In the poker game of Texas hold 'em, a starting hand consists of two hole cards, which belong solely to the player and remain hidden from the other players. Five community cards are also dealt into play. Betting begins before any of the community cards are exposed, and continues throughout the hand. Hands without a number are the weakest starting hands. As a general rule, books on Texas hold'em present hand strengths starting with the assumption of a nine or ten person table. The table below illustrates the concept: Chen formula. The 'Chen Formula' is a way to compute the 'power ratings' of starting hands that was originally developed.
Learn How to Get the Most out of Texas Hold’em Starting Hands
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.
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.
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
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.
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?
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.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
Is the starting hand guide applicable in both cash games and tournaments?
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Download and print out our poker hands ranking chart, or save it to your phone.Keep it nearby when playing so that you always know the ranking of hands frombest to worst.
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Official Poker Hands Ranked From Highest to Lowest
Learn the order of poker hand rankings quickly so you can improve your game
| Rank | Hand Name | Hand Description | Example | Probability | Combinations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1.Royal Flush | probability: 1 in 649,737 | |||
| 2 | 2.Straight Flush | Five cards in a row, all in the same suit. | combinations: 36 | ||
| 3 | 3.Four of a Kind | probability: 1 in 4,164 | |||
| 4 | 4.Full House | A pair plus three of a kind in the same hand. | combinations: 3,744 | ||
| 5 | 5.Flush | Five cards, all in one suit, but not in numerical order. | combinations: 5,108 | ||
| 6 | 6.Straight | Five cards in numerical order, but not of the same suit. | combinations: 10,200 | ||
| 7 | 7.Three of a Kind | probability: 1 in 46 | |||
| 8 | 8.Two Pair | Two different pairings or sets of the same card in one hand. | combinations: 123,552 | ||
| 9 | 9.One Pair | probability: 1 in 1.36 | |||
| 10 | 10.High Card | No matching cards. | combinations: 1,302,540 |
Poker Hand Combinations Explained
Poker hands fall into one of ten categories. The highest is a royal flush, followed by a straight flush, then four of a kind, a full house, a flush, a straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, and finally a high card.
The highest hands are the least common, with a royal flush and straight flush with the highest value cards, being exceedingly rare.
What Are Poker Suits?
A deck of cards is divided into four suits. All card suits have the same value in most poker games, but there are rare exceptions. For example, if you’re splitting an uneven pot in a high-low game where you tied your hand with another player, the remaining chip can be given to the player whose suit ranks higher. Usually spades ♠ rank highest and clubs ♣ rank lowest.
The four suits can vary from country to country - German decks contains bells instead of diamonds ♦, for example - but traditionally the four suits are as follows (in descending order of usual value for games that rank suits):
SpadesBlack suit, depicting a medieval weapon.
HeartsRed suit, showing a heart.
DiamondsRed suit, represented by a geometric diamond shape.
ClubsBlack suit, represented by a three-leaf symbol.
Video Tutorial: Poker Hand Rankings
Top 10 Best Starting Hands In Texas Hold'em Poker
The key to being good at Texas Hold'em is knowing your hands and knowing what's playable.
Top 10 Best Starting Hands
In Texas Hold'em Poker
This one is a poker classic. The strongest starting hand in poker, pocket aces are a strong pre-flop favorite over any other two cards and a 4:1 favorite over almost any hand. You will be dealt 'pocket rockets', as they are also known, on average once every 221 hands, so it makes sense to get excited about them pre-flop. However, it's worth remembering that their likelihood of winning goes down as more players enter the pot, so the fewer opponents you're up against the better.
Other Nicknames: Pocket Rockets, Bullets, American Airlines, Snake Eyes, Batteries, Needles, Two Pips
Pocket Kings, also known as 'cowboys', are a favorite against any hand (except aces). There are not many flops that should make you too worried - however, it is worth remembering that kings will only win against a hand with one ace just over two thirds of the time. You will almost always be happy to get your money in pre-flop with pocket kings.
Other Nicknames: Cowboys, King Kong, Kevin Keegan, Krispy Kreme, Ace Magnets, Elvis Presley
If you get dealt pocket queens, you are safe in the knowledge that only eight overcards are left in the deck, or even fewer if you get your money in against an opponent with an ace, a king, or ace king. You will want to play this hand strongly before the flop, raising or re-raising from any position almost all of the time, and you will still frequently run into plenty of opponents prepared to commit their money with weaker hands.
