Download the Top Texas Hold’em Starting Hands Although the order of the best poker hands to start with is sometimes contested, this list will give you a rough idea of which hands are stronger than others: #1. Pocket Aces (A♠ A♥). Follow these hand charts and learn how to play your starting hands at Texas Holdem. The charts below will give you a great starting point on how to play your starting hands. For all of you beginners, we recommend consulting these charts will playing online. We provide 4 separate charts depending on where you are seated relative to the dealer. How many Poker Hands are there? There are only 10 distinct poker hand ranks, but if you randomly deal 5 cards from a deck of 52 cards there are exactly 2,598,960 possible card combinations. Poker Hand Odds for 5-Card-Poker. The poker hand ranking charts are based on the probability for each distinct hand rank.

Starting Hand Categories for:

Seven-Card Stud and Seven-Card Stud High-Low Eight or Better (Stud-Eight) Poker

The following terminology is useful for discussing starting hands in Seven-Card Stud High-Low poker. The table below defines 12 types of starting hands along with a description and an example of each.

The twelve types of starting hands can be sorted into five broad categories that describe how they play. The categories of hands are: premium, big-possibility, one-way, situational and trap. The reasons for sorting the hands this way and the probabilities for each group are given.

Premium Starting Hands

The premium hands can often scoop pots without improvement. All total these starting cards are just 1% of all hands dealt. They should be played aggressively.

Trips. [Number of hands = 13, Number of combinations =52, Frequency = 0.24%, Odds = 424:1] Any rank is a powerful holding, however, low cards have the advantage of still allowing a low hand to form. Rolled trip Kings will never qualify for low. Another advantage of low rolled trips is that they are a powerful high hand that often looks like a low. In those cases the hand will generate lots of action from a player who believes incorrectly that he or she has a better high.

Aces with a low kicker. [Number of hands = 14, Number of combinations =168, Frequency = 0.76 %, Odds = 131:1] The lower the kicker the better this hand plays. Often the Aces will hold up for high unimproved or pick up a second pair to make Aces up to best two smaller pair. At the same time the hand can back into low to either scoop or save half the pot if the Aces do not hold up for high.

Big-possibility Starting Hands

The hands in this group win the monster pots in Stud-Eight. However these hands need to improve because they are worth nothing on their own. The hands in this group can be played aggressively early on. These are rare holdings but don’t fall in love with them. If there is no improvement and a lot of action on later streets the hand should be mucked.

Low connected-suited. [Number of hands = 6, Number of combinations =24, Frequency = 0.11%, Odds = 920:1] This is one of the most powerful hands in Stud-Eight because it can scoop the entire pot in so many different ways while generating lots of action from players betting on both halves of the pot.

Low suited. [Number of hands = 50, Number of combinations =200, Frequency = 0.90%, Odds = 110:1] If an Ace is included the hand has added value. This is a good hand for jamming other players. Sometimes the hand will complete a flush for high, sometimes miss the flush but hold up for low and occasionally make high and low. Either way you can bet aggressively if this hand improves to a high or low on Fifth Street and make the others pay for your draw to the other half of the pot.

Low connected. [Number of hands = 24, Number of combinations =360, Frequency = 1.36%, Odds = 60:1] Does not have the flush possibility but low straights often scoop. A good hand for freerolling if two low cards are picked up that don’t connect. A player with a made low and an inside straight draw can jam two high hands and be assured of winning half the pot, while at the same time retaining an outside chance of a scoop.

One-way Starting Hands

These starting cards typically compete for one half of the pot and are good for cases where everyone is competing for the same half of the pot. There are hands in Stud-Eight where all the players are competing for either the high half or low half of the pot. In those circumstances playing a “one-way” hand that figures to be best against the competition but can also back into the other half of the pot is a viable strategy.

Aces with a high kicker. [Number of hands = 10, Number of combinations =120, Frequency = 0.54%, Odds = 183:1] This hand usually competes for high only and it is best played against other players vying for high when it can scoop. It does poorly against multiple low draws because in that situation its only potential is for half the pot and the low draws can freeroll on later streets placing a made hand as strong as Aces-up in an uncomfortable position. This hand is most powerful when the Aces are wired because it will generate action from smaller pairs thinking that they have the best high.

Ace with two other wheel cards. [Number of hands = 20, Number of combinations =300, Frequency = 1.36%, Odds = 73:1] This hand usually competes for low only but it does have high possibilities. How well it plays often depends on where the Ace is. In most cases you want the Ace exposed so that you can threaten people with a potential pair of Aces or a potential low. That way if you pick up bricks you might win uncontested if your opponents also pick up bricks. If your opponents are weak on Fifth Street, betting an exposed A, 2, J has more fold equity than an exposed 2, 3, J.

Situational Starting Hands

Many Stud-Eight players automatically play the hands in this group. However, the viability of these hands depends highly on the situation. You should be very careful about when and how you play these hands.

High pairs 99, 10-10, JJ, QQ and KK. [Number of hands = 120, Number of combinations =1440, Frequency = 6.54%, Odds = 14:1] How well you play pairs will determine much of your profit in Stud-Eight. Automatically playing any pair as many players do will lead to disaster. As a general rule 99 and 10-10 should not be played. Paired face cards are only playable if they are the high hand on the board. You do not want to hold JJ in between a player with KK and another player with a low. The most likely outcome is that your two opponents will be dividing up your money.

