Cash Games: Hands With High Implied Odds

In cash games where stacks are deep, I like playing hands with high implied odds in position with a cheap flop. Hands like 78s, 10Js, 34s, 1 gap suited cards near that range, or pairs to hit a set can end up making a lot of money. They are easy to play. Basically see a flop for cheap with as many opponents as possible in late position. If you don't hit a monster, move on and fold the hand. If you do hit a monster on the flop, extract all the opponents money. If you flop a nice drawing hand, see how your opponents react and you may get a free card or a nice price to see the next street.

Conversely, hands like AA, KK, QQ, etc. have reverse implied odds in those big stack cash games. This is because as soon as your opponent figures out that you had one of these big hands pre-flop and they know they have a better hand, you are in trouble. They can get a lot of chips from you before you can get away. Unless you can make the big lay down, they may get your whole stack.

The more concealed your hand is the more money you will make from it. This is why some skilled action players can make a lot of money*. They play a lot of cards and see a lot of flops. Inevitably, they are going to hit more odd hands that people don't expect. Since they have been betting a lot and playing so loose people never seem to believe they have a hand. Because of this, the hands where they get a monster often get paid off in large pots.

Here is a little list I made a few days ago. I rank hands on how difficult they are to spot and which hands can make the most money.

Order of Concealed Hands for implied odds (cash games in position):
1. gap connectors hitting a straight
2. set
3. 2 pair
4. connector straight
5. full house
6. straight flush
7. flush

I am not going to explain all of these hands, but I will point out a few quite notes. Since a flush is usually the most obvious hand to spot, this goes at the bottom of the list. The reason gap connectors is at the top of the list is not just for the reason that it is very difficult to spot. It is also because of the fact that your opponent can hit more of the flop. The more of the flop that you have left open for your opponents to hit, the more you are going to get paid off. If you flop the nut straight, there are more chances that your opponent can hit the flop as well as opposed to if you flopped 2 pair. When you flop 2 pair, it is less likely that your opponent can hit a hand worthy of paying you off since you have taken a lot of the outs. There is also of course, a chance that your opponent has hit a better hand than you, such as a set. While a full house may not be as obvious to spot, it also means that your opponent is unlikely to have hit the flop. So in conclusion, for the most part straights and sets will pay off the most as they are the most difficult to spot and leave the most openings for your opponent to hit the board as well.

*There is a big difference between these skilled players and donkeys that play the same amount of hands. In hands where skilled loose players have a small hand, nothing, or run into resistance from opponents, the pots don't get that large. In hands where they make actually make a hand, they get paid off more than a regular player. It is a combination or winning a lot of small pots with continuation bets and winning large pots with concealed hands that make these players successful.