Ranking Of Best Starting Hands In Texas Holdem
- Ranking Of Best Starting Hands In Texas Holdem Tournaments
- Ranking Of Best Starting Hands In Texas Holdemhold Em
- Ranking Of Best Starting Hands In Texas Holdemem
Types of Starting Hands
by Rich McComas (updated Feb 6, 2004)
Ranking Of Best Starting Hands In Texas Holdem Tournaments
Poker Starting Hands: Suggested Reading. A number of poker experts have written on the subject of good poker starting hands for Texas Holdem. Beginners should read the best poker writers to further their study of poker hand strength. David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth of 2+2 fame designed an influential set of Texas Holdem starting hand charts. A pair of aces, also known as 'pocket rockets' (and sometimes 'American Airlines') is the best starting hand for Texas Hold 'em. Be wary of how many other players enter the pot, as more players increase the likelihood of someone beating your aces.
Below, I have categorized thirteen types of starting hands, in order of their value. The statistics are borrowed from www.pokalyzer.com which has ran 700 billion simulated hands to produce their results.
1. High Pairs (80%ers)
A high pair is a pair of Aces, Kings, or Queens. Some people count Jacks as high pairs, but I do not as they are not statistically matched to the value of other high pairs. My advice is Raise Pre-Flop and drive the garbage out. If you are in a late position, then you do not need to raise if someone else has driven out the garbage for you. However, if you are in the blind and someone else has raised, you might want to re-raise in order to increase the size of the pot from one more round of betting, and to drive out someone like a small blind who may have limped in with a mediocre hand. Whatever you do, DO NOT limp in with a high pair. If you fail to raise above the big blind and get beat by someone with a suited non-connector, it will be your own fault. If no one else has raised, it is your job to do so in every case.
These are legitimately the best hands in poker, so rather than jam the pot and re-raise pre-flop you should probably just call the raise, or slow-bet. If someone else has raised ahead of you, the garbage will be cleared and you can wait till the flop to reveal a betting strategy. If you flop a King and Ace, and you are holding two King, you will be in the driver's seat and no one will know what hit them.
ODDS: You are going to land any given pair every 220 hands you play, so a pocket pair of aces is extremely rare. Assuming you play 100 hands a night, it will only happen every other night. The chance of landing one of the high pairs, however, is once in every 73 hands, so it should happen to you once every evening. Don't lose out on that opportunity.
| HAND | Rank | Win% |
| Pair of Aces | 1 | 84.9% |
| Pair of Kings | 2 | 82.1% |
| Pair of Queens | 3 | 79.6% |
Ranking Of Best Starting Hands In Texas Holdemhold Em
2. Medium Pairs (70%ers)
A medium pair includes Jacks, Tens, Nines, Eights and Sevens. These are medium pairs because odds are that an overcard will flop more than half of the time. Even though the odds of winning with a pair of Jacks is 77.2%, the chances of having the high pair after the flop are only 43%. You are hoping for trips so, but if you don't land them, only continue if you have the high pair possible, and then bet high to throw out the single face cards in the hole. Do not be suckered by landing another board pair, giving you two pair. Either someone else has trips or someone with a face card will get the high pair on the turn or river.
ODDS: The chance of landing any pocket pair of sevens or higher is the same as landing two cards ten or higher. These events happen every 5.4 hands you play (or 16% of the time).
| HAND | Rank | Win% |
| Pair of Jacks | 4 | 77.2% |
| Pair of Tens | 5 | 74.7% |
| Pair of Nines | 6 | 71.7% |
| Pair of Eights | 7 | 68.7% |
| Pair of Sevens | 9 | 65.3% |
3. Ace-Face Suited (65%ers)
An ace with another face card of the same suit is Ace-High suited, which is a winning hand most of the time. Two suited hole cards only draw to a flush 3% of the time, but if they are both high, you have a great shot at winning high pair as well. Because you hold the ace, any draw to a straight is a close-end straight, so your odds are lower than an open-end straight.
