Trash Hands

gosplan

Just wondering peoples thoughts on required quality of opening hands, specifically how much would you consider opening out your requirments in a low limit game, say .50/.50 NL.

Obviously there's the groups etc. and we all love the big few, A's, K's, all the way down to pocket pairs, 10 J s and then throwing in the odds 79s just to mix it up.

Does anyone out there advocate calling with trash hands at times?

Essentially, in a situation like this:

Blinds: .50/.50
I'm the button, UTG raises to $1, everyone folds to me.
If he's got a decent stack I trend to move my requirments right out, 38s will probably see me call here.

Firstly this does not mean that I generally see a flop with any two suited cards but in the right type of pot I find that you can make a killing with trash hands in late position.

You never read much about this type of thing in poker books and I've never quite worked it out but my gut feeling is that it's a correct thing to do, especially at lower levels where everyones got the Sklansky hand chart open beside them and they don't expect this thing.

The plus points as I see them basically having a very disguised and easy to play hand in late position. Also, once you turn over something like 49s to beat pocket kings, players don't take into account the conditions under which you entered the pot and you get endless amounts of action.

The negative points aren't that many, the only time I ever lose much money on a hand like this is where I'm all-in ahead and get outdrawn or where I'm beaten by a higher flush.

Basically does anyone else find trash hands in late position very profitable in NL hold'em or am I a maniac?

ianmc38

I'll often play the likes of 68, T8, 46 for cheap in late position when I have good implied odds and when i can see a flop cheaply. I never play garbage out of position and i'll rarely to never play the likes of 27s, 29s, 38s etc when in position.

Marq

Are you referring to a specific game here? the Fitz 50-max buy-in?

gosplan

nope, any cash game really. Pref one with bad players who have toruble folding to a low board.

RoundTower

If the stacks are nice and deep and you are much much better than your opponents I don't see anything wrong with this. It is hard to know you are much better than your opponents though, and you will probably overestimate this.

gosplan

"It is hard to know you are much better than your opponents though, and you will probably overestimate this."

Nah, I'm definatly rubbish