The Hutchinson System Opening Hand Selection

The Hutchinson System is a great way for new poker players to learn both the value of opening hand selection and apply it to position. The creator of this formula, Edward Hutchinson, found that by applying his system rigidly, it generated a 70% increase in his average win rate. The program has been thoroughly tested and is recommended by a number of poker schools for putting the brakes on new players who want to see too many hands when they first start playing.

The Hutchinson System works by allocating a points value to the cards you are dealt in the pocket.

An Aces is worth 16 points

King = 14 points

Queen = 13 points

Jack = 12 points

Ten = 11 points

All other cards are worth their face value – so an eight of diamonds = 8 points.

So, if you were dealt a Jack and Queen, your points total (so far) is 25.

You then add additional points for certain qualifying factors:-

If you have a pocket pair, you add a further 10 points

Two cards of the same suit attract a premium of a further 4 points

For connected cards (ie TJ – any suit) add 3 points

If there is a one card gap (ie TQ – any suit) add 2 points

And, for a two card gap (ie TK – any suit) add 1 points.

Here are some examples of what specific hands points totals should be:-

Pocket Aces get 16 + 16 + 10 = 42 (The highest score you can get with this system)

Suited AK gets 16 + 14 + 4 (suited) + 3 (connected) = 37 points

Ten of hearts and four of spades = 15 points

What the points mean:-

30+ points indicates that you have a “premium” hand which can be played from any position

27+ points should only be played from mid- or late position

25+ points should only be played from late position if there have been no raises in front of you.

To call or raise you should have a points total in excess of:-

34+ In early position

31+ In middle position

29+ In late position

Most training applications suggesting this system acknowledge that it is not foolproof, but players taking their first steps onto the virtual felt may like to make use of it to ensure that they do not start their carer by playing too loose and losing money. As you gain in experience, you will want to introduce more advanced and deceptive strategies – which is great – but it is important to learn the basics of opening hand selection and how to apply them within given situations in order that you are able to build a solid foundation to your poker play.