Hand Categories and Strategy

Improve your Low Limit Hold'em game by learning the different hand categories available and how they should be played. All the strategy you need can be found here.

Like with most poker variants, winning at Low Limit Texas Hold'em is greatly based on the hands you choose to play and how you choose to play them. This article will provide you with the strategy you need to understanding the kind of hand you are holding, and how it should be played after the flop in order to increase your chances of winning.

1. Draws:
Having Draws means having a hand that is only half complete yet has the potential to be a winner. An example is an open ended straight, small pairs or a flush draw.
- Open ended Straight - in an open ended straight, for instance, such as Jack and King, the flop could be Queen, Ten and Four which would complete it. Alternatively, it could also be an Ace and 9, which will be a straight.
- Small Pairs – for example, having two 5's and receiving a third in the flop. These must hit in order to win.
- Flush draw – such as having ten and nine in clubs and then receiving a third and fourth club (such as Ace and Queen) in the flop.
Draws are good hands to have since they often beat your opponents unexpectedly. If there are more players in the game or the pot is big, they are always more valuable.

2. Big Pairs:
As the name suggests, having a Big Pair means having a high pair, such as two Aces. Big Pairs are extremely good hands to have in Low Limit Hold'em since they usually mean you are leading and hard to beat. The challenge, then, is to stay on top. This is done by raising and thus reducing the amount of opponents against you, so that there will be less safe cards for them to draw with. The less people playing against you, the stronger your Big Pair hand will be!

3. Milking Hands:
Having a milking hand means having a hand including two pair, the nuts or higher. The way the Milking hands are played is by taking it slow – not raising until later rounds of betting when the stakes are higher, reducing the amount of opponents, only check raising and raising where necessary, etc. Play according to the specific milking hand you're holding and aim to make the most money from it as possible, since your chances of winning with them are especially high.