ITH Poker Forum

[novak79]

I read an article today that talked about how starting hand charts will never get a person beyond being a mediocre player http://www.playwinningpoker.com/articles/00/21.html

Thoughts? I'm curious as to what you guys think because I've used my starting hands chart and always liked it but now I've read this article and dont know what to think[/b]

[mchilger]

Many players who don't use starting hand charts will go broke before they become a mediocre player. There is not one advanced player who follows starting hand charts religiously, but I think it is very valuable for players starting out so that they can just focus on post-flop strategy, which is more important in the long-run.

Matthew

[novak79]

makes sense, when do you think players should start "breaking loose" from the starting hands chart?

[the_hawk]

makes sense, when do you think players should start "breaking loose" from the starting hands chart?

When they have a good idea it's profitable to do so, and not before. If you're not sure, you're probably not ready to do so.

[the_hawk]

The article is mostly piffle since the author (ignorantly or deliberately) misrepresents what starting hand charts are for - which, as Matthew says above, is for the beginner to focus most of their energies on postflop play.

If poker were all about preflop play the author would be correct - but in fact he is way off base.

[mchilger]

After you start to recognize situations which may warrant a change. This probably only occurs when you have passed the intermediate phase. Note that diverting can be quite dangerous even for so-called advance players. Everyone has an inherant desire to play more hands so once you divert, you might start to overdo it and start putting yourself in unprofitable situations. If you want to divert, I suggest that you have your own set of rules when doing so to prevent this from happening. For example, if you go on tilt you might start to overvalue starting hands and play too loosely, whereas a definitive starting hand guide will at least keep your preflop play in check.

Matthew