Preflop Play

Hand Selection

I'm sure that you've read about hand selection and looked over your favorite author's starting hand guide. It will tell you the recommended hands that you should play from early, middle, and late position. There are exceptions, but their recommendations are usually a very good guide to use. If you want to keep yourself out of trouble and stay above the gutless play of the online fish, you'll take your tight-aggressive author's word and stick to good starting hands. I even kept a photocopy of Matthew Hilger's starting hand guide from Internet Texas Hold 'em next to my computer for a while. And remember, we all play garbage like J-7 offsuit at times, but try to keep those temptations to a minimum. It'll save you a lot of money in the long run.

In Beat Texas Hold 'em, Tom McEvoy suggests that "it is unprofitable over the long run to play anything other than Aces, Kings, AK, and sometimes Queens from first position." He's right. Position is power in hold 'em. You can loosen your starting hand requirements as you get closer to the button, but play very selectively from early position. You'll have to act first, and you won't know where you stand unless you're holding strong cards. Most of your opponents will be playing a combination of good starting cards (even maniacs can wake up with AA) and bad cards. You'll only be playing the good cards. Don't sink to their level because you'll probably be stuck with a borderline call that could cost you a lot of money

Suited Connectors

Even though you'll be playing big cards most of the time, keep an eye on the pot when you're in late position. This is a great time to play suited connectors if 4 or 5 players are seeing the flop with you. The pot odds justify a call from you in this situation, plus these types of hands can turn into real monsters if you hit the right flop. If you've been showing your opponents good cards, you may even consider a raise in this situation. Your opponents will put you on a couple of big cards, and it can pay off when you hit two pair or a set on the flop with your 4-5.  

Hands	Raises in front of you	Early pos.	Middle pos.	Late pos.	Blinds
	None	Raise
AA, KK	Exactly one	Raise
	More than one	All-In
	None	Raise
QQ	Exactly one	Raise
	More than one	Fold
	None	Raise
AK	Exactly one	Call
	More than one	Fold
JJ, TT	None	Call	Raise
	One or more	Fold
99 to 22	None	Call
	One or more	Fold
AQ, AJ, KQ	None	Fold		Raise
	One or more	Fold
Special rules
If there is a raise behind you, you only continue playing with AA, KK, QQ and AK and go All-In immediately. You fold all other cards.
If an opponent raises more than 6 big blinds, you only continue playing with AA, KK, QQ and AK and go All-In immediately. You fold all other cards.

Playing Any Pocket Pair

A couple of table situations make it profitable to play small and medium pocket pairs (2-2 through 10-10) from any position. If you're in late position and you have at least 4 or 5 callers ahead of you, definitely play any pocket pair. Also, if you're table is passive and you don't encounter a lot of preflop raises, than you might consider playing any pocket pair from middle and late position. Just remember, if you don't have an overpair to the board on the flop, NO SET, NO BET!

Play the Opposite Style of Your Opponents

When your table is full of stupid players who are hitting big hands with trash cards, you might be tempted to play those same trash cards hoping to hit those monsters, too. You can try it. But the problem is that maniacs and fish like to intimidate other players by constantly raising the pot preflop. It's going to cost you to see the flop, and most of the time you're not going to hit anything with trash hands.

As Doyle Brunson recommends in Super System 2, you usually want to be playing the opposite style of the opponents at your table. If your table is full of wild loose players, you want to tighten up and wait for the right cards to snap them off. I don't suggest getting involved with mediocre hands and trying any fancy plays at most loose online tables. Your opponents aren't going to pay attention, and will probably call you down with any two cards. Doyle's advice also works well if you're playing at a tighter site like Ultimate Bet or Full Tilt. At a table full of tight players, I often mix it up with lots of pot-sized raises from late positions. Most of the time you'll pick up the blinds and if you do get called, you can usually win it on the flop if all blanks fall.

Summary

-Good starting hands are the first defense against bad online players

-Be very selective from early position

-Loosen up your starting hand requirements as you gain position

-Consider staying in with suited connectors from late position with lots of callers

-Play small and medium pocket pairs in the right situations and remember: no set, no bet

-Don't sink to the bad players level

-Play the opposite style of the rest of the table