2 and 3 Card Manila
2 AND 3 CARD MANILA STRATEGY
2 and 3 Card Manila play a little like Texas Hold’em and Omaha, but with a stripped deck of only 32 cards 7 and lower (and including the Aces). Therefore, the strategies used in this game are most similar to Texas Hold’em, but are of course slightly different because of the smaller deck and hands.
Having a stripped deck allows you to win an excellent profit against bad players.
The key component of Manila strategy, like all poker games, is your select list of starting hands that you’ll play. The following are good starting hands you should consider:
- Sets
- Overpairs
- 3 to a straight and not one-way draws
- pair with an Ace kicker
In Manila poker, flushes are very uncommon (they’re ranked higher than a full house) and straights tend to show up more readily than a flush. Keep that in mind as people with connectors are more likely to stay in the game. However, you need to draw for a straight, so it’s possible you won’t get it and will have to fold on the Fifth Street.
Also keep your position in mind: you can play weaker hands in late position since you have more information about the strengths of your opponents’ hands.
If you’re new to poker and need to get a feel for the hand rankings and general play, try Poker Stars. They have lots of free tables with different games and limits to choose from. Once you get better, they also have a huge variety of tournaments you can enter, including a college tournament, which is only open to college students. With fast cash-ins, top security and busy tables, you’ll be extremely satisfied with your online poker experience at Poker Stars.
