranking cards, we would still suggest that you try your luck and stay in the round, for if you manage to also make up a pair of cards you've created a Full House and will most probably win the pot. The possibility of making a pair exists till the last round of cards are dealt, so try to hang in there!
High ranking pairs
If your initial cards had a high ranking pair, it would be advisable to stay in the game even if the fourth and fifth cards offered you nothing. Same is true if the fourth or fifth rounds gave you a high ranking pair. There is still a chance that the sixth and seventh rounds will give you cards to make up two pairs, one ranking high, or even a chance for a three of a kind.
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