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Hold’em Starting Hands

The professional poker players live on the fact that poker is a game of making correct decisions. There is something to be said about reading an opponent's strength, or using position to your advantage, but it comes down to making correct decisions that win or lose chips. There is no more important decision in Texas Holdem than deciding to continue to play with the cards you are dealt. The old Kenny Rogers song lyric: you have to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em. Here we tell you what hands to fold, and what to play to be successful in holdem poker.

Top Hands

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Aces

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There is no better hand to start with than two aces. Play these cards with strength pre-flop. Raise with aces. Don't be afraid to re-raise after someone raises your initial bet. Unless your opponent also holds two aces, you are winning the hand before the flop.

Kings, Queens

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Kings are nearly as strong as Aces. You can be reasonably sure that if you are holding Kings pre-flop you are ahead of your opponents. Only A-A beats you before the flop. Raise with Kings, but keep in the back of your mind that people like to play an ace. If you are called and an ace shows up, best to proceed cautiously.

Queens are more tricky. You probably have the best hand to start. But remember that holdem is a five card game. Any aces or kings that come up on the flop may have you beat. Play Queens with strength, force someone playing a weak ace or king to pay to see the flop.

Middle Pairs

(Sevens through Jacks)

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Even though these are considered very strong hands, they have to be played extremely cautiously. Take a pair of jacks for instance. There are still 12 cards in the deck that could create a larger pair. The number of cards that could beat your pair go up as your starting pair gets lower in value. Many players will try to see a flop as cheaply with these as possible, then play aggressively if they hit a set (three-of-a-kind).

High Value Suited Cards

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There are some cards you can play with that might not be a pair, but can lead to big pots if you can catch the cards you need. High value suited cards can be one of those hands since you have the chance to make a high pair plus have good flush potential. Some high value suited hands you can play:

1. A suited ace with a K,Q,J or 10
2. A suited king with a Q,J or 10
3. A suited queen with a J or 10
4. Suited connectors such as 8-9 or J-10

Other suited cards can be played for variety but are likely to lead to a lost hand. Flushes with a card any lower than a jack are not strong hands. Someone could easily have a better flush. Suited connectors are nice to play since they have both straight and flush possibilities, but these types of hands should be also played cautiously. Many times the odds will be against these hands completing for you.

High Value Un-Suited Cards

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Hands that are not a pair, but have big potential to make a high pair should be played fairly aggressively. Hands like A-K, A-Q, K-Q, K-J can win pots if you hit top pair or flop a straight draw. The only difference here from suited cards is your chances of a flush draw is much less viable.

Low Pairs

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Generally players should try to see a flop as inexpensively as they can with lower pairs in the hope that they will hit three of a kind on the flop. Folding is probably best when faced with any aggression if this does not happen or the cards that flop are larger than your pair.

Ace or King Suited

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Suited "ace-rag" or "king-rag" (ace or king with a low card) can be a good hand if played with position and for little investment. The hope when playing these hands is hitting your ace or king and betting all others out after the flop. Or you want to hit a hand with flush possibilities. Keep in mind when playing these hands that any other ace or king is likely beating yours with a better kicker. What you really want to see is a flush draw that completes on the turn or river. These types of hands will likely win you big pots when they work out, but you must keep the pots small until you make your hand.

Gapped Cards

Some people like to play "gapped cards", or cards that are not immediately connected but still offer straight possibilities. Hands like 8-J, 7-10, 6-9. It's a great idea to avoid these hands for the most part, since they are more often than not going to be beaten. Sometimes these types of hands can be good if you are looking to mix up your play a bit and throw off the other players. Winning a pot with a bad hand like 6-9 can push an opponent to call you later when you have them dominated, simply because they remember that time you played the "bad hand".

Other Hands

If it's not listed above, chances are a fold is the right move. Being selective in your starting hands is the single most important component to playing winning Texas Holdem poker. If you can play only good starting cards you are half way to becoming the best player you can.