- Poker Starting Hand Chart
- Best Starting Poker Hands
- Poker Starting Hands Ranking
- Winning Online Poker Strategy
In real money online poker games, disciplined starting hand selection is a core skill which every successful player has mastered. You’ll start with a list of hands to play, then learn to adjust this based on several key in-game factors including position, raises ahead of you and the known tendencies of players who are still to act. You will also be able to use assumptions on starting hand strategy as the basis for reading your opponent’s hands – a skill which can boost your win-rates significantly.
This article starts with the basics, going through the different types of starting hands you might want to play. Next, you will see how your position at the table affects the range of playable starting hands. Situations where there is a raise ahead are covered after that, and then how to account for different kinds of players who act after you. At the end of this article you will find advice on how beginners can progress with different starting hands as they gain experience.
Types of Starting Hand and the Hands You Should Play & Avoid
Thinking about starting hands in groups can help keep your decisions easy while you are learning the game. I have divided starting hands into, pairs, high card hands, speculative hands and junk.
- Selecting the Right Starting Hands in Poker In real money online poker games, disciplined starting hand selection is a core skill which every successful player has mastered. You’ll start with a list of hands to play, then learn to adjust this based on several key in-game factors including position, raises ahead of you and the known tendencies of players who are still to act.
- HU Poker Starting Hands - On the Button (In Position) The button in heads up poker is no different then the button in a 6-max or full ring game - you will have position throughout the entire hand. Because of the positional advantage, the button is where you should have the widest hand range.
Pairs: We need to make a clear distinction between premium pairs (aces, kings and to a lesser extent queens) and the rest. Premiums are playable most of the time, while mid-pairs can be dangerous when there is action ahead – particularly if this comes from a tight opponent. As pairs get lower they become less playable from early positions and behave more like speculative hands – which need to improve to become valuable.
High Card Hands: Unpaired high cards include strong hands like Ace-King or Ace-Queen suited, right down to some dangerous hands like King-Ten. As the cards get lower, there is more danger of being ‘dominated’ by a high card hand with a higher side-card. Since people rarely play King-Eight or lower, hitting top-pair on the flop with King-Ten is more likely to get action from a hand which has you crushed than one you beat.
Speculative Hands: Aces with suited side cards and suited connectors (cards close in rank and the same suit) can flop big hands, or more often draws to flushes or straights – or even both. These are good hands when you do not have to pay too much to enter a pot. Since they miss most of the time, you need to have enough chips still in your stack to win a very big pot those times you hit a monster hand.
A Solid Starting Hand Strategy is Key to Profitable Poker. While your big decisions in poker come after the flop – having a solid starting hand strategy is vital for long-term profits. There is more to knowing what hands to play than simply having a list of good hands.Your position at the table, tendencies of opponents and your own playing style all need to be factored in. When you have more experience you can begin to play more hands and get more creative with your post-flop play but until then it's a much more profitable enterprise to keep it simple and only put money into the pot when you have a good hand. In this beginner poker strategy video we teach you how to tighten up your starting hand range to win more.
Junk: Pretty much everything not covered here is junk. If you are a new player then get used to ditching that Queen-Nine or Ace-Seven, especially when there has been a raise ahead. The times you hit a lucky 2 pair will not make up for all the times you hit your 2nd pair and have no idea whether you are ahead or behind on the flop.
Position and Starting Hands
When you are first to act at the table, you have no idea how many raises and re-raises there will be from players still to act. This means that speculative hands, the smallest pairs and the lower end of the high-card hands can‘t be played profitably. Save these hands for when you are closer to the button position and have seen most of your opponents act. Calling bets with suited connectors or small pairs can give you a hidden monster on the flop while you are last to act.
Playing from the blinds might mean you get to see a flop ‘cheap’, however you will be first to act after the flop. Calling just a couple of dollars to see a flop, hitting middle pair with a bad kicker and being out of position is not a great situation in poker. Get in the habit of folding those junk hands from the blinds; you will save yourself a lot of chips on later streets.
When Someone Else Has Already Bet
The biggest single adjustment you should make with your starting hand selection occurs when someone has already bet into the pot before you act. Here you have to tighten up your range, and think in terms of ‘should I re-raise, or should I fold?’ Some hands can be called with, for example small pairs or suited connectors. What you do not want to do is find yourself with a fairly strong hand after the flop and an opponent betting into you. Solve this problem early by folding the weaker part of your starting hand range when someone bets ahead of you.
Tendencies of Opponents Still To Act
When the players acting after you have shown that they are the quiet, tight and passive types – then you have a lot of freedom to play speculative starting hands. Conversely, when you are faced with players who like to re-raise, or call and then lead out on the flop a lot, then you are more constrained in what you can do. This can be useful when you are faced with a marginal decision on whether to play or fold. Those aggressive opponents could tip you in favor of waiting for a better spot.
Bringing It All Together – Starting Hands for New Players
You need to have an elastic starting hand range in online poker games. Start with a list of the hands you would like to play, for example 55 or better, Ace-Jack+, King-Queen Suited and suited aces down to Ace-eight with the occasional suited connector. Next chop off the weakest of those hands for situations like early position, someone betting or wild opponents still to act. You can add a couple of more speculative hands at when you are on the button.
As you gain experience, you can start adding more hands to your list depending on each unique situation you encounter. New players tend to make more mistakes playing too many hands, I advise you to start tight – there will be plenty of opportunities to add hands on later.
Preparation:
1. Poker Jargon
2. Why Play Poker
3. Key Poker Skills
4. Bankroll
5. Home to Casino
6. Play Money
Poker Fundamentals:
1. Starting Hands
2. Pot Odds
3. Deception
4. Tilt
Mental Strategy:
1. Keep It Simple
2. Think For Yourself
3. Evaluating Plays
4. Ego
5. Beginner Mistakes
In other languages:
1. Poker Jargon
2. Why Play Poker
3. Key Poker Skills
4. Bankroll
5. Home to Casino
6. Play Money
Poker Fundamentals:
1. Starting Hands
2. Pot Odds
3. Deception
4. Tilt
Mental Strategy:
1. Keep It Simple
2. Think For Yourself
3. Evaluating Plays
4. Ego
5. Beginner Mistakes
In other languages:
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Poker Starting Hand Chart
Note: the following guidelines are only for fixed-limit Hold'emHands to raise with
These are premium hands that you want to jam the pot with preflop:
Hands to call with
You want to see the flop with these hands and then decide what to do. Do not call three bets with these hands; call only one or two.
Next Article: Pot Odds
Best Starting Poker Hands
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Poker Starting Hands Ranking
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