ok, most people use a chart or some other guideline to decide what to play and which position to play it from.

I do this also but ONLY when I am opening the pot. Otherwise I make my decisions by using all the information available to me, obviously the better your position the better decision you will be able to make.

this does not mean you neccassarilly play looser from late position (as most people think), it means you will be capable of making more informed decisions from late position thus allowing you to play marginal hands BETTER from late position than you can from early position.

I'm going to start with AX suited (A2-A9). In my opinion this hand is grossly misplayed. The Ace is a mirage card, you think you are seeing water in the desert but you are getting salt water. Playing this hand for the Ace is insane, if you hit only top pair and recieve any action you are playing for 1/2 the pot or less.

this hand is played for it's flush potential, it's pair potential which can also win is secondary, where a hand like AK suited is played for it's pair potential the flush being secondary.

When you play a hand for draw potential you want as many opponents as possible, you are drawing to the nut flush after all, you want to invite J8s and 45s into the pot, so you get payed off when you hit. therefor this hand should never be raised to trim the field (an exception to this is if you are opening the pot from late position). the opposite is true of AK suited since your primary reason for playing it is the pair potential you do not mind losing opponents but want to force the ones who stick around to play for 2 bets.

Now we'll get into the maths, The flops you are really looking for are a made hand of 2 pair or better, 6% chance of occuring, or a flush draw, 11% chance of occuring. As you can see this hand isn't very good, you will only be comfortable with the flop 17% of the time (even less when the board pairs and you have the flush draw or 1 of your pair is on the board). so less than 1 time in 5 you will like the flop, keep in mind this does not mean you will win 1 time in 5.

In my mind this hand is only playable when you will have 4 or more opponents. When will you know if there will be 4 or more opponents? when you are in middle or late position.

This is also a hand that beginning players will have trouble laying down after the flop when they hit a pair of aces and can cost you many bets when you call all the way. If you have trouble laying down top pair weak kicker when others bet at the pot you should avoid these hands, they will have a -EV for you.

The best kind of opponent for this hand is one who will call all the way even when he knows you made a flush (you have all seen this type) if there are a couple of players like this in the game this hands value has gone up. likewise if your opponents are capable of laying down a hand like top pair good kicker this hand will lose a little bit of value.

This hand plays well in loose passive games and can usually be played from any position in an unraised pot (because in loose passive games you can almost certainly expect 4 opponents), and is playable if the above circumstances are met in loose aggressive games, although i do not reccomend calling raises with this hand unless you have 5 or more opponents since most of your pair potential is now gone.

This hand is death in tight games whether they are passive or aggressive.

If multiple players(4+) have limped I like to raise from late position with AX suited, not only for value if you hit but for the free card potential if say 1 of your suit hits or you pair 1 card, you will now be able to see the turn for free.

OK guys have at it.