Playing Gap Poker Hands

How you play starting hands at online poker sites is often the difference between winning and losing. Some of the trickier hands to play are the ones with gaps. A poker gap hand is where you have space in between your two cards. For example, a one gap hand would be something like 7-9 while a two-gap hand might be something like queen-9. How you play these online betting gap hands at poker sites is very important.

If you must play these gap poker hands at online poker sites you really must remember to only play them from late position. The one-gapper and two-gapper should only be played from a late position if no one has yet entered the pot. This is especially true if you are looking to attack conservative blinds that have shown a tendency in previous hands to fold at a mere raise no matter what.

You might intimidate one of the blinds out and isolate yourself with a heads up game with the other, increasing your winning chances. You might even consider calling if a player or two called ahead of you and you are on the button, especially if your hand is suited. The bottom line is that you must limit when you play such hands and only play them at such times as these.

At online poker sites the two gap connector hand is really vulnerable in games with raised pots and if the pot does get raised you would be well advised to throw the hand away. The chips you waste on a call with such a speculative hand will come in much more valuable later with a power hand.
The one time you might consider calling a raise with a two-gapper from one of the blinds is if the player is a loose and notorious raiser and no one else entered the pot. From the small blind position if all you have to do is call (a half bet for the small blind) you could make that play to see the flop for a total of a one bet price, particularly again if you are suited.

Also, as a small blind, you can call if everyone else in front of you has mucked it, to force a heads up game with the big blind. You would obviously enjoy a far greater advantage and percentages of success with a queen-9 in a heads up situation.

At poker sites when you have two-gap hands such as king-10 or queen-9 the hand really only has value, when all is said and done if no one else has raised. Be sure and notice how your competition plays before you draw such a hand because you will know who limps in with ace-anything or similar hands, and know that if they hung around against your two-gapper, they may draw an over pair that is better than what you are drawing for, or a pair with a better kicker than what you have. Always pay attention to the table and to your position when you are considering playing gap poker hands.