How to Play Different NL Hold'em Hands For Total Newbies

The following is a thought I had on the nature of the way new players learn NLHE in terms of structure and the order of things that are learned. Some people would argue that the real basics are hand reading, understanding ranges, betting, and so on, but a complete newbie can't understand those things with no understanding of their context. And so I present the following, which I believe is the beginning of the learning process for most new players, broken down into a structure that I think is easy to understand and grow out of when the time is right.

For the complete newbie's purposes, there are three kinds of No-Limit Hold'em hands that will often continue past the flop. Combined with some starting hand requirements that come from an understanding of position, after the newbie learns how to play these three types of hands, not only am I pretty sure they could beat up to 10nl at the very least, but they've started cultivating the skills needed to play NLHE well in general:

1. Small-mid pairs that hit sets
2. Top pairs battling draws and vice versa
3. Everything else

1. Small-mid pairs that hit sets

We want to be getting good implied odds on the stacks of our respective villains, which usually means around 20:1 or so if we're just against one person, and 15:1 or so against more than one person. If we hit a set then we want to start getting it in, etc. The easiest hands to play. Post-flop is similar to top-pair type hands that score two-pair or better.

2. Top pairs battling draws and vice versa

This is where an understanding of outs and pot odds and implied odds first come in, along with semibluffs. When we have a draw, we want to put money in if we think we'll have an edge based on the odds and we want to get out if we don't. When we have the top pair or overpair type hand, we want to be betting enough to try to give the other player bad odds, etc., but without over-betting the pot or whatever.

3. Everything else

This is where we learn how to continuation bet with missed overs and other topics. Hand type #2 will make us better at hand reading which will make us perform better at this hand type when we have pairs that aren't top pair. This is the hardest hand type for newbies because it's hard to play without some kind of understanding of what's going on. Eventually, this is the type of hand that will make us better at putting people on ranges and "playing poker".

Originally Posted by spoonitnow

3. Everything else

This is where we learn how to continuation bet with missed overs and other topics. Hand type #2 will make us better at hand reading which will make us perform better at this hand type when we have pairs that aren't top pair. This is the hardest hand type for newbies because it's hard to play without some kind of understanding of what's going on. Eventually, this is the type of hand that will make us better at putting people on ranges and "playing poker".

Two of my Spoony favs: Spoon's Good Example of When to Cbet and A Good Example of When Not to Cbet.

This post didn't get any love. I checked it when it was posted, and thought vnh. Noobies should be reading and thinking about this. Hell, I reread it and rethought about it. Profitably.

Super ninja re-bump...

The point of the model is that every NLHE topic that complete beginners need to learn falls neatly into one of the three "types" of hands. After those skills are learned (which includes putting opponents on ranges and being aware of what your range seems to be) then the thought process changes a bit, but this model doesn't bog the newbie down too much like others I've seen (Aok's for instance).

Originally Posted by spoonitnow

The point of the model is that every NLHE topic that complete beginners need to learn falls neatly into one of the three "types" of hands. After those skills are learned (which includes putting opponents on ranges and being aware of what your range seems to be) then the thought process changes a bit, but this model doesn't bog the newbie down too much like others I've seen (Aok's for instance).

And for those of us who are new, but not complete noobies, we often need to just get back to basics. Think about how simple poker is, down in its soul. Think big picture. Hell, just think, dammit!!

Good post. Shit, when I started to play poker, my knowledge (or lack thereof) was all over the map. It's just been the past two years or so where I've actually put it all together and stopped 'gambling' and started learning how to play real, actual poker.

AOK's 19 hand strategy is a great model but someone should re-write the strategy to where you can play SC's, suited Aces, belly-busters, etc. depending on your position and situation (stacks sizes, opponent styles, etc.). I thought about doing it myself, but eh, I'm too new 'round these parts and prolly seen as a newb, so whatever.

Originally Posted by Mezza Morta

Good post. Shit, when I started to play poker, my knowledge (or lack thereof) was all over the map. It's just been the past two years or so where I've actually put it all together and stopped 'gambling' and started learning how to play real, actual poker.

AOK's 19 hand strategy is a great model but someone should re-write the strategy to where you can play SC's, suited Aces, belly-busters, etc. depending on your position and situation (stacks sizes, opponent styles, etc.). I thought about doing it myself, but eh, I'm too new 'round these parts and prolly seen as a newb, so whatever.

Interesting you should mention that. LoL. I'm probably trapping myself on this hand, and probably should consider the preflop fold, but my 888th post has been under construction for four months now and will do pretty much what you just said, targetting a start at 10nl for complete noobies. Should be up by Sunday.

Even fnord claimed "noobie for life" status a coupla months back, so don't worry about owning the "noobie" tag. I just like the adjective "winning" in front of my noobie title

Interesting you should mention that. LoL. I'm probably trapping myself on this hand, and probably should consider the preflop fold, but my 888th post has been under construction for four months now and will do pretty much what you just said, targetting a start at 10nl for complete noobies. Should be up by Sunday.

Sweet, saves me the hassles of writing it and getting stoned.

I'm sure you've read the NLHE section in DB's Super/System on how to play specific hands, so I will expect nothing but perfection. Should be a good piece though, can't wait to read it.

Originally Posted by Mezza Morta

Sweet, saves me the hassles of ... getting stoned.

Dude... what crunk you on???

Originally Posted by sarbox68

Originally Posted by Mezza Morta

Sweet, saves me the hassles of ... getting stoned.

Dude... what crunk you on???

I think he means stoned in the Biblical sense, but I LoLd.

Originally Posted by Robb

Originally Posted by sarbox68

Originally Posted by Mezza Morta

Sweet, saves me the hassles of ... getting stoned.

Dude... what crunk you on???

I think he means stoned in the Biblical sense, but I LoLd.

LOL the biblical sense. a funny (and correct) way of putting it xD

Haha, yeah, I meant 'stoned' as in getting stoned to death (see capital punishment).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment

Originally Posted by Mezza Morta

Haha, yeah, I meant 'stoned' as in getting stoned to death (see capital punishment).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment

Dude... ain't nobody in history ever gotten stoned to death... they doze off long before then.......

Hardy har har. I see we have a comedian in the house.

Anyway, getting back to spoon's post... ah, who am I kidding, I have nothing more to add.

Another worthwhile bump imo.