The Best Poker Starting Hands in Texas Hold’em

Best Starting Hands in Poker: What You Need to Know

• Understand Pairs: In Texas Hold’em, pairs are strong poker hands. Higher pairs like Aces, Kings, and Queens can give you a powerful lead right from the start.
• Suited High Cards: Hands such as Ace-King, Ace-Queen, or King-Queen of the same suit are considered strong due to their potential for Flushes, Straights, or high pairs.
• Unsuited High Cards: Even if not the same suit, high value cards such as an Ace-King or Ace-Queen hold potential due to their likelihood to form a high pair.
• Medium Pairs: Medium pairs like Jacks, Tens, and Nines can be valuable if no higher cards appear on the table, but they need to be played cautiously.
• Suited Connectors: Cards of the same suit in sequence (like Eight-Seven or Six-Five of hearts) have the potential for Straight or Flush, making them a gamble that can pay off.

You’ve learned about the poker hand hierarchy and you’ve got the basic rules of the game down pat! The next thing you need to build more confidence at the table is the knowledge of which hands you should start out playing.

Best Starting Hands In Poker

It’s your turn to bet in a casino and now you’re wondering if your hand is strong enough to justify a call or raise, or maybe you should fold? Below are the generally accepted top ten starting hole card hands in Texas Hold’em poker. They are considered premium hole cards and are potentially hand-winning.

With these cards, you will certainly want to play the hand, but be sure to consider your position on the table.

1. Pocket Aces (Bullets)

Considered the best starting hole cards in Hold’em, AA are playable from any table position.

2. Pocket Kings (Cowboys)

Considered the second best starting hole cards, KK are playable from any position.

3. Pocket Queens (Ladies) 

Great strength pre-flop but becomes difficult to play post-flop when over-cards hit.

4. AKs(uited) (Big Slick)

This is the fourth strongest starting hand, even against KK and is a significant favorite against the rest.

5. AQs(uited) (Little Slick) 

This hand is strong but can easily be dominated in typical all-in pre-flop scenarios.

6. Pocket Jacks (Fishhooks) 

Many players claim paired jacks are the most difficult top 10 starting hand to play. While being one of the top 10 best starting hands, JJ versus AA-QQ and AKo-AQs is vulnerable.

7. KQs(uited) (Royal Couple) 

While this hand is best suited to make straights and flushes, it can put you in difficult positions when flopping top pair, as you quite possibly will not have the best kicker.

8. AJ (Ajax) 

These hole cards can be difficult to play from early position because you will never get folds from better aces, and you won’t get the value of a top pair. However, it does have value in its ability to make the nut straight or flush.

9. AKo(ff-suit) (Big Ugly) 

The strongest unsuited, non-pair. This hand is easy to overplay and over value in poker tournaments and in ring games.

10. TT (TNT) 

Extremely strong vs two random cards, yet as with JJ, it can be difficult to play.

Now that you’re familiar with the basic rules and best starting hands of poker, you’re ready to take a seat and begin your poker adventure!

Poker Starting Hand Strategies

Mastering starting hand strategies in poker is not only about understanding which hands are typically considered strong or weak, but also knowing how to adapt your approach based on changes in the game’s dynamics.

1. Tight vs. Loose Play: If you’re a beginner, a tighter, more conservative approach to starting hands is recommended. This generally means playing fewer hands and choosing only those with high potential, like high pairs or suited connectors. More experienced players may adopt a looser strategy, playing more hands and skillfully leveraging position and betting strategies.
2. Position Matters: The position you’re in relative to the dealer plays a significant role in determining which starting hands you should play. Being in a late position, where you act after most players, allows you to make decisions with more information, and thus you can play a wider range of starting hands.
3. Know When to Fold: One key to a profitable long-term poker strategy is knowing when to fold your hand. Even if you’ve been dealt a reasonably good hand pre-flop, if the betting gets too high or the flop doesn’t improve your hand, it may be best to cut your losses and fold.
4. Watch Your Opponents: Pay attention to how your opponents are playing. If they’re playing tight, you may be able to win more pots with semi-strong hands. Conversely, if they’re playing loose, strong starting hands become even more critical.
5. Adaptive Strategies: Successful poker players adapt their starting hand strategies based on game flow, table position, and their read on other players. What works in one session may not work in another, so always be prepared to adjust your approach.

Mastering starting hand strategy in poker involves understanding the inherent strength of your initial cards, but it also requires good judgment and adaptability as the game progresses. As with every aspect of poker, practice makes perfect.

Lead image credit: Claus Mikosch/Shutterstock