Low pairs with a low kicker. [Number of hands = 98, Number of combinations =1176, Frequency = 5.32%, Odds = 18:1] These are starting hands that many Stud-Eight players will automatically play. However, as attractive these hands look, they come with a lot of problems. It is a poor start for a low hand because it has only two cards that count towards low and a poor start for a high hand because the pair is ranked so low. In other words, it is a mediocre holding to compete for either half of the pot, which means that often it will come away with nothing. Of the hands in this category, a low pair with a live Ace kicker is the most valuable because it has an outside chance of making Aces up. These hands are good for stealing antes and good for defending bring-ins against a steal. They play best heads-up against weak low draws. However, against players you know have strong holdings or against a large field these hands should not be played.

Three suited cards, one or more not low. [Number of hands = 230, Number of combinations = 920, Frequency = 4.16%, Odds = 23:1] If the suit is completely live and it is up against other high hands these starting cards have some possibilities. If the cards are connected and suited the holding is more valuable and the hand is almost playable against low draws. However, for unconnected cards, completing a flush is rare and in situations where a flush only claims half the pot you rarely have the pot odds necessary to play. As a general rule three-flushes with high cards play much worse in Stud-Eight than in Seven-Card Stud and should usually be avoided.

Trap Starting Hands

These are attractive looking hands that play poorly and should usually be mucked. Playing hands like these for half the pot is rarely worth the investment.

Low pair with a high kicker. Hands such as 3, 3, J or 5, 5, K, have little value and in most cases should be mucked. The exceptions would be stealing antes or defending against a steal.

Three low cards (unconnected and unsuited). [Number of hands = 180, Number of combinations =2700, Frequency = 12.22%, Odds = 7.2:1] The “Razz” hands should be saved for Razz. These kinds of hands are only good for half the pot and in most cases the best you can hope for is to get your money back minus the rake. Many Stud-Eight players automatically call with these hands and stay to the end if they pick up a low draw on Fourth Street. The problem is that often if they hit low it is second best low. Just as you want to avoid playing the second best high hand, it is even more important to avoid playing the second best low hand. The high hand scoops if no one qualifies for low but a busted low is worth nothing.

Final note: Three connected cards, one or more not low such as 8, 9, 10 or 9, 10, J play poorly in Stud-Eight and should be mucked.

The strength of your starting hand in Texas Hold'em can help you determine your chances of winning, even before the remaining cards are dealt. From a pair of aces — the strongest starting hand — to a 2 and a 7, knowing the strength of your starting hand is an important part of your success at the table. When playing Texas Hold'em you need to know which starting hands are worth staying in with—and which you should fold.

Best Starting Hands

Having a strong starting hand can help you determine your chances of winning even before the flop is dealt. In general, you're a strong contender if your starting hand contains:

• Ace/Ace: the strongest starting hand in the game.
• King/king, queen/queen, jack/jack: high pairs set you off well.
• An ace with a face card: sets a good foundation, if the flop works in your favor.

Beyond these cards, you'll also often be happy to see cards in sequence, particularly the high cards and face cards, and pairs in your starting hand. While some of these hands aren't always deemed the ideal hands, they can sometimes pay off if you're willing to take a risk. Don't forget the added bonus if your cards are all in the same suit, too. A flush, especially a straight flush or royal flush, can often win you the game. Again, the flop will play a major role in just how strong your chances are at winning, so assess carefully and determine how much risk you're willing to take.

The specific sequence of cards and the order in which they rank is an important aspect of the game. Studying up on the best starting hands in Texas Hold'em can help improve your game and your odds at winning the pot.

A strong starting hand might also encourage you to make a strong blind (your first bet).

Worst Starting Hands

When you're dealt your starting hand, some combinations greatly reduce your chances of winning. These are generally low numbers that are not in sequence or matched. You might consider folding early if your two cards are:

• A 2 or a 3, paired with a 7 or an 8: you can't make a straight out of them.
• An ace or a face card with an unsuited low card: you're taking a risk relying on a single high card.
• Two unmatched, unsuited low cards (like 4 and 7, 5 and 8, etc.): you'll rarely win with these.

The strategy of what to hold, and why, takes a bit to master, so studying the worst starting hands in Texas Hold'em, even more, can help you improve your game.

Beginner's Advice

Play only the cards in the 10-best list and always fold those in the worst hands list. Following this strategy may improve your results. However, there's no guarantee that receiving a strong starting hand will take the round, or that a weak starting hand is a definite loss. You never know how the flop may run, and while an unsuited 2 and 4 might seem like one to deal, sometimes you'll be pleasantly surprised with a two-pair or even a full house. Study up on the various hands you're aiming for.

How you approach the game will also differ based on the game itself. For example, if you're playing No-Limit Hold 'em, knowing the top No-Limit Hold'em hands can help you better understand how to play them.

Poker Starting Hands Ranked Games

As your skill increases, you'll also want to learn how position affects your Hold'em starting hand decisions. The more you learn, the more you'll realize how important your starting hands are to your bottom line. Play the good hands and fold the bad, and you'll be well on your way to becoming an expert at Hold'em.