When to Play Q
I’ve been talking a lot of trash about doing an analysis of a specific hold’em hand, and it’s time for me to put up or shut up. A few columns ago, I asked for suggestions on hands to analyze, and mentioned that Q-J (offsuit) might be a good starting point. Not surprisingly, Q-J turned out to be the leading vote getter. So, my short career as an objective pollster didn’t last long, but I do have a few observations to make about Q-J.
I’ve done two things with Q-J that I hope will be helpful. First, I’ve consulted the hold’em strategy books on my bookshelf, to find areas where there is a consensus about how the hand should be played preflop in limit games. Second, I’ve run some simulations to learn a little more about Q-J’s fate on the flop and beyond. There are other things we could do to learn more about when and how to play Q-J. These are just the two that fit in my column this month.
One of the reasons I picked Q-J is because it’s so tricky to play well. Every hand must pay its share of blinds, and even the worst hands will …
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