In most games you'll want to raise with these hands regardless of what the poker rankings are pre-flop, and be willing to put your stack all in before the flop if you're able to (assuming 100 big. The 20 Best Starting Hands In Poker. Sep 5, 2017 3:00 AM. A-A, K-K, and Q-Q – as “made hands” preflop. They could win the pot even without further improvement. Playing these preflop, your. Preflop to finish, AK is only about a 2 to 1 favorite over 32. You can see from these examples that the advantages of suited and connected cards can contribute significantly to preflop hand selection. Dominating Poker Hands. A texas hold'em hand is dominated if it has 3 or fewer outs against a hand it faces, like AQ against AK.

• Top 10 Poker Hands Pre Flop
• Top Holdem Hands
• Top 10 Preflop Poker Hands Printable
• Best Preflop Poker Hands
• Poker Best Hands
• Top 10 Preflop Poker Hands Ever

Unless you’ve been living under a rock somewhere, you know by now that Texas holdem is the poker game of choice in the United States these days. You’ve probably also heard something about how it’s a game of skill, and that’s true. Like any gambling or poker game, there’s a significant chance element in Texas holdem, but in the long run, the money flows toward the most skilled players.

You can find plenty of books and articles about how to play in general, but starting Texas holdem players should start by mastering preflop play. How you play your hole cards in Texas holdem is so important that you can probably become a break-even player just by mastering that aspect of the game alone. A little common sense will get you through the later stages of the game well enough to break even.

Of course, I don’t recommend that, either. Your goal should be to be in the top 10% of players—the ones who make a consistent profit over time. To do that, you’ll need to master preflop play and play on the flop, turn, and river.

But Texas holdem strategy is a big enough subject that I can’t cover all that in just one post. Instead, I’m just going to focus on preflop strategy. I’ll cover strategy in the later stages in future blog posts.

Position is the most important aspect of preflop play. “Position” refers to when you act compared to the other players at the table. If you must decide what to do before most of your opponents, you’re in “early position.” If most of the other players act before you, then you’re in “late position.”

You need a stronger hand to play in early position than you need in later position. If the reason for this isn’t already obvious, here it is in a nutshell:

When you act later in the betting round, you have more information about what your opponents are planning to do.

A A K K is the best Omaha starting hand, but right next to it is, surprisingly, A A J T as it has much more straight potential than the third-best hand, A A Q Q. Almost all the top 30 hands from our chart have at least one strong pair in them: either A A, K K, Q Q or J J. Good preflop play is essential to Texas holdem poker success. It’s not the only factor or even the most important factor, but it’s got to be in the top 3 or 4 factors. Luckily, if you understand position and the importance of tight-aggressive play, you’re way ahead of at least half the players at the table.

If you have 89 suited in early position, you should usually fold. After all, if you get a raise and a re-raise from a couple of players who act after you do, you’ll need to fold. Also, if everyone else folds, you won’t get enough pot odds to make it worthwhile to have stayed in the pot.

If you’re in early position, you’re looking at playing premium hands—pairs of aces, kings, queens, or jacks, or maybe AK or AQ suited. Middle suited connectors are better folded. Smaller pairs are often best folded, too. In fact, anything you play from early position should be good enough that you’re comfortable raising with it.

If you’re in late position, pay attention to the pot odds and the passivity or aggression with which your opponents are playing. Drawing hands are okay if people haven’t raised, but raises from early position often mean strength. Only play speculative preflop hands if you can get in cheap with multiple players. Or if you have an opportunity to bluff or semi-bluff the blinds, you might raise with something less than a premium hand.

2- Raise or Fold if You’re the First Player to Enter the Pot

Most poker experts agree that tight-aggressive play is the key to winning at all kinds of poker. “Tight” poker is a playing style where you fold most hands. The only hands you even play are the strong ones. “Aggressive” poker is a playing style where you bet or raise when you’re in a pot, rather than calling.

You also want to be putting constant pressure on the players in the blinds.

3- You Can’t Steal the Blinds if Someone Before You Has Demonstrated They’re Willing to Compete for the Pot

If someone who acts before you bets or raises preflop, you need a much stronger hand to raise than if you’re opening the pot. That’s because when you’re opening the pot, you’re getting a certain amount of equity from the possibility that everyone will fold, including the blinds. A certain percentage of the time, you’ll win money without having to show down a hand.

