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Top 10 Texas Holdem Hands

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  • Hellmuth submits that these 10 hands should be the only pocket cards played by the beginner in low limit Texas Hold 'em. This makes the game much simpler before the flop, however, as you can probably guess, the tricks of how to play these 10 hands after the flop can get complicated. As a general rule though, bet these top 10 hands.
  • Top 10 Best Starting Hands in Texas Hold'em Poker. Key to being good at Texas Hold'em is knowing your hands and knowing what's playable. This one is a poker classic.
  • Now, let's talk about starting hands in Texas Hold'em. Ranking The Top 20 No Limit Texas Hold'em Starting Hands. I wanted to include something a bit more exciting in this article, so here's the top 20 No Limit Hold'em starting hands in terms of raw all-in equity (or percentages).

Learn How to Get the Most out of Texas Hold'em Starting Hands

Casino terrasse frankfurt oder. Getting hole cards in Texas Hold'em is where all the action starts. As soon as you get to see your cards, you need to act quickly and make the most out of it.

Poker im uhrzeigersinn. This list of the top 10 best starting hands for Texas Hold 'em is a good place to start learning. Do keep in mind, however, that there is some disagreement over which hands are the best, and it does depend in part on your skill level and style of play. Also, a great starting hand can turn bad quickly with the wrong community cards.

Although there are numerous things you should pay attention to, including your opponents, your stack size, your position, and tournament levels, there are a couple of essentials that can apply to every starting hand.

Therefore, I decided to make a nice little cheat sheet that will help you act in the right direction as soon as the hand starts.

Let's make a quick rundown of things you're going to learn in this article:

On top of that, I also created a helpful FAQ section at the end of this article. Therefore, if you're ready to improve your Texas Hold'em skill, make sure to carefully read this article!

What Are Starting Hands in Texas Hold'em?

Whenever a hand in Texas Hold'em starts, each player will receive two face-down cards from the dealer that only they will be able to see. These cards are later combined with community cards that are revealed after every betting round.

However, before you are able to make a valid poker hand using community cards, you need to take part in the pre-flop betting round. Essentially, you need to decide what to do based only on your two hole cards.

This is not an easy task, but it could be facilitated if you stick to some guidelines that are pointed out in this article.

Poker Is All About Odds

Before I proceed with discussing individual hands, I just want to make a short point about poker.

Although Texas Hold'em, as well as many other poker variations, is a game of skill, many people don't deny the element of luck that is present. However, knowing your odds at any point in the game is something that could help you significantly when it comes to choosing your actions.

That's why I am going to discuss odds and probabilities with every hand and tell you how these can affect you and other players during a single poker hand.

Playing in Position — How Your Position at the Table Affects Your Outcome

The position is something you should definitely pay attention to during the pre-flop betting round. Poker players generally divide positions into three main categories: early, mid, and late positions.

Players who are the first to act are said to be in an 'early' position. Those who get to act last are in a 'late' position. Naturally, those who are in late position usually have a certain advantage as they get to make their decision after seeing what other players decided.

This is extremely important in the starting hand. While some hands may be playable when you're in late position, they should be taken out of the equation in early positions.

Pairs — What to Do When You Get a Pair as a Starting Hand?

Since players only receive two hole cards in Texas Hold'em, pair is basically the best thing you can get. Yet, you have to keep in mind that no matter how good things look pre-flop, all of that can change after the flop cards are revealed.

The rule of thumb is that you should get money if the pot if your pair improves with the flop. However, there's one thing you need to know — some pairs are better than others. Therefore, let's take a look at individual card pairs as your starting hands.

Pocket Aces

Pocket aces. The bullets. Pocket rockets. Pocker lovers have been quite creative when it comes to naming a pair of aces, as it is a very welcome sight in poker. In fact, the best combination of hole cards you can receive is pocket aces.

Statistically speaking, you can only get these once in every 221 hands, meaning you should immediately start working on maximizing the value right away. In other words, the most passive player in the world would make a raise pre-flop with the bullets in their hand.

Post-Flop Pocket Aces

Although you cannot get a better hand than a pair of aces, that could change a lot once the initial three cards are revealed on the flop. Usually, if you don't improve, just make sure not to stack off to insignificant two pairs or sets.

Best opening hands in texas holdem

The good thing about aces is that they are the highest card in poker. Therefore, there's literally a 0% chance of getting an overcard on the flop.

