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Holdem: Preflop Hand Categories (Part III - Offsuit Cards)

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Big Offsuit Broadway (AK, AQ, AJ, and KQ).
These are the best of the offsuit hands. They commonly make a strong top pair. All offsuit hands are at an inherent disadvantage in a multiway pot, but these hands win often enough to play well against many weak limpers. They are strong in either a passive or aggressive game; top pair hands win a large number of pots, so you should welcome preflop action from bad players.

You can open with any of these hands from any position. Raise any of these hands if it has not already been raised. Beware if someone raises in front of you, however; unless you have AK, you are vulnerable to domination. So be prepared to fold all offsuit hands except AK to a raise. Reraise with AK. If the raiser will raise with some weaker hands like AT, KJ, and 77, do not fold AQ; reraise instead. If the raiser is very wild, sometimes raising with hands such as K6s and 33, reraise with A J and KQ as well.

Little Offsuit Broadway (AT, KJ, QJ, KT, QT, and JT).
These hands are marginal and playable only under favorable circumstances. They tend to make weak top pair hands, the same as the little suited Broadways. Without the advantage of being suited, though, these hands are not very profitable. They play best in an unraised pot against a few, loose opponents. Tight opponents tend to limp in with hands like AQ, AJ, and KQ, hands that dominate the little offsuits. So consider who has already limped in before deciding to call. While weaker in general, the smaller hands, because they make more straights, benefit somewhat from multiway action.

Fold all of these hands in early position with the exception of AT and KJ in loose games. In middle position you can play AT and KJ if loose players have limped. On the button you can usually play any of these hands in an unraised pot. If the pot is still short-handed, raise (especially with AT and KJ) to try to fold the blinds. Against several limpers, just limp in. Cold-calling raises with these hands is one of the most common, and most costly, preflop mistakes. It is essentially never correct to play these hands against even a loose raiser. So don't do it!

Junk Offsuit Hands (Any offsuit hand not yet mentioned).
Our recommendation for these hands is even stronger than it is for the suited junk hands: Do not play them. Note that this category contains offsuit aces (A9-A2) and offsuit connectors (T9-54). You will frequently see opponents play them, but they are only rarely profitable. Small stakes games are usually loose, where weak offsuit hands are at their worst. Until you have mastered preflop play, you should avoid these hands altogether.

Possible exceptions might be A9, T9, and 98 on the button for one bet only. But even here, at best, these hands are only marginally profitable.