But you should only raise with a premium hand—the same kinds of hands that you’d open with if you’re the 1st player to act.

All that being said, you want to keep in mind your opponents’ playing tendencies, too. Not long ago I played with a gentleman who raised preflop every hand. I don’t mean 70% of the hands or 80% of the hands. I mean every hand.

In that case, you might well raise with any decent holding, especially if you can get heads up with him.

Most players aren’t that extreme in their tendencies, though.

But pay attention, because these tips are like training wheels. You only need them until you’ve learned how to actually ride the bike.

One of the biggest leaks in my game when I first started was not paying attention to what was going on at the table. You should focus on the action in every hand. That’s because you’ll pick up on how your opponents play, and this will inform your decisions throughout the game.

You can get an idea of how tight or loose a player is based on his tendencies, but only if you’re paying attention. If you’re watching television or daydreaming, you’re doing it wrong.

I used to think that a solid set of starting hand requirements was enough to ensure my success at the table. That’s important. But it’s not the whole game. In fact, poker is a game of situations—it’s not blackjack, where the correct play is always the same in every situation.

In poker, every situation is subtly different. Here’s an example:

That’s not how the game went down, though. I got callers and had a showdown on every hand I played, even after folding God knows how many hands. I left that session a big winner.

I already mentioned the guy who raised preflop with every hand, too. If you have any kind of decent cards, you’d do well to re-raise someone like that. Your goal should be to get heads up with him preflop with a hand that dominates him.

Since he’s raising every time, he could have anything in the hole. About half the time, he has absolutely nothing but trash. Even a small pair makes sense to raise with here if you think you can get him heads up. And those are just 2 examples of player types—extremely tight and extremely loose and aggressive.

You should also know how to play with someone who plays really tight but calls. I think you need to be more careful about raising the super-tight player in this situation, because he might be calling with a premium hand. You don’t necessarily need a premium hand to call here, but it wouldn’t hurt. You do need cards that are better than average.

5- From the Small Blind, It’s Often Okay to Just Call

When you’re in the small blind, and other players have limped in, it’s only half a bet to call, too. If you have almost any hand at all in this situation, it’s probably worth calling. After all, if you hit a monster on the flop, you’re almost certain to get paid off on that half a bet that you had to put up.

I’d play any cards that have a possibility of making a flush here, especially if those suited cards are connected, and even if they’re really low in rank. I’d also play any hand with an ace in it. It goes without saying that any pair is good enough in this situation.

Just remember that you need to hit the flop hard to continue after that. If the flop doesn’t fit your hand, you can fold and get out cheap. After all, you only voluntarily put in half a bet.

6- Calling from the Big Blind Is Often More Correct than Raising

The big blind is one of the only positions where it can make sense to just cold-call a raise from your opponent. That’s because you already half that bet in action. You still need a strong hand here, but it’s often a mistake to raise because you’re out of position for the subsequent rounds.

Also, if there’s anyone else in the pot—especially if there are multiple people—the only reason you’ll want to raise from the big blind is to get more money into the pot. Most people who are willing to play for one bet are also willing to play for 2 bets—especially when the raise is going to be out of position for the rest of the hand.

If you want to raise from the big blind, you need a premium hand—AK or a pair of queens or better. Otherwise, you’re almost always better off calling from the big blind. The big blind is tough to play because the usually guidelines for what you should do don’t necessarily apply here.

You’ll often run into a game where a player in late position attacks your big blind constantly and mercilessly. Folding every time he raises is bad strategy, because it’s almost certain that he’s bluffing at least part of the time. If you re-raise him once in a while, he’ll think twice about testing you again.

This applies, of course, to situations where he’s the only person to open the pot. If he has other limpers in front of him when he re-raises, then re-raising him is probably a mistake. When it’s just you and him, though, any playable hand will do for a re-raise.

A continuation bet on the flop is often a good move to follow this up with, too.

8- Re-Raising from the Small Blind Often Makes Sense, Too

Just because you’re not in the big blind doesn’t mean you should let your small blind get stolen. If one player late in position raises, re-raising is a good idea much of the time. It’ll often convince the big blind to fold, and if the original raiser is just stealing blinds, he’ll think twice about messing with you on future hands.