This hand is often nicknamed 'Anna Kournikova' by recreational players - it's pretty to look at, but doesn't win as much as you think it should. It is easy to fall in love with ace-king suited, and it is by no means a weak hand, winning against all pocket pairs half of the time (except for pocket aces and pocket kings). However, it is also worth bearing in mind that if you don't connect with the flop, then you just have ace-high.
Other Nicknames: Big Slick, Santa Barbara, Anna Kournikova, Big Ugly, King Arthur, Korean Airlines, Mike Haven, Walking Back To Houston
It's a classic poker saying that there are three ways to play pocket jacks, and all of them are wrong. However, this is a bit of a cliché, and the hand is a favorite or coin-flip (50:50) against any unpaired hand and a strong pre-flop favorite over any lower pocket pair. It is still a very strong hand, particularly if the pot is unraised and you look down at jacks in late-position, though you can be a little more careful if an opponent has come in for an early-position raise.
Other Nicknames: Fishhooks, Brothers, Jaybirds, Kid Dy-No-Mite, The Two Jakes, Suckers
Pocket tens are a strong starting hand and a real poker classic. They're strong enough that you don't need to hit a third ten on the flop to continue. They will still win against overcards every other time, though there are far more combinations where it is not as strong a favorite as pocket jacks. If there is a lot of action before you, it is sometimes easy to fold tens before the flop.
While this hand is an underdog against an offsuit Ace-King, it ranks higher due to its relative strength against other starting hands. Sometimes, you will find yourself in a spot where you need to fold, even after hitting a pair on the flop. However, if you completely miss the flop, it's easier to stay out of trouble with an Ace-Queen.
Other Nicknames: Big Chick, Little Slick, Mrs. Click, Antony & Cleopatra, Mrs. Slick, Rocket Queen
Weaker than its suited counterpart due to its decreased likelihood of hitting a flush, an offsuit ace-king will still win at least 40% of the time against any hand other than aces or kings. Sometimes, it is worth calling in position with this hand before the flop to keep the pot small and still get paid if you pair one of your two hole cards.
Other Nicknames: Big Slick, Santa Barbara, Anna Kournikova, Big Ugly, King Arthur, Korean Airlines, Mike Haven, Walking Back To Houston
Like a suited ace-king or ace-queen, this hand can make a royal flush. However, it is one that is worth playing more carefully; especially if a player has raised from early position. Any ace-king or ace-queen combination still has you beat if you pair your ace, so you don't want to fall in love with an ace-jack.
Other Nicknames: Ajax, Armani Jeans, Hijack, Jackass, Apple Jacks, Blackjack
Just edging out ace-ten suited and pocket nines, king-queen suited is a hand that is said to 'flop well'. It can make a large number of straights and flushes, while just hitting one pair will sometimes give you the best hand. However, you should be able to fold this hand fairly easily if the action before you suggests other players are entering the pot with a strong hand.
Poker Guides
Poker Hands Explained
Royal Flush
This is the best hand in poker. It's always A♥ K♥ Q♥ J♥ 10♥. It doesn't matter what suit it is, but all cards must be of the same suit. It's basically an ace-high straight flush.
Straight Flush
A straight flush is any other hand made up of five cards of sequential rank in the same suit, such as 7♠ 6♠ 5♠ 4♠ 3♠ or Q♥ J♥ 10♥ 9♥ 8♥. If two players get a straight flush, the hand with the highest-ranking card wins. A straight flush beats four of a kind.
Four of a kind
A four of a kind is made up of four cards in one rank, and the last card (or 'kicker') in another rank, such as 3♣ 3♠ 3♦ 3♥ 8♥. If two players have a four of a kind, the hand with the highest-ranking four of a kind wins. If two players have the same four of a kind, the winner will be the player with the highest kicker card. A four of a kind beats a full house.
Full House
A full house consists of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank, such as 9♣ 9♠ 9♦ 5♣ 5♠ (nines over fives) or Q♦ Q♠ Q♣ 2♣ 2♦ (queens over twos). If two players have a full house, the person with the highest triplet wins. If the triplet is the same, the person with the highest pair wins. A full house beats a flush.
Flush
Texas Hold'em Starting Hands Odds
Also called a full boat, a flush is any hand where all five cards are of the same suit. They do not need to be in sequential order. For example, K♣ 9♣ 4♣ A♣ 2♣ or 5♦ J♦ 3♦ K♦ 4♦. A flush is ranked first by the highest card, then by the second highest card, and so on. A flush beats a straight.
