The following Limit Holdem Longhand Strategy is for games involving more than 8 poker players with lower limits of $2-4 or less.
As a beginner in this type of Texas Holdem game, you will see that you normally will play too many hands in the preflop. However, since Limit Holdem is a most often a game of patience, you need to wait for quality hands, to allow the apples, literally, to fall into your lap. If you ask yourself how can you recognize when a good hand is dealt to you, the categories below can help you:
- First category – AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK – when you are dealt cards like these, you have the crème de la crème of all starting hands. Your best bet will be to raise or reraise with them at the preflop. And if you have an AA, well, it is best to throw in the pot as much money as possible. And you must almost every single time to play such a hand, though of course, if you have an AK or JJ and you are fairly sure someone else at the table has AA or KK maybe.
- Second category – TT, 99, AQ, KQ – these are the next best hands you can get, but you may generally need help from the board. You can try to play a hand of that type, though it will be helpful for you if there are fewer players remaining, so keep raising to knock players off. Do not reraise, because it may happen that your hand may have little value before you actually see the board. Always do remember, in Limit Holdem, you must have a clear advantage to flop, so just don’t call 3 bets cold, for example, you raise, someone else reraises, then you call, but don’t call if someone raises, then reraises, and then its your turn.
- Third category – 88, AJ, AT, KJ, QJ, JT, QT – these are quite good hands overall, however, be careful playing AJ, AT, KJ. That is because these hands may lose if there is an Ace on board or they are dominated by hands like these in the first an the second category. Unless you have an 88, your hand will be pretty vulnerable because of the high cards whose kickers are low.
- Fourth category – in this category, there are usually hands of the following kind, where x = any small card – Ax, Kx (x = 7 or higher), and pairs like 22-77, T9, 98, 87, and 76.
You’ll need a large multiway pot to play the cards from this category. That’s because such hands often miss the flop. But, when you hit a straight, or a flush, or trips, then such hands are superb. Which is the reason why you need many people to be in the pot.When the flop play comes, you can then have 1 of 5 situations:
- First situation – a winning hand – You maybe are on a winning path, but have a hand that can be beaten. So if it happens that you are in early position, wait for someone else to bet and to raise to you. If you are in a late position and no one bets, you must bet in order to knock players out.
- Second situation – a boss hand – You’ll have what is called a boss hand, a three-of-a-kind or maybe even a full house on the flop. Don’t even bother to knock other players out, because you might just win. So just wait and jam the pot, but it will not be a mistake to stand cautious.
- Third situation– the second-best hand – In this situation, you can either treat your hand as a drawing hand or you can fold. Unless, of course, you believe that you have the best hand.
- Fourth situation – a drawing hand – For example, there are two spades in the hole and two are on the board. Use outs and pot odds here to win the hand.
- Fifth situation – nothing – You really have nothing, for instance, you hold 6 6 and flop is A K 7. You better fold at the first bet.
Always know the number of players who are in the pot. This have an impact on the type of hands you must play. Use a good dose of common sense and a clear understanding of the limit Holdem Longhand Strategy, and with some practice, you will soon become an expert at longhand games.
