The Two Most Powerful Cards

Every poker player has his own ideas about which are the two most powerful cards you could be playing. While most would say pocket aces, I would add one hand to the most powerful;

Ten, nine.

I don't know why I respect these cards, but I do. I have won money with them, including on raises, and I once closed out a tournament with a ten, nine off-suit.

Now granted, if it were just between a big boy for all his chips and me, I would prefer the pocket aces. But if I am in a gamble for my money, I wouldn't mind putting that ten, nine against any random two cards you would draw against me.

I will catch enough combination bets to give you trouble.

The ten is a positive number. Remember that Doyle Brunson won a pair of World Series of Poker Tournaments with the same two hands, 10-2. It must be an honor to have a hand of cards named after you, but Doyle is like most poker players -- he loves to be praised.

No, put me in a final table against a single opponent and I will take ten, nine any day of the week. If the other player pulls a jack, I could still pair up.

Making that final table and playing down to last man standing is a thrill of thrills. I don't know of a better way to describe it.

Poker players think it's them against the world and they are right. It's one person to a hand unless a person is incapacitated and needs help conveying his message. You don't need the most powerful cards in a deck to beat someone. You just need a hand slightly better than his.

Ten, nine is one of my favorite hands to play on the button. It can flop a straight or two strong pair. And you immediately know where you are when you flop a ten, nine.

I'm not sure if you want to make ten, nine your favorite cards, but if you do, you would be wise. You wouldn't overplay your hand the way most people overplay aces. And those two cards just may set you in motion to win a tournament.

Now granted most people don't get terribly excited when they are dealt ten, nine. But what if you got excited and treated them same as pocket aces when you got dealt them? That would change your feeling toward them, wouldn't it? It would also change how you would play those two cards and put you in motion to win with them.

Treat ten, nine like aces and they will perform like aces for you. I add, most of the time.

Sometimes you will lose with them, it is true. Sometimes the miserable, no-account player in the straw hat and yellow shirt in seat two will outdraw you and make you wish you had never seen those no-account ten, nine sobs. But that will be a rare occurrence.

Play the ten, nine and play them powerful. That's our secret of the day.

Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.

(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).