If you've picked up a good book on Texas Holdem poker, you probably have read about the importance of playing premium hands. In limit games, you should try to play these types of hands almost exclusively, as it is often the case that the times you hit with weaker hands you cannot make the pot large enough to make up for all the times you miss with these types of hands. In no limit Texas Hold em poker however, there is a little more flexibility in the kinds of hands you can play, since the amount you can win when you hit a non-premium hand is limited only by the number of chips you have in front of you.

What Is a Non-Premium Hand?

A non-premium hand is one that does not figure to be the best before the flop. Hands containing two high cards, especially if they are suited or connecting, tend to be considered premium hands, for example, AK, QQ and AQ suited are all considered strong premium hands. Hands like KJ suited and TJ off suit are considered less valuable, but still frequently playable.

Non-premium hands are anything else. People who play poker tend to stay in the pot with non-premium hands like small suited connectors, for example 6h 7h, or small pairs like 33, 44 or 55, in certain no limit situations. The reason is because when one of these hands hits the flop strongly, they tend to be well disguised and you can often trap your opponents into paying you off with a big pot. When Should You Play Non-Premium Hands? When You are in Late Position

If you are one of the last to act in a hand, you should be more willing to play non-premium cards. The reasons for this include the fact that if you are raised before the flop, it is usually not profitable to continue, and you will have wasted a bet. In late position, you are less likely to be raised. In addition, when you do hit your hand, you will have the information about what others think of the flop since they act before you, allowing you to get maximum value when you hit.

When the Hand is Multi-Way

If a number of players are in the pot, this is better for poker hands that are likely to improve. If you make a hand, you are likely to get action from at least some of the other players, whereas if you miss, you can usually get away cheaply. This is in contrast to players with premium hands, who may feel compelled to stick around if it is not obvious that the flop hit anybody.

When it Is Cheap

If you are playing in a passive poker game where many players are seeing flops, it is okay to limp in with more marginal hands, especially if there is a lot of action after the flop. In these situations, it is crucial that you only continue when you hit the flop very strongly, as trying to make something out of a weak hand when you happen to hit something like middle pair or a long shot draw will get very expensive.