Pocket Kings

Texas Holdem Hands Chart

After pocket aces, pocket kings are the second-best starting poker hand. Some very passive and tight players might fold the popular 'cowboys' if they're in a late position and conclude that it's the best thing to do. However, it doesn't happen much, and the most logical thing to do is to raise the pot money pre-flop.

Post-Flop Pocket Kings

The only thing that you don't want to find on the flop is an ace, as that significantly increases the chances of someone else creating a pair of aces. However, if you have an overpair, then feel free to add more chips to the pot and get the most from your hand.

Poker Hands In Texas Holdem

The probability of getting an overcard (in this case an ace) when holding KK is somewhere around 23%.

Pocket Queens or Jacks

QQ or JJ in your pocket should also mean that you definitely need to play your hand in any position. Yet, these two pairs are pretty much foldable in many situations, especially if you're in a late position and you see other players making a re-raise. If you decide to call in that situation, you might get in trouble afterwards.

Post-Flop QQ or JJ

If there was a lot of re-raising on the pre-flop, you should continue with betting on the flop only if you improve your hand. In this case, it's important to keep an eye on your opponents to see if they show signs of weakness and act accordingly, despite not improving on the flop.

Pairs Below Jacks

Getting TT, 99, 88 or 77 as hole cards is considered playable in every position. On the other hand, 66 and 55 are only advised to play if you are in a mid or late position. Finally, 44, 33 and 22 should only be considered if you're in a late position.

Yet, this is something you shouldn't take for granted. All hands that are below a pair of jacks are not facing raises or re-raises, especially if you're in a late position. However, you still want to be careful when raising bets.

Post-Flop with Pairs Below Jacks

If you don't manage to hit a set when the flop cards are on the table, you should consider folding. The lower your pair is, the greater the chance that someone else has already managed to make a pair that is higher than yours.

Hands

Odds of Facing an Overcard

The main idea behind pairs is to make sure that there's a minimum chance of your opponents getting a higher pair. However, the lower your starting hand pair is, the higher the chance there will be a higher card on the flop.

According to Mike Petriv's Hold'em Odds Book, here are the odds for every pair you can have as pocket cards.

  • KK — 23%
  • QQ — 43%
  • JJ — 59%
  • TT — 71%
  • 99 — 81%
  • 88 — 88%
  • 77 — 93%
  • 66 — 97%
  • 55 — 99%
  • 44 — 99.7%
  • 33 — 99.9%

Top-Pair Hands — What Are They and How to Play Them?

Texas Holdem Hand Ranking

Whenever you receive a pair of cards and get two different but high-ranking cards, you're in a good spot. Basically, if you receive, for example, an ace and a king, you are in a good starting position to dictate the hand.

These hands are often referred to as 'top-pair' hands, as you have an opportunity to create a top pair on the flop with one of them.

During these hands, the goal of every player is to trap loose players into making the pot larger so that they can make a huge profit. Moreover, top-pair hands can come in handy when you have a position and nobody raised before you.

On the other hand, the rule many poker players accept is that you shouldn't call a raise if you have them, as that usually leads to losing a significant amount of real money.

Suited Connectors/Suited One-Gappers — An Opportunity You Shouldn't Miss

What many newcomers to the world of poker completely neglect are card suits. These can be beneficial in creating a flush or a straight (or even a straight flush, if you're really lucky).

Suited connectors are basically of the same suit and are usually ranked pretty closely. For example, 9 and 10 are the two cards that can become very lucrative if you manage to connect them with three additional cards of the same suit or three cards that can help you complete a straight.

Suited one-gappers can be cards such as 10 and Q, meaning there's a gap between them that can be filled with a J, if you're lucky.

The point is — these hands are great, but you have to take into account that they are risky as well, as one doesn't often hit straights or flushes.

In fact, if you're in an early position, the best you can do is fold your cards and wait for the next hand. On the other hand, middle/late positions are more suitable and will allow you to raise if you're feeling lucky.

Post-Flop One-Gappers

Once the flop cards are face-up, make sure to carefully analyze your hand. The best you can do is immediately land a flush or a straight, but the odds for that are not that great.

Yet, landing a pair or a draw is quite possible, and you should consider your hand good if that happens.

A draw in poker is when a player needs one card to complete a hand. For example, if you have 9 and 10 in your pocket and you land 2, 5, and 6, you basically have a draw — four cards of the same suit. However, to create a valid poker hand, you need five cards of the same suit. Luckily, you have two more chances to get one on the turn or on the river.

