How do you adjust for the cards on board when you get your starting hands? For example, if I have 3-4-8....and two 4's are showing and two 5's are showing, how does that effect my play? I know it's better to have duplicates, but what kind of thinking is there when both the good and the bad happens?

If those are the only low cards showing, then i'm liking your hand a little more than normal.

But don't overplay this hand, you're still a dog to hands like 247 or 457 (in fact, you're a heavy dog to the latter). I'm not saying dump it, you have to at least go to 5th here. But if there isn't any improvement, fold.

Don't know you've thought this one out yet, but here's another one based on the board.

Say you have 347, the board goes 9 7 4, Your 7, 3 3, 4 5, and you got raised upon your completion. It's right to three bet here, as only one of your outs are gone, when your villain will typically have a ton of outs gone, plus more possibilities to pair.

Say it's the 5 that reraises you, it's usually a sign of a three card six, and a 3 card five, and considering the up cards, he probably has A2 underneath. He's now missing 9 outs (7 showing to him), and you're probably missing three if correct. thus, a jam, in this spot, with a seven, would be the correct play.

If your new to the game I think you should only play hands that are three to an eight and better. It's gotta be situational and shorthanded before I start playing three to a nine. Also, as Hang said, look at whats folded on third street.

There will be times where I'll play (K5)A but I have to know I have fold equity. The more you play the more situations you'll be able to adapt to.

the simple way to do it is to play aggressively on third unless a lot of YOUR outs are dead, or your door card defines your hand, in order to make your opponent feel like he needs to catch good in order to remain in the hand. doing this will make you harder to read post-third, and since no reasonable 3 card hand is far behind any other barring lots of dead cards for one of them, you can play aggressively on 3rd without a lot of equity pain.

Thanks--three to eight seems safe way to start, but the cards out depend on how strong I should play the hand. It does get complicated. I decided to take he plunge and buy a couple of books. I've read some good stuff that is helping out, especially where I need it most---on the first three cards. Sklansky on Poker (excellent overview) and Play Razz to Win (excellent system for 1st 3 cards). I also heard that there are some articles online...I wonder if Daniel plays razz..or hates it like most everyone else.

Hellmuth's "play poker like the pro's" has a good razz section.

No, there's 13 things in there I disagree with compared to the 2 I agree with.

That's the stuff Hellmuth wrote, the stuff Ted Forrest wrote was good.

I appreciate some opinions on those 2 razz books. I have been curious, I look forward to reading both. Super System 1 also has a Razz section, and some interesting probability charts in the Appendix. The 2+2 Magazine has had a good Razz article each of the last couple months. I highly recommend them. http://www.twoplustwo.com/magazine/current/

I usually raise and then ask people to buy a copy of my book while asking them if I made a good play