ODDS: You will receive two suited cards every 3.3 hands, and it is likely that at least two players at the table have suited cards, so don't get over-excited about just any suited combination.
| HAND | Rank | Win% |
| AK Suited | 8 | 66.2% |
| AQ Suited | 10 | 65.3% |
| AJ Suited | 11 | 64.4% |
4. Ace-Face Offsuit (63%ers)
An Ace plus a face card of another suit are the most frequently played hands in Hold 'em. Most people stay in and raise with this hand. If you pair the face card, you will have the high kicker, and if you pair the ace, you will probably have a higher kicker than anyone else. If you draw to a straight, you will beat other straights and at least split the pot.
| HAND | Rank | Win% |
| AK Offsuit | 12 | 64.5% |
| AQ Offsuit | 14 | 63.5% |
| AJ Offsuit | 15 | 62.5% |
5. Ace-Low Suited (60%ers)
An ace with anything 10 or lower in the same suit. This is not a hand to go heads up against someone with. This is best played in late position with a lot of callers already in the pot, giving you higher pot odds for a flush draw. This is also a good hand for stealing the blinds if you are on the button, because at least you have one ace in the hole. Mostly, though, I like to play this hand only in No Limit Hold'em because I may need to stay in to the river to get my cards, and I want to be able to go all-in and make a big score if I have the high flush. Earning a minor pot on such low odds just doesn't make as much sense.
POT ODDS: While the chances of winning against random hands are respectable, the chances of winning in heads-up play are not. Two suited pocket cards will flop a flush less than 1% of the time, and complete a flush by the river 6.52% of the time, and two separated cards (such as A5) will hit a draw will hit a draw only about 0.06% of the time. The probability of making a flush, therefore, is 15 to 1 against, meaning that you should really only enter the pot if there are 15 other players in, which never happens, so playing these cards with any regularity is a losing proposition.
If you are on the button, and the flop is cheap, and you do go with Ace-Low suited, then you should fold unless you immediately receive either two cards that match your hole cards or a four flush. The probability of flopping a four-flush is 8.1/1 or 10.9%, and the possibility of completing the flush by the river is 1.9/1 or 35%. When betting on the turn hoping for flush, you really want at least three people in the pot, or enough money for three in the pot.
| HAND | Rank | Win% |
| AT Suited | 13 | 63.5% |
| A8 Suited | 21 | 60.5% |
| A6 Suited | 30 | 58.2% |
| A4 Suited | 35 | 57.1% |
| A2 Suited | 46 | 55.5% |
6. Face-Face Offsuit (58%)
Two face cards are best used when drawing to a straight, so you want to get into the flop as cheaply as possible. If your high card is a King, you will flop an Ace 23% of the time, and if your highest is a queen, a higher card will flop 41% of the time.
| HAND | Rank | Win% |
| KQ Offsuit | 23 | 60.4% |
| KJ Offsuit | 26 | 59.4% |
| QJ Offsuit | 39 | 56.9% |
7. Low Pairs (55%ers)
Low pairs are sixes or lower. All low pairs are questionable investments at best. If you all you have are have sixes, the chances are that someone will flop a higher pair 95% of the time. If you have a low pair and you flop a open-end straight draw, stay in, because you own TWO of the hole cards needed for the straight, lowering the odds that you will have to split the pot.
ODDS: You are going to land a pocket pair about once every 16 hands so don't get too excited about the lower pairs. Half the time, your pocket pairs will be high or medium pairs. Stick to those.
POT ODDS: Some people play low pairs in late position hoping to see trips, which is also the hope for higher pairs. If you take a pocket pair to the river, you have a 4.2/1 (19%) chance of making a set or better, so NEVER put money in the pot with this hand unless there are at least five other players. However, I don't bet on low pairs EVER, because it is more likely that someone else will take a straight or a flush or higher trips or a full house to the river and beat my low trips. With low pairs, I would never want to stay in unless I saw trips on the flop, and the chances of that are 7.5/1 (or 11.8%) so I would need 9 other people in the pot to make money, which is a very rare occurrence.
