When to open with hands you shouldn’t be opening

December 23, 2020

News

by Jack Stanton

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4 Minute Read

Your mind’s telling you fold. But your heart, your heart is telling you raise.

We don’t want to offend nobody, but there’s something that we must confess.

We don’t see nothing wrong with a little open raise with a weak hand every now and then, even if the solvers scream fold. And neither does PokerStars School’s resident professor Pete Clarke.

But when is it OK to open with hands you know deep down you shouldn’t be opening?

THIS WEEK:

When to open with hands you shouldn’t be opening

The game theory of board texture: Part 3 – ace-high with flush draw

Don’t forget! Sign up to the Blowout Series Freeroll

When to open with hands you shouldn’t be opening

“In cash, we are looking to slowly grind out a long-term edge by making lots of solid decisions. This definitely involves knowing what your base ranges are for opening the pot, reacting to 3-Bets, etc.” writes Clarke.

“But it is equally important to know when to deviate from these ranges. A lot of the money a winning player earns from late position will come from opening hands that are technically losing to play.”

Read ‘When to Open Hands You Shouldn’t’ here.

The game theory of board texture: Part 3 – ace-high with flush draw

Clarke is back with Part 3 of his ‘Game theory of board texture’ series.

This time he’s focusing on ace-high flops with a flush draw. In his example, the board reads: A♥ 9♥ 4♠ .

“If a lot of your hands are ahead but vulnerable to hands which could hit six outs to improve, then you want to gobble up that fold equity by betting often,” writes Clarke.

Improve your ability to manoeuvre on different board textures and check out the link below.

The game theory of board texture: Part 3 – ace-high with flush draw

Don’t forget! Sign up to the Blowout Series Freeroll

To mark the end of a difficult year and see 2020 out with a bang, PokerStars brings you the Blowout Series. Beginning December 27 and running until January 17, this grand celebration will see $60,000,000 in guaranteed prizes to play for.

At PokerStars School, we will once again be hosting freerolls to help you get in on the action.

We’re celebrating the Blowout Series with three special freeroll tournaments starting on December 26, where there will be over $20,000 in Blowout Series tickets up for grabs! Taking part won’t cost you a penny.

Head here for all the details on how to play.

On Twitch and YouTube:

Nick “OP-Poker” Walsh and Pete Clarke are live every week on the PokerStars Twitch channel helping you all to improve your games.

Here are the boys’ current streaming times:

• Nick OP Poker on Thursdays from 5am-9am ET (10am-2pm GMT)
• Pete Clarke on Fridays 3am-7am ET (8am-12pm GMT)

Missed last week’s streams?

Fear not! You can catch up on them at the links below.

Grand Tour with OP Poker Nick on PokerStars Twitch (December 17, 2020)

100NL Zoom Cash Games with Pete Clarke on PokerStars Twitch (December 18, 2020)