Ultimately, playing one-gappers is always a bit riskier than playing high pairs. However, many professionals agree that this type of hand is great for playing huge pots with the least investment.

Suited Aces — Big Pots for Small Investment

Suited aces refer to hands where you have an ace and a lower card of the same suit. Just like suited connectors, these types of hands shouldn't result in your making a huge investment. Their goal is to take down big pots without actually investing too much. In other words, getting into a raising competition is the last thing you need with either suited aces or suited connectors.

Top 10 Starting Hands In Texas Holdem

False Friends — Hands That Look Great but Aren't

Sometimes, new players think they are on the right track after reraising with, say, K and 10. These two cards are both high and may look good at first. However, they aren't suited and are just going to lose you money.

Regardless of the position, it's almost never wise to play these hands, as the chances of getting a valuable hand on the flop are lower than usual.

Post-Flop False Friends

If you had a good gut feeling and decided to proceed with the hand on the pre-flop, there's a chance that you didn't get anything on the flop. Even if you make a pair, it should at least be a pair of aces, kings or queens.

In every other situation, the best way out is to just fold while you still have time.

Final Thoughts

Starting hands may not tell you much about your final odds, but they are definitely helpful when it comes to creating your strategy for the hand. It's a perfect time to scan your opponents and find out more about them, especially if you're in a late position.

This article should help you learn what to do once you receive a specific combination of cards, but you shouldn't take these pieces of advice as final.

Poker is not math — it's jazz. It's up to players to assess the situation at the table and ultimately decide what to do. Therefore, make sure to use this article as the initial guide and try improvising whenever necessary.

FAQs

Top 10 Texas Holdem Hands
Statistically speaking, the best combination of hole cards you can get is a pair of aces. With them, there's no chance of getting an overcard on the turn.
Although pairs are always a welcome sight, it all depends on two things — your pair ranking and your position. Lower pairs are usually more playable in mid/late position.
Those who are in an early position have a disadvantage, as they don't know how other players will play their cards. Therefore, no matter how good your starting cards are, always be more careful when you're under the gun.
If your cards are far away from each other in rankings (say a 3 and a J) and do not even have the same suit, then you should definitely fold right away if you don't want to bluff.
Suited connectors are cards that are relatively close to each other ranking-wise (a J and a Q, for example) and usually are of the same suite. These cards are sometimes worth playing, as they offer the possibility of making a straight or a flush.

Is the starting hand guide applicable in both cash games and tournaments?

This guide is mostly for cash games, as the blinds remain the same throughout this type of competition. On the other hand, tournaments have levels that may require you to adopt a different strategy with your starting hands. Overall, you should be more loose and aggressive with blinds going up, but it all depends on your opponents and your stack sizes.

Texas Holdem Hands

The value of the hands in the game of poker will decide who will win the game. So if you want to win the pot and impress the other players, then you should know the rankings of the poker hands.

In this guide, we will guide you through the top 10 poker combinations that you can make to earn the right to take home the pot.

Top Poker Hands, Ranked from Highest to Lowest

  • Royal Flush. This is the best hand that you can form in this card game. You can create this winning combo with a 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace, all from the same suit.
  • Straight Flush. You have five cards in a row, all coming from the same suit.
  • Four of a Kind. You have the same card like 8s, from each of the four suits.
  • Full House. Also known as the Full Boat, it comes as a pair plus three of a kind.
  • Flush. This winning combo comes with five cards all from one suit, and not in numerical order.
  • Straight. This hand will feature five cards arranged in numerical order, and not necessarily coming from the same suit.
  • Three of a Kind. This is also known as a Set or Trips, which refers to three of one card, and two non-paired cards.
  • Two Pair. You have two different pairings of the same card in one hand, say 2 Aces and 2 Queens.
  • One Pair. A pairing of the same card with three other non-matching cards.
  • High Card. The hand does not feature matching cards, not in consecutive order and will come from different suits.

Top Starting Hands in Texas Hold'em

Listed below are the top 10 starting hands that you can explore in the game of poker.