| HAND | Rank | Win% |
| Pair of Sixes | 17 | 62.7% |
| Pair of Fives | 27 | 59.6% |
| Pair of Fours | 48 | 56.3% |
| Pair of Threes | 66 | 52.8% |
| Pair of Deuces | 87 | 49.4% |
8. King Flush Draw (55%ers)
A king plus another card in the same suit is a dangerous hand, unless the Ace is on the board, which will happen one-third of the time that you draw to a flush. These cards should be considered the same value as low pairs, except with a low pair, at least you know if you have trips on the flop. With a King Flush draw, you could have the ace on the flop, and still not get the flush on fifth street, so this is a potentially costly hand. See the section on 'Sucker Hands' for more info.
| HAND | Rank | Win% |
| KQ Suited | 16 | 62.4% |
| KT Suited | 22 | 60.6% |
| K8 Suited | 37 | 56.8% |
| K6 Suited | 50 | 54.8% |
| K4 Suited | 60 | 52.9% |
9. Ace-Low Offsuit (55%ers)
An Ace plus a non-suited card lower than a face card is one of the biggest losers in Hold'em. Most players stay in with any ace, especially if you are playing with less than 10 at a table. However, I routinely fold this hand because 75% of the time, with 20 cards dealt into the pocket, someone else is ALSO holding an Ace in the pocket, and more often than not, their kicker will be higher than yours.
| HAND | Rank | Win% |
| AT Suited | 19 | 61.6% |
| A8 Suited | 32 | 58.4% |
| A6 Suited | 42 | 55.9% |
| A4 Suited | 49 | 54.7% |
| A2 Suited | 59 | 53.0% |
10. Suited Connectors (45%ers)
Two suited cards next to each other are only slightly better than non-suited connectors because they help with the straight flush. If you draw to a flush or a straight ONLY, however, you are in serious risk of losing to larger straights or flushes. Don't get too excited about these cards because they share the same suit. The flush draw potential only increases your chances of winning by 3%. I generally fold all suited connectors, occasionally keeping a QJ or JT if I am in late position and several players are in and none have raised. If, after the flop, your hole card is at the low end of the straight, this is a classic 'Sucker Hand.' I know of some good players who love suited connectors, however, because they know on the flop if they have a killer hand, and a further investment will not be required. My attitude is that if you love suited connectors pre-flop, you might as well get equally excited about any low straight draw.
ODDS: You will receive a suited connector once every 46 hands (or 2.1% of the time), and this is so rare, that people tend to jump for joy whenever it happens, not thinking that the changes of getting a 2-4 are even worse.
| HAND | Rank | Win% |
| JT Suited | 45 | 56.2% |
| 98 Suited | 83 | 48.9% |
| 76 Suited | 115 | 42.8% |
| 54 Suited | 136 | 38.5% |
| 32 Suited | 163 | 33.1% |
11. Low Straight Draw (42%ers)
Two cards of different suits next to each other in value are going for a straight draw, and they are 3% less likely to win than the comparable suited connectors. Like suited connectors, only stay in if the pot is big because there are lots of other players calling pre-flop. Two low cards not in order is a Trash hand, and is not a Low Straight draw even if they are separated by only one card. Also, 3-2 in the pocket is the worst possible hand in poker even it if is a straight draw. An excellent analysis of unsuited connectors can be found at: http://www.pokerstove.com/unsuited.txt.
| HAND | Rank | Win% |
| JT Offsuit | 57 | 53.8% |
| 98 Offsuit | 99 | 46.1% |
| 76 Offsuit | 133 | 39.7% |
| 54 Offsuit | 153 | 35.0% |
| 32 Offsuit | 169 | 29.2% |
12. Two Suited Cards (40%ers)
Two other suited cards, with at least one NOT being a face card, results in a four-flush flop only 10% of the time, and only a third of those finish as a flush. This is a loser hand.
| HAND | Rank | Win% |
| T7 Suited | 84 | 48.7% |
| T2 Suited | 118 | 42.5% |
| 83 Suited | 139 | 38.3% |
| 73 Suited | 143 | 37.3% |
| 62 Suited | 156 | 32.8% |
13. Trash Hands
Everything not mentioned above is a trash hand (as are some of the hands above, in my opinion), and there is no coincidence that these are in unlucky category 13. The only reason anyone stays in with these hands is that the flop was so cheap that the couldn't say no, such as being in the big blind with no raises. If you get a trash hand, and you are in the small blind, only consider calling if everyone else has and if you are sure that the person in the big blind won't raise you.
