The purpose of this article is to familiarize you with the basic Limit Texas Holdem strategy for Longhand games (i.e. games involving eight or more players). This article gives valuable tips on how beginners can play winning Longhand Limit Texas Holdem at the lower limits ($2/$4 tables, or less).

Choosing good starting hands.

This is the point, where most beginners stumble over primitive, but pitiful mistakes. They choose to play too many hands, including poor ones. They simply fail to realize that Longhand Limit Texas Holdem is a game of patience and discipline. Although it’s rather hard and boring, you should be patient enough to wait for quality starting hands and then just win with those. The rest must be folded preflop.

So, what are these quality starting hands? David Sklansky, a famous Texas Holdem expert, divides all starting hands in eight groups, but I am going to simplify his concept a little bit for you. In fact, the major difference between my concept and his concept is that I exclude preferences for any suited cards, because most beginners tend to play suited cards, which is also a frequent Texas Holdem beginner mistake. Holding a suited hand is pretty cool, but it’s just an additional bonus, which should be considered only after valuing the hand itself.

Well, take a look at the following list of good starting hands:

First group includes high pairs AA, KK, QQ, JJ and AK.

These are simply the best starting hands, bar none. If you hold one of these starting hands, you should rise and reraise with them preflop without any doubt. If you are lucky to hold AA, then your goal is to attract as much money into the pot, as possible.

First group hands should be played without any doubt, except AK or JJ, when you are pretty sure that one of your opponents holds something like AA, KK, or QQ by the way he raises preflop. I mean tight players, who never bluffed or semi-bluffed in previous games (that’s why you should evaluate your opponents before getting involved in really hot action). These hands are worth raising from any position (early, middle, or late position is the position of your seat towards the dealer button) and your goal is to attract a lot of money during preflop betting. However, if you hold AK, then you shall need to hit either an Ace, or a King, so you should raise carefully and fold, in case if there is an aggressive raiser among your opponents – he might already hold a high pair.

Second group includes 1010, 99, AQ and KQ.

Although these are good starting hands, they aren’t as sweet as you’d like them to be. Holding one of these hands, you hope for sufficient help from the board. In low-limit Texas Holdem you will almost always need to hit a set with 10 10 and 9 9 to win.

Second group hands should generally be played, but though they work much better with fewer players in the pot, you should consider raising in order to knock some of your opponents out of the game. However, these hands aren’t worth re-raising, because they’re rather doubtful before you see the flop. Avoid calling such hands 3 bets cold, which means that if someone reraises you, then you can call, but you shouldn’t call if you are calling a re-raised raise. The reason to avoid 3 bets cold is that you don’t actually have a sufficient advantage going into the flop. Another important thing to remember in Limit Texas Holdem is that you want to have an advantage, when going into the flop. Try to call one raise in the late position, except if the raiser is in the early position and you know that he’s a skilled and tight player, which means that he might hold a first-group hand.

Third group includes 88, AJ, A10, KJ, QJ, J10, Q10.

Although these hands are pretty good, you should be especially careful playing AJ, A10, KJ, as these hands are highly vulnerable to be beaten by a high kicker. For example if you have AJ and hit a pair of aces at the flop (say, the board is A,10,3), then there is a possibility that one of your opponents holds AK or AQ that will beat your hand due to a higher kicker.

These hands significantly increase in value, if suited, or when you are sitting in the late position. When suited, you have a better chance of winning, especially when participating in a multi-way pot. Late position gives you a better overview of your opponents’ strength before you actually have to act. If there was a lot of betting and raising action – you should consider folding, but if most of your opponents folded, or betting action was rather drowsy, then you should consider raising at least one time.

Fourth group includes A with any small card, K with 7 or higher (preferably suited), pocket pairs: 77, 66, 55, 44, 33, 22 and suited connectors such as 10 and 9, 9 and 8, 8 and 7, 7 and 6, 10 and 8, 9 and 7, 8 and 6.

Fourth group hands are very contradictory. They are rather weak, but on the other hand they can be amazing, if you hit a straight, flush, or trips. However, you shall want a large, multi-way pot, because such hands usually miss the flop. Therefore you want a huge pot, if you actually hit something with these cards; hence, you shall want a lot of people in the pot.

Well, take a look at the following example:

Say, you get dealt with 7 and 6 of spades and the board is A of clubs, 8 of hearts and 5 of diamonds. You call a bet on flop, turn brings 9 of spades and you jam the pot.

This example shows that holding one of the fourth group hands, you want to contribute as fewer money as possible preflop, while hoping that most of your opponents will enter the flop. If you are the dealer and there is only one of your opponents is in with a raise – you should fold. However, if you are in the Big Blind position and there are 5 or more people, who called a raise, then you should go ahead with a call and see the flop.

Flop play.

Once you see the flop, you will appear in one of the following situations:

• You hit a set, but your hand is possibly beatable. For instance, you have some high pair and a top kicker, or an overpair (say, you have QQ and the board is J,10 and 5).

In this case you want to hit the pot and knock possible opponents out. Hence, you want some of your opponents to bet to you and then raise, if you are sitting in the early position. However, if you are sitting in the late position and there were no bets yet, you must bet aggressively to knock your opponents out of the game.

• You hold one of the top hands. For example, you either have Three of a Kind or a Full House.

In this case there is no reason to get rid of your opponents, because each player staying in the game will contribute money to your pot. If you hold Three of a Kind, or Full House, your goal is to wait until the turn and then jam a large pot with your hand. However, you should consider more aggressive play right after the flop, if there is a dangerous draw out there.

• You have the second-best hand. This shouldn’t normally happen if you follow my preflop strategy, but it still possible. For example you have AQ and the board is K, Q and 4.

In this case, you should treat your cards as a drawing hand, which means that you should fold, unless you are pretty sure that your hand is the best one at the moment (this is possible if there are few players in the pot and is unlikely in large multi-way pots, because there are impressive chances that one of your opponents holds a King).

• You hold a drawing hand. For example you have suited A and 10 of spades and the board is K of spades, 8 of spades and 2 of diamonds.

In this case, you must use outs and calculate your pot odds and act according to the results (fold if you have negative pot odds, or continue, if your pot odds are pretty promising).

• You have completely missed the board. For example you have 66 and the board is A, K and 7, each of different suite.

In this situation it is clear that your hand is a potential loser, because your chances of hitting a 6, 7, A or K during next rounds are too small. Just fold and wait for a better hand.

Number of players in the pot.

Another important thing to consider is the number of players staying in the pot. This affects both selection of starting hands worth playing and your chances of holding the best hand in the game. For instance, if you hold AK and the board is AQQ, then you should be aggressive, if there is just a couple of players staying in the pot and, on the other hand, treat it careful if there are 6 or more players staying in the pot. The more players there are, the higher chance there is that one of your opponents holds a better hand.

These are just the basics of Longhand Limit Texas Holdem strategy that focuses on fundamental aspects of the game. Consider reading more in-depth strategy articles available on this site.

Also recommended:

1. Limit Texas Holdem Strategy for Shorthand Games
2. Advanced Limit Texas Holdem Strategy for Shorthand Games
3. Low Limit Omaha Strategy
4. Who Pays Off in No-Limit Texas Holdem
5. Omaha Hi/Lo Strategy