  • Pocket Aces. This is a classic hand and considered by enthusiasts as the strongest starting hand that you can make in the game. You can be dealt with an Ace of Hearts and Spade once every 221 hands, and if it happens, you are a 4:1 favourite to win almost any hand. Keep in mind that your chances of winning the pot will considerably decrease with more players in the game.
  • Pocket Kings. These are known as ‘cowboys' in the poker circuit and are considered hand favourites as well next to the Aces.
  • Pocket Queens. If you are assigned 2 Queens, you can be assured that only eight overcards are left or fewer if you decide to get your money in against a player with an ace, a king, or ace-king. If you are dealt with the pocket queens, it's recommended that you play the cards strongly just before the flop, and raising or re-raising from different positions every time.
  • Ace-King Suited. Some will refer to this combination as the ‘Anna Kournikova' combo. Though it's nice to look at, this pair will not deliver wins every time. This combination can win against other pocket pairs half of the time, except for the pocket kings and aces.
  • Pocket Jacks. This is still a favourite or will offer you a 50:50 chance if played against an unpaired hand, and can become a strong pre-flop favourite over other lower pocket pairs.
  • Pocket Tens. These are considered as strong starting hands. The combination is considered strong because you do not need to get another ten on the flop to proceed. The pocket tens will also win against overcards most of the time, but there are some combinations where the pocket tens are weaker than the pocket jacks.
  • Ace-Queen Suited. Although this is considered a weak combination when compared to the offsuit Ace-King, still this ranks well due to its relative strength against other starting hands in poker. There will be instances when you will fold even after hitting a pair on the flop. But if you miss the flop, you can minimise your losses with an Ace-Queen.
  • Ace-King Offsuit. This is a weaker combination when paired against the suited counterparts since the chance of hitting a flush has diminished. Still, this will give you a 40% chance of winning against another hand other than the aces or kings.
  • Ace-Jack Suited. Just like the ace-queen and the suited ace-queen, this hand can form a royal flush. But this pair should be played carefully especially if the player has already raised. Don't rely too much on this combination since an ace-king or ace-queen combo can easily beat the ace-jack suited.
  • King-Queen Suited. This is a bit better than the ace-ten suited and the pocket 9s, and its considered to flop well. With this combination, you can come up with some flushes and straights, and hitting just a pair can also give you a good hand. But you should fold the hand if the action on the table suggests that the other players are going for the pot with a strong hand.

FAQs About Poker Hands

What is considered as the best hand in the game?

You can't go wrong with the Royal Flush. This hand is composed of the Ace, King, Queen, Jack and a 10 all coming from the same suit. This is the best possible hand that you can make when playing poker. The Royal Flush is different from the Straight Flush because it's arranged in a sequence.

Can my Royal Flush be any suit?

Yes, it's possible. This is allowed provided that the Royal Flush will still come with one uniform suit.

Top 10 Texas Holdem Hands

The good thing about aces is that they are the highest card in poker. Therefore, there's literally a 0% chance of getting an overcard on the flop.

Pocket Kings

Texas Holdem Hands Chart

After pocket aces, pocket kings are the second-best starting poker hand. Some very passive and tight players might fold the popular 'cowboys' if they're in a late position and conclude that it's the best thing to do. However, it doesn't happen much, and the most logical thing to do is to raise the pot money pre-flop.

Post-Flop Pocket Kings

The only thing that you don't want to find on the flop is an ace, as that significantly increases the chances of someone else creating a pair of aces. However, if you have an overpair, then feel free to add more chips to the pot and get the most from your hand.

Poker Hands In Texas Holdem

The probability of getting an overcard (in this case an ace) when holding KK is somewhere around 23%.

Pocket Queens or Jacks

QQ or JJ in your pocket should also mean that you definitely need to play your hand in any position. Yet, these two pairs are pretty much foldable in many situations, especially if you're in a late position and you see other players making a re-raise. If you decide to call in that situation, you might get in trouble afterwards.

Post-Flop QQ or JJ

If there was a lot of re-raising on the pre-flop, you should continue with betting on the flop only if you improve your hand. In this case, it's important to keep an eye on your opponents to see if they show signs of weakness and act accordingly, despite not improving on the flop.

Pairs Below Jacks

Getting TT, 99, 88 or 77 as hole cards is considered playable in every position. On the other hand, 66 and 55 are only advised to play if you are in a mid or late position. Finally, 44, 33 and 22 should only be considered if you're in a late position.

Yet, this is something you shouldn't take for granted. All hands that are below a pair of jacks are not facing raises or re-raises, especially if you're in a late position. However, you still want to be careful when raising bets.

Post-Flop with Pairs Below Jacks

If you don't manage to hit a set when the flop cards are on the table, you should consider folding. The lower your pair is, the greater the chance that someone else has already managed to make a pair that is higher than yours.