Ranking Of Best Starting Hands In Texas Holdemem
Texas Hold’em Hands As The Key Aspect Of The Skill Base For Newbies
According to the rules of the Texas Hold’em hands, each player is dealt two cards face down, which are called starting or pocket cards. The remaining five cards on the flop, turn and river are laid out openly by the dealer and are visible to all participants. However, it is precisely on the two pocket cards that players determine whether it is worth participating in the deal, or is it better to fold the cards. Therefore, it is essential to distinguish between strong pockets and weak pockets, to know from what positions and under what circumstances participants should raise with certain cards, when to call a bet, and when to fold. To make it easier to remember the strength of starting hands in poker, they are all divided into five groups. In total, there are 169 pocket hands.
Texas Hold’em Hands: The List of Rankings
The ranking of hands Texas Hold’em poker is a traditional high hand rating, which is also relevant for Omaha, a 7-card stud, and a 5-card draw. In poker, a hand always consists of five cards, often three cards consist of community cards (board) and two of the cards in hand. Players always take the highest combination, which means, for example, that if they have a pair of two and a field of 5-5-6-6-7, then their pair of two is worthless. Here are ten hand combinations, from lowest to highest.
- A Royal Flush is a combination that is almost impossible to assemble. It consists of cards of the same suit, ascending from tens to ace;
- A Straight Flush is a hand in which cards of the same suit arrange the direct sequence. The starting card can be any. For example, it can be a Straight Flush from two to six or five to nine;
- Four of a Kind is a combination of four cards of the same value. If there are two such Texas Hold’em hands in the game, then the winner is not the one with the higher dignity of the cards, but the one with the higher rankings of the fifth card;
- Full House – is a five-card combination in which there are a pair and a trio. If there are several Full Houses in the game, the winner is the one with the top three in rank. The value of cards in a pair is not taken into account;
- A Flush is an indirect sequence of cards of the same suit. For example, 2,4,6,9, A. If there are several Flush combinations in the game, then the one in which the highest card is of the highest value wins;
- A Straight is a direct sequence of cards of different stripes. If there are two or more Straight, the gain goes to the one whose highest card in the straight is higher in rank;
- A Three is a combination of three cards of the same value. For example, AAA or KKK;
- Two Pairs is a combination of four cards, in which there are two cards of the same value. For example, 22AA or 44KK;
- The highest pair is a combination of two cards of the same rank, for example, 44 or KK;
- The highest card is, as the name implies, an option in which none of the players have a single combination collected per game. In this case, the highest card is an ace.
Distribution in poker begins with a preflop, and, at this stage, it is essential for a player to make an important decision – to enter the auction or not. Experienced players analyze their pocket cards and the actions of the rivals and have already formed a range of hands with which he enters the auction first, after limping or raising the opponent. Beginners, due to ignorance of the strategy and lack of practical experience, often do not know how to choose their hands to enter the auction. For such inexperienced players, there are ready-made starting hand tables with the list of best Texas Hold’em hands.
Texas Hold’em Poker Starting Hands: The List of Top 20
Starting hands in poker are those cards that players receive when dealing, and they are also called pocket. It is vital to choose the cards with which to continue the game, as the further success of the draw will largely depend on this. The starting hands’ chart is designed to help the player sort out pocket cards, and to separate good hands from bad ones. The top 20 of best Texas Hold’em hands in Texas Hold’em Poker online includes:
- AA offsuit;
- KK offsuit;
- QQ offsuit;
- AK suited;
- AQ suited;
- JJ offsuit;
- KQ suited;
- AJ suited;
- AK offsuit;
- TT offsuit;
- AT suited;
- KJ suited;
- AQ offsuit;
- 99 offsuit;
- QJ suited;
- KT suited;
- 88 offsuit;
- QT suited;
- A9 suited;
- AJ offsuit.
Many beginner players are interested in what kind of pocket hands they should enter into the distribution. This question has no direct answer. A lot of factors need to be considered to influence the result of hand distribution and hand selection. Therefore, if players can correctly analyze each situation and enter the game only with strong Texas Hold’em poker hands to play, then this will bring income over a long distance.