Id like to add that some of the most successful sessions I've had were a result of 'outside the box' play. Raising
UTG with 10/2s or K/6os etc and playing the
flop as if I hit a
monster or even catching the odd hand with unlikely starting cards. Seems that more often than not (not so much in tourney play but more so in the ring)...abandoning 'logic' and the much praised 'starting hand requirements' is vital for achieving success. There are far too many players that play only premium hands and its too predictable to..as Fnord said...
raise 5X
UTG with
AA or A/K and play the
flop when you
catch that
top pair. The real pots come when you for example
call a huge
pre flop raise with 5/7os and
catch odd
trips on the
flop (5/5/x) your opponents mindset is that there is no way that you would have called such a big
raise with that 5 and if he is holding
JJ,
QQ etc ..chances are you get paid off. Naturally you have to have expert
post flop skills to make this strat work and be willing to lose several small pots before you
catch the
monster.
I remember one of the biggest pots I ever won in the ring was with 6/4os calling a big
raise (4 callers before me) when I was on the bb. The
flop came 6/6/4 and I got paid off huge by K/K and A/4. It was a 5/10 game and I had just under a 400 dollar
stack and basically tripled up on the most unlikely starting hand. Whereas yesterday I lost 2 huge pots with
QQ and
AA respectively.
Starting hands are only a small part of the game