Odds of Facing an Overcard

The main idea behind pairs is to make sure that there's a minimum chance of your opponents getting a higher pair. However, the lower your starting hand pair is, the higher the chance there will be a higher card on the flop.

According to Mike Petriv's Hold'em Odds Book, here are the odds for every pair you can have as pocket cards.

  • KK — 23%
  • QQ — 43%
  • JJ — 59%
  • TT — 71%
  • 99 — 81%
  • 88 — 88%
  • 77 — 93%
  • 66 — 97%
  • 55 — 99%
  • 44 — 99.7%
  • 33 — 99.9%

Top-Pair Hands — What Are They and How to Play Them?

Texas Holdem Hand Ranking

Whenever you receive a pair of cards and get two different but high-ranking cards, you're in a good spot. Basically, if you receive, for example, an ace and a king, you are in a good starting position to dictate the hand.

These hands are often referred to as 'top-pair' hands, as you have an opportunity to create a top pair on the flop with one of them.

During these hands, the goal of every player is to trap loose players into making the pot larger so that they can make a huge profit. Moreover, top-pair hands can come in handy when you have a position and nobody raised before you.

On the other hand, the rule many poker players accept is that you shouldn't call a raise if you have them, as that usually leads to losing a significant amount of real money.

Suited Connectors/Suited One-Gappers — An Opportunity You Shouldn't Miss

What many newcomers to the world of poker completely neglect are card suits. These can be beneficial in creating a flush or a straight (or even a straight flush, if you're really lucky).

Suited connectors are basically of the same suit and are usually ranked pretty closely. For example, 9 and 10 are the two cards that can become very lucrative if you manage to connect them with three additional cards of the same suit or three cards that can help you complete a straight.

Suited one-gappers can be cards such as 10 and Q, meaning there's a gap between them that can be filled with a J, if you're lucky.

The point is — these hands are great, but you have to take into account that they are risky as well, as one doesn't often hit straights or flushes.

In fact, if you're in an early position, the best you can do is fold your cards and wait for the next hand. On the other hand, middle/late positions are more suitable and will allow you to raise if you're feeling lucky.

Post-Flop One-Gappers

Once the flop cards are face-up, make sure to carefully analyze your hand. The best you can do is immediately land a flush or a straight, but the odds for that are not that great.

Yet, landing a pair or a draw is quite possible, and you should consider your hand good if that happens.

A draw in poker is when a player needs one card to complete a hand. For example, if you have 9 and 10 in your pocket and you land 2, 5, and 6, you basically have a draw — four cards of the same suit. However, to create a valid poker hand, you need five cards of the same suit. Luckily, you have two more chances to get one on the turn or on the river.

Ultimately, playing one-gappers is always a bit riskier than playing high pairs. However, many professionals agree that this type of hand is great for playing huge pots with the least investment.

Suited Aces — Big Pots for Small Investment

Suited aces refer to hands where you have an ace and a lower card of the same suit. Just like suited connectors, these types of hands shouldn't result in your making a huge investment. Their goal is to take down big pots without actually investing too much. In other words, getting into a raising competition is the last thing you need with either suited aces or suited connectors.

Top 10 Starting Hands In Texas Holdem

False Friends — Hands That Look Great but Aren't

Sometimes, new players think they are on the right track after reraising with, say, K and 10. These two cards are both high and may look good at first. However, they aren't suited and are just going to lose you money.

Regardless of the position, it's almost never wise to play these hands, as the chances of getting a valuable hand on the flop are lower than usual.

Post-Flop False Friends

If you had a good gut feeling and decided to proceed with the hand on the pre-flop, there's a chance that you didn't get anything on the flop. Even if you make a pair, it should at least be a pair of aces, kings or queens.

In every other situation, the best way out is to just fold while you still have time.

Final Thoughts

Starting hands may not tell you much about your final odds, but they are definitely helpful when it comes to creating your strategy for the hand. It's a perfect time to scan your opponents and find out more about them, especially if you're in a late position.

This article should help you learn what to do once you receive a specific combination of cards, but you shouldn't take these pieces of advice as final.

Poker is not math — it's jazz. It's up to players to assess the situation at the table and ultimately decide what to do. Therefore, make sure to use this article as the initial guide and try improvising whenever necessary.

