Nathan 'BlackRain79' Williams reveals the top five hands that amateur poker players overplay and explains how to avoid common pitfalls at the poker table.
Nathan Williams: Nathan Williams, also known as BlackRain79, is a professional poker player and a highly respected figure in the poker community, particularly known for his expertise in small and mid-stakes games. Starting his journey with just $60 in micro stakes back in 2004, he defied expectations by achieving significant success and ultimately leaving his job to pursue poker full-time in 2007. With some of the highest winnings in online poker history at the small and mid stakes, Nathan has shared his insights by becoming a three-time best-selling poker author and has contributed to the poker community through his Elite Poker Training University course. His work emphasizes strategic approaches to the game, and he provides valuable resources for players of all levels, including a free poker 'cheat sheet' and his poker strategy books, which are available with discounts through his website. Additionally, Nathan uses tools like PokerTracker for analyzing game statistics and encourages others to do the same to see the 'cold, hard evidence' of their poker plays. He has a significant online presence, sharing his knowledge and strategies through his YouTube channel, BlackRain79Poker, and his social media accounts.
Avoid Certain Hands: Refrain from playing weak hands such as king nine, seven six suited, pocket threes, jack eight, and ace rag, especially from early and middle positions to minimize losses.
Top Pair Vulnerability: Be cautious when hitting top pair with hands that have poor kickers, as these are often outmatched by better kickers, leading to lost pots.
Playing Suited Connectors: Suited connectors should be played judiciously, as they can be long-term losing hands unless they connect with the board for a strong draw or hit trips.
Baby Pocket Pairs Strategy: Play baby pocket pairs like pocket threes conservatively, aiming to see a cheap flop and hoping to hit a set, rather than committing significant chips without improving.
Stealing Blinds: Hands like king nine and jack eight can be used to open raise when in late position (button or cutoff) to steal blinds, but should otherwise be folded pre-flop.
Navigating Ace Rag: Avoid playing weak aces, especially unsuited ones, from early and middle positions. Only consider playing them in late position as a steal or in the small blind if the pot has not been raised.
Common Mistakes by Fishy Poker Players: Identifies five specific hands that amateur poker players (referred to as 'fish') tend to overvalue, leading to losses at the poker table.
King Nine Strategy: Explains why king nine, as a starting hand, is weak due to high chances of being outkicked and advises folding it in early and middle positions, while suggesting it can be played from stealing positions like the button or cutoff.
Suited Connectors: Discusses the misconceptions about suited connectors like seven six suited, explaining that they are often overvalued and result in losses, while highlighting situations where they can be profitable with monster draws.
Baby Pocket Pairs: Analyzes the challenges of playing low pocket pairs like pocket threes, emphasizing the low odds of flopping a set and recommending playing them cautiously, trying to see a cheap flop.
Jack Eight Strategy: Warns about the difficulties of playing jack eight due to its tendency to make a weak top pair and suggests folding it preflop in most cases, except when stealing blinds.
Ace Rag Strategy: Points out that hands like ace four are commonly overvalued by amateurs, noting the limited straight potential and weak top pair, advising players to fold them preflop in early and middle positions.
Hand Selection and Range Balancing: Emphasizes the need to balance ranges by sometimes playing weaker hands without expecting them to be long-term profitable, to be more difficult to play against.
Skill Development Resources: Mentions resources available for learning, including a free poker cheat sheet, PokerTracker for hand analysis, and the Elite Poker Training University course.
Engagement with Viewers: Encourages viewers to subscribe for more strategy videos, like and comment on the video, and provides links to additional resources in the description.
This article is a summary of the video 5 Poker Hands Only Fish Play (Just Fold These!) by BlackRain79Poker published on January 17, 2023 at 19:14:49.
Q: How can I avoid overvaluing weak hands like king nine in poker? A: Recognize hands like king nine that are easily outkicked and fold them pre-flop, especially from early and middle positions. Be cautious if you do hit top pair with such hands and avoid large bets and raises unless you have a strong kicker.
Q: What is the best strategy for playing hands from different positions, such as king nine or jack eight? A: From early and middle positions, you should generally fold hands like king nine or jack eight pre-flop. In later positions like the button or cutoff, also known as the steel seats, you can consider open raising with these hands if the action is folded to you.
Q: When I hit top pair with a bad kicker, how should I manage the hand? A: When you hit top pair with a bad kicker, exercise caution and be ready to fold if the betting action suggests you are outkicked. Avoid escalating the pot unless you have additional draws or believe you have the best hand.
Q: What's the optimal way to play small pocket pairs if I don't flop a set? A: With small pocket pairs, aim to see a cheap flop in hopes of hitting a set, which occurs roughly 12% of the time. If you don't hit a set, be prepared to fold, especially if the flop is mostly overcards or if there's significant betting action.
Q: How can I balance my poker ranges effectively? A: To balance your ranges, mix up your play with both strong and speculative hands. Play some hands that are not long-term profitable, such as suited connectors, cautiously, and only get involved with a strong draw or trips to make yourself less predictable.
Q: What are some tips for making disciplined folds pre-flop? A: To make disciplined folds pre-flop, understand the statistical profitability of hands and be willing to let go of attractive but unprofitable hands, especially from early positions. Utilize hand charts and tools like PokerTracker to guide your pre-flop decisions.