Having a Favourite Hand

Majj

I can't remember why I fell in love with QT suited but I did. As far as I can remember I must have won a big pot with it on a full house or something, and since then I've afforded it a lot more credit than it deserves, being a decent hand obviously but by no means premium.

I'm not saying I can't fold it pre-flop, but I probably play it stronger than say KJs or even KQ which are clearly better hands statistically. Now this would obviously seem to suggest that having a favourite hand is a stupid idea, there's no room for loving a weak hand when you're playing the odds, so it must be a bad thing right?

Or conversely - I probably came to like QTs because, having had that first win I was pushing it more often, and the more I did the more it won and the more it won the more I liked it. Is there a reason for this? Mixing up your play and semi-bluffing is obviously a technique that can be well employed, and if you're playing an unlikelyish hand surely it's harder for your opponents to put you on it if you've gone a little aggressive pre-flop. So when it does hit (making sure your top pair isn't dominated by AQ or AT) two pair, trips or drawing on an open ended straight, it's not a hand they'll suspect, and of course you can always hit flush or flush draw. And if you don't hit of course you can represent any premium hand to try to bluff your way out without any real suspicion.

I guess this all applies just as well for occasionally pushing any decent playing hand a little hard pre-flop, and obviously that strategy would work better considering sooner or later people will get to know which particular hand it is you like. Anyway in my round about way my question is - Do you have a favourite hand (and what is it), and is it a bad idea to have one?

Sky_Dave

Interesting read, and as someone who has suffered from having a favourite hand I understand where you're coming from. Sadly, I fell in love with three-high, with the mighty 2-3 looking like A-A for a while. I hurt some random Americans in a cash game with that hand once and it stuck. 

Of course, playing hands on a hunch or superstition is just bad poker. You're supposed to play the player as much as the cards, and it's worse if you're waiting for a load of crud because 'it's my favourite hand'. If you're serious about your poker, then it's a habit that needs to be ditched - there's no place for dogma in this game. 

If you play for fun and you don't mind playing certain hands more than you really should, go ahead. Just be aware that it's very much a losing proposition. Unless you're a smart alec who likes those aces...

BigBluster

I like KQ. It's easy to play - call out of position, raise in position, fold to a raise out of position, fold to a re-raise from anywhere, if an ace flops you drop it (unless you make 2 pair or more) - so you're not likely to get into too much trouble.

Lots of people play rag aces, so if you have AK or AQ on an A73 flop, you're all too often against 2 pair and facing a steep hill (isn't it frustrating when our AK gets busted by A3? This happens an awful lot).
But if you have KQ on a K73 or Q73 flop it's very unlikely anyone has 2 pair and you're usually good. People just like to play A7 or A3, whereas they don't play K3 or Q7.

The only real problem occurs when someone just calls pre-flop with AK or AQ - then you're in deep trouble - but that's pretty rare in tournaments, which I play exclusively.

MereNovice

Being known for having a quirky favourite hand can be useful.
It means that you can represent it on suitable boards and get people to fold.
For example, say you had a reputation for playing T7, then you could scare a lot of people of boards with 689xx, 77xxx, TTxxx etc.
You don't actually have to play T7, just have the reputation for playing it.

By the way, I always play 74o. ;-)

Hale72

I, Like everyone else, have a favourite hand.

The winning one.

mr_mbro

In Response to Re: Having a Favourite Hand:

Interesting read, and as someone who has suffered from having a favourite hand I understand where you're coming from. Sadly, I fell in love with three-high, with the mighty 2-3 looking like A-A for a while. I hurt some random Americans in a cash game with that hand once and it stuck.  Of course, playing hands on a hunch or superstition is just bad poker. You're supposed to play the player as much as the cards, and it's worse if you're waiting for a load of crud because 'it's my favourite hand'. If you're serious about your poker, then it's a habit that needs to be ditched - there's no place for dogma in this game.  If you play for fun and you don't mind playing certain hands more than you really should, go ahead. Just be aware that it's very much a losing proposition. Unless you're a smart alec who likes those aces...
Posted by Sky_Dave

Hi Dave,
I cant believe what i've just read.
you have, in the past, given and written some excellent advice, you were spot on with my thread by the way.
But, and its a big but, how can we take ANYTHING that you write in the future as serious, i mean 3/2.
To redeem yourself, i think you should take the old dunking chair test.
If, after being underwater for 5 mins, your dead then we will agree that you were right and in the perfect conditions 3/2 is brilliant. However, if you survive, you will be declared a total CHARLATAN and beaten to death with stones(couldnt get s toned past mods). hehehe
It seemed to work with witches.

col

Sky_Dave

I can't swim, Col. 

mr_mbro

In Response to Re: Having a Favourite Hand:

I can't swim, Col. 
Posted by Sky_Dave

Then everything will be ok unfortunatly you'll die, but on the up side, you'll be respected for your views.
col