FAQs

Statistically speaking, the best combination of hole cards you can get is a pair of aces. With them, there's no chance of getting an overcard on the turn.
Although pairs are always a welcome sight, it all depends on two things — your pair ranking and your position. Lower pairs are usually more playable in mid/late position.
Those who are in an early position have a disadvantage, as they don't know how other players will play their cards. Therefore, no matter how good your starting cards are, always be more careful when you're under the gun.
If your cards are far away from each other in rankings (say a 3 and a J) and do not even have the same suit, then you should definitely fold right away if you don't want to bluff.
Suited connectors are cards that are relatively close to each other ranking-wise (a J and a Q, for example) and usually are of the same suite. These cards are sometimes worth playing, as they offer the possibility of making a straight or a flush.

Is the starting hand guide applicable in both cash games and tournaments?

This guide is mostly for cash games, as the blinds remain the same throughout this type of competition. On the other hand, tournaments have levels that may require you to adopt a different strategy with your starting hands. Overall, you should be more loose and aggressive with blinds going up, but it all depends on your opponents and your stack sizes.

Texas Holdem Hands

The value of the hands in the game of poker will decide who will win the game. So if you want to win the pot and impress the other players, then you should know the rankings of the poker hands.

In this guide, we will guide you through the top 10 poker combinations that you can make to earn the right to take home the pot.

Top Poker Hands, Ranked from Highest to Lowest

  • Royal Flush. This is the best hand that you can form in this card game. You can create this winning combo with a 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace, all from the same suit.
  • Straight Flush. You have five cards in a row, all coming from the same suit.
  • Four of a Kind. You have the same card like 8s, from each of the four suits.
  • Full House. Also known as the Full Boat, it comes as a pair plus three of a kind.
  • Flush. This winning combo comes with five cards all from one suit, and not in numerical order.
  • Straight. This hand will feature five cards arranged in numerical order, and not necessarily coming from the same suit.
  • Three of a Kind. This is also known as a Set or Trips, which refers to three of one card, and two non-paired cards.
  • Two Pair. You have two different pairings of the same card in one hand, say 2 Aces and 2 Queens.
  • One Pair. A pairing of the same card with three other non-matching cards.
  • High Card. The hand does not feature matching cards, not in consecutive order and will come from different suits.

Top Starting Hands in Texas Hold'em

Listed below are the top 10 starting hands that you can explore in the game of poker.

  • Pocket Aces. This is a classic hand and considered by enthusiasts as the strongest starting hand that you can make in the game. You can be dealt with an Ace of Hearts and Spade once every 221 hands, and if it happens, you are a 4:1 favourite to win almost any hand. Keep in mind that your chances of winning the pot will considerably decrease with more players in the game.
  • Pocket Kings. These are known as ‘cowboys' in the poker circuit and are considered hand favourites as well next to the Aces.
  • Pocket Queens. If you are assigned 2 Queens, you can be assured that only eight overcards are left or fewer if you decide to get your money in against a player with an ace, a king, or ace-king. If you are dealt with the pocket queens, it's recommended that you play the cards strongly just before the flop, and raising or re-raising from different positions every time.
  • Ace-King Suited. Some will refer to this combination as the ‘Anna Kournikova' combo. Though it's nice to look at, this pair will not deliver wins every time. This combination can win against other pocket pairs half of the time, except for the pocket kings and aces.
  • Pocket Jacks. This is still a favourite or will offer you a 50:50 chance if played against an unpaired hand, and can become a strong pre-flop favourite over other lower pocket pairs.
  • Pocket Tens. These are considered as strong starting hands. The combination is considered strong because you do not need to get another ten on the flop to proceed. The pocket tens will also win against overcards most of the time, but there are some combinations where the pocket tens are weaker than the pocket jacks.
  • Ace-Queen Suited. Although this is considered a weak combination when compared to the offsuit Ace-King, still this ranks well due to its relative strength against other starting hands in poker. There will be instances when you will fold even after hitting a pair on the flop. But if you miss the flop, you can minimise your losses with an Ace-Queen.
  • Ace-King Offsuit. This is a weaker combination when paired against the suited counterparts since the chance of hitting a flush has diminished. Still, this will give you a 40% chance of winning against another hand other than the aces or kings.
  • Ace-Jack Suited. Just like the ace-queen and the suited ace-queen, this hand can form a royal flush. But this pair should be played carefully especially if the player has already raised. Don't rely too much on this combination since an ace-king or ace-queen combo can easily beat the ace-jack suited.
  • King-Queen Suited. This is a bit better than the ace-ten suited and the pocket 9s, and its considered to flop well. With this combination, you can come up with some flushes and straights, and hitting just a pair can also give you a good hand. But you should fold the hand if the action on the table suggests that the other players are going for the pot with a strong hand.

