I can’t remember where I got this one but it’s stuck with me.
Don’t play anything 7 or lower.
That means if you have a starting hand such as A7, even suited – don’t play that hand.
Why?
Well, here are some scenarios, likely and… less likely.
If you stumbled on a flush, then you’d almost certainly have a winning hand (because of the Ace). The point is though, that the chances of a flush, even with two suited cards are pretty slim. We tend to think the chances are higher than they are and play these hands in the hope that we get lucky.
A more likely scenrio is you make a pair – with either card. If you pair the 7, then you are at quite some risk of a higher card coming out and someone beating your pair of 7s with a higher pair.
But what if you pair the Ace? A pair of Aces is a good hand, right? Well, it is, but there is also a good chance that someone else has a pair of Aces and if they do they probably have you beat because it’s likely that they have a better kicker than you do. The problem isn’t even one of probability, but of getting stuck in a hand that you can’t get away from and sinking money into a pot only to be beaten on the kicker. i.e. these low kicker hands can get you into a lot of trouble if you don’t know how to play them.
So a good tip is just to avoid playing anything with a 7 or below. This includes low pairs (77 and below). Until you have more experience in the game, just fold them pre-flop.
The worst hand in poker (technically 7-2 off suit) isn’t actually the hand that loses you the most money. The hand that loses you the most money in any pot is the second best hand. Think about it.