Straight
A straight is a hand that contains five cards in sequential rank, but they can be of any suit. For example, Q♦ J♦ 10♣ 9♠ 8♥ is a straight, as is 5♣ 4♠ 3♠ 2♥ A♦. If two players have a straight, the player with the highest-ranking card wins. A straight beats a three of a kind.
Three of a kind
Sometimes called trips or a set, a three of a kind is a hand consisting of three cards of the same rank, such as 8♦ 8♠ 8♣ K♠ A♠ or Q♥ Q♠ Q♦ 2♥ 8♥. If two players have a three of a kind, the player with the highest-ranking three of a kind wins. A three of a kind beats a two pair.
Two Pair
A two pair is a hand consisting of two cards of one rank, two cards of another rank, and the last card of another rank, such as 9♠ 9♥ 5♦ 5♥ A♠. If two players have a two-pair, the player with the highest-ranking pairs win. For example, a pair of queens and a pair of fives would beat a pair of threes and a pair of fives. If one pair is the same, the winner is determined by the second pair. If both pairs are the same, the winner of the hand is determined by the kicker. A two pair beats a one pair.
One Pair
A one pair is simply a hand that contains two cards of the same rank, such as 6♦ 6♥ 2♥ 5♠ K♣. If both players have a one pair, the player with the highest-ranking pair wins. If both pairs are the same, the player with the highest-ranking kicker wins. A one pair only beats a high card.
High Card
A high card means you haven't got any of the previous hands, and so your hand will be determined by the single highest-ranking card you have. For example, if you had Q♠ 5♣ 4♦ 3♦ 2♣, you would be betting with a queen-high.
Ties And kickers
With only ten possible outcomes for a poker hand, it is of course possible that the best hand at the table (a pair of 9s, for example) will be held by more than one player. In this case, the tie is broken using a kicker.
Let's say two players at a five-card poker game have a pair of 9s, and this is the best hand of the round.
Example
The hand goes to Player A, who has a pair of 9s with an A kicker (kicker meaning the highest card not involved in the pair), which beats player B's pair of 9s with a J kicker.
In the rare event that both players have the exact same hand, 9, 9, A, 7, 5 for example, the pot would be split.
Poker Hand Trainer
Use our brand new poker hand training tool to go from fish to shark in no time!
Want to know what to do in every poker situation? Not sure how to strengthen your poker hand knowledge? That's where our training tool comes in.- Hit the 'Deal' button to get started
- Rank each of the hands, from strongest to weakest, by clicking on the + icon next to each player
- Hit 'Check Order' to see if you were correct
In the event that you're wrong, you can choose to either try again or see the correct rankings - Hit 'Deal' again and you'll see the next round of cards and repeat the ranking process
- Once the hand is complete you can start again with another hand
Happy ranking and good luck!
Poker Hand Rankings FAQ
The best hand in poker is a Royal Flush.It's made up of an ace, king, queen, jack and 10 in the same suit.
You can see the poker hand rankingsabove. A one pair beats a high card, a two pair beats a one pair, a three of akind beats a two pair, a straight beats a three of a kind, a flush beats astraight, a full house beats a flush, a four of a kind beats a full house, astraight flush beats a four or a kind, a royal flush beats a straight flush.Nothing beats a royal flush.
You can beat a straight with aflush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush and royal flush.
A full house is a strong hand,but you can beat it with a four of a kind, straight flush and royal flush.
A full house, four of a kind, straight flush and royal flush all beat a flush.
There is no highest suit in poker. They are all ranked equally.
There are 10 possible poker hands. The most valuable hand is a Royal Flush, a Straight Flush made of the highest value cards in the game.
The highest value poker hand is a Royal Flush, while the lowest is a high card. The full ranking order is royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, a full house, a flush, a straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, high card.
Texas Holdem Starting Hands Odds
The ranking order of suits is spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs. In popular poker games such as Texas Hold'em, there is no ranking of card suits, however suits are sometimes ranked in other games like Bridge.
The best hand in poker is a Royal Flush, which is the highest value straight flush. The worst hand in poker is a high card. The lowest possible high card five-card poker hand (if Aces are high) is 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 with no flush present.
If two poker hands are the same, the winner is decided by a kicker. A kicker is the highest value card outside of the pair/three-of-a-kind etc. For example, a pair of 8s with a K kicker beats a pair of 8s with a 10 kicker. If two hands are identical, the pot is split.