FAQs About Poker Hands

What is considered as the best hand in the game?

You can't go wrong with the Royal Flush. This hand is composed of the Ace, King, Queen, Jack and a 10 all coming from the same suit. This is the best possible hand that you can make when playing poker. The Royal Flush is different from the Straight Flush because it's arranged in a sequence.

Can my Royal Flush be any suit?

Yes, it's possible. This is allowed provided that the Royal Flush will still come with one uniform suit.

What are my odds of collecting a Royal Flush?

Given that a deck of cards has 53 cards, the probability that the first player will be rewarded with this winning combination is 1 in 30,940.

What is a Straight Flush and how does it work?

In poker, this hand features five cards that are arranged numerically, and they all come from the same suit. For example, a Straight Flush will feature a Queen, Jack and 10 to 8 all coming from the same suit. Regarding their value, the Straight Flush is ranked next to the Royal Flush.

What is a Full House and how does it work?

Aside from the fact that this combo has become a popular subject in a 1980s sitcom, the Full House in poker refers to three cards of the same rank or number, and two cards from the other. An example of a Full House will include two kings and three sixes.

What does my Flush beat?

The Flush can be any high card hand, two pairs, single pair, three-of-a-kind, or even a straight. The Flush will not work against the Straight Flush, four-of-a-kind and a Full House. Now, if there are two Flush hands in competition, the final value of the flush hand will be based on the highest ranking card.

Which suit is considered the best in poker?

In Texas Hold'em, no suit is considered as the best or most valuable. All suits are designed and created the same way, and these are ranked equally. But some games designate a ranking for the suits with clubs, diamonds, hearts and spades arranged from lowest to highest. In some games, the suits can be used as a tiebreaker.

Is there a need to memorise the hand rankings when playing poker?

No, there's no need to memorise the different hand values, but it's best that you are aware of the strong and weak hands. If possible, get a copy of the hand rankings and keep them close. It's easier to play the game of poker if you know what hands you can beat.

How many cards are needed to play the game of poker?

If you are playing the Texas Hold'em, you will start the game with two hole cards and another 5 shared cards in the middle of the table or the board, and these are dealt out in 3 rounds. Out of the 7 cards available, you are expected to come up with the best hand value using 5 cards. The deck comes with 52 cards, with 13 cards from Deuce to Ace from each suit.

How are cards dealt in Texas Hold'em?

If playing the game for the first time, the dealer will assign you two hole cards that are dealt with face-down. After this, you will participate in the pre-flop betting round where the players are given a chance to check their cards, make a bet, or fold the hand.
The dealer will then place the three community cards face-up on the table or the board. This event is called the ‘flop'. Another round of betting follows, and after this round, another card is then added to the set of community cards. This is known as the ‘Turn', and this is followed by another set of betting.
And finally, the last community card is assigned face-up on the table which starts the ‘River'. During this time, the players will then come up with their best hand combination using 5 cards, using the community cards on the table and the two hole cards. The game will now start the last round of betting, and the winner of the pot is decided.
When it comes to the live poker game, before dealing of the cards for Flop, Turn, and River, the assigned dealer will first deal a burn card. The burn card is dealt face-down, and this card should not be seen by anyone.

Will the poker room software notify me if I won the pot?

This will depend on the poker software used by the online casino. If you are new to the poker website, make sure you play it for free first, so you will understand how it works.

Takeaway Points:

Top 10 Texas Hold'em Starting Hands

  • The game of poker is decided by the value of the hands.
  • Different hands will assume different values, so its best to know these.
  • There is a ranking of poker hands with the Royal Flush as the best hand that you can make in the game of poker.
  • When it comes to the best starting hands in poker, the best pair is the Pocket Aces followed by the Pocket Kings.
  • There is a difference between the Royal Flush and the Straight Flush.
  • There is no need to memorise the poker hand rankings, but it pays to learn which poker hands are considered the best, and which ones are considered the weakest.
  • In the game of poker, the players are dealt with 2 cards first which are known as the hole cards. There are three stages or phases in the game of poker, and it includes the Turn, the Flop and the River.

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