Playable Hands for Shorthanded Limit Holdem

Knowledge of playable hands are essential in Poker, but when you are playing in short handed Limit Holdem, it can mean the difference between winning and losing. Because the action is fast and furious, knowing that your hands are playable is going to be a decisive advantage.

Of course the hands that can be considered as functional will be dependent on the type of game that is being played. If it is a high stakes game with several raising and re raising before the flop, you should only consider playing the premiums like AA-JJ. You do not want to raise and be aggressive when you are holding something less than that because you will be called.

For more "normal" games, your raising hands can settle for Aces paired with a ten or Jack, or King/Queen, or JTs, suited or not. If you want to call a raise, your short handed Limit Holdem hand can include the aforementioned King/Queen plus Queen/Jack, plus the Ace paired with any of the face cards.

One of the keys to winning in short handed Limit Holdem is the pre flop and knowing the hands to play here will be crucial. Here the type of player you are up against will have to be a factor.

If you are playing against a maniac, you can very well play an A8 or a pocket 66, because most of the time they will be holding marginal hands anyway. If you are up against a tight aggressive player, you will naturally have to play better hands.

You can use short handed Limit Holdem hands like AK and AQ to call, as the odds are in favor of it hitting a pair and with it a good kicker as well. Suited connectors, on the other hand, are not nearly as prolific in a short handed game.

There will be times when these hands are playable, but if there are less than six players, you should avoid them. If you want to play these hands, it is best if you are in position, so that you will know if it can withstand pressure from your Limit Holdem opponents.

Short handed Limit Holdem is all about getting the maximum value for the hands that you are playing. In any situation, that will only be possible if you know exactly what you are holding. With the knowledge of your hands, you are at an advantage, because you know how to play them regardless of the scenarios that will come up.