You see, the guy in the big blind will often get in on the action if there’s only a single raise beforehand. But he’ll be likely to fold in the face of 2 raises.

If the original bettor misses the flop, you’ve pretty much got him, because you looked really strong preflop. And he probably didn’t have much to begin with.

I know these are generalizations, but I’m assuming at this point you understand you need to pay attention to your opponents’ tendencies.

9- If Someone Raises from Early Position, Take Him Seriously

Many new players don’t understand position very well, but you can’t assume that someone in early position is new or inexperienced until you’ve seen them in action for a little while. The good cards are out there somewhere, especially if they’re not in your hand.

My thinking is that if someone in early position raises, I need a premium hand to re-raise here. Otherwise, I’m folding. I’m going to be even more careful if he gets a lot of action after raising in early position. Someone has those cards.

If I have a pair of aces or kings, I’m always re-raising here. I’m usually re-raising with AK or pocket queens, too, but not if there’s a lot of action beforehand.

A pair of 10s or a pair of jacks is a solid hand, but ONLY in the right situation. Remember what I said earlier about poker being a game of situations.

10- When the Flop Fits Your Hand, You Should Bet or Raise

I’m not including a lot of advice about how to play the flop, but I’m going to point out a couple of things about the flop here.

The first is that you’re a tight-aggressive player. This means that if you think you have a strong hand on the flop, you’re going to bet and raise with it. On the other hand, if you miss the flop, all you need to do is fold.

Sometimes you’ll make a continuation bet on the flop, just in hopes of winning the pot without a showdown. This works best if you showed strength preflop, and it also works best if you only have one or 2 opponents.

You can say a lot about reading the texture of a flop and making guesses about what cards your opponents might have. That’s beyond the scope of this post, though.

Just remember these 2 things, and you’ll probably be okay on the flop:

• A continuation bet on the flop can take down the pot when you’re facing just one or 2 opponents. (But it does depend on your opponents’ tendencies.)
• Other than that, fit or fold.

Good preflop play is essential to Texas holdem poker success. It’s not the only factor or even the most important factor, but it’s got to be in the top 3 or 4 factors. Luckily, if you understand position and the importance of tight-aggressive play, you’re way ahead of at least half the players at the table.

In fact, if you ignored all the tips on this list but the ones about understanding position and being aggressive when you open a pot, you’ll be ahead of the average player in the casino. A lot of these Texas holdem players are still new to the game. They’re taking a break from the slot machines.

Those are the opponents you want to face. Armed with the advice in this post, you might be able to dominate even if your game is slightly weaker on the flop or after.

One of the first books I ever read about Texas holdem strategy was Phil Hellmuth’s Play Poker Like the Pros. And one of the first lessons I learned from that book was the importance of tight play before the flop. Hellmuth presents a list of the top 10 starting hands in Texas holdem, and he suggests that you ONLY play hands from that list.

His list is a little different from the one I present below, though. His list consists of any pocket pair of 7s or better, plus ace king suited and ace queen suited.

My list is less bull-ish on pocket pairs, though. I also include some more high hands that have suited and connected value.

Of course, you should consider any guide to Texas holdem starting hands to be like training wheels on a bicycle. They’re great at first—maybe even necessary—but eventually, you shouldn’t need a starting hands chart at all. You’re just able to make good decisions based on the situations you’re in.

1- Pocket Aces

Unless you’re completely unfamiliar with poker or you’ve been living under a rock, you already know that pocket aces are the strongest starting hand in Texas holdem. It’s also one of the easiest hands to play correctly. Just bet and raise with it.

Since it’s impossible for any of the other players in the hand to have a better starting hand, betting and raising with pocket aces is always correct.

I have read that some players like to check with pocket aces if they’re in first position at a full table. The idea is that someone behind you will bet and maybe someone will even raise, giving you the opportunity to re-raise and maybe even put them all-in. (This applies mostly to no limit games.)

My friend Wes insists that checking with pocket aces is always a mistake, even in this limited set of circumstances. Sometimes I check with pocket aces just to get on his nerves.

Anyway, pocket aces pretty much play themselves. They often win even if the hand doesn’t improve over the course of the flop, turn, and river.

2- Pocket Kings

Playing pocket kings preflop is also dead simple. You just bet and raise with this hand repeatedly. Your goal should be to get all your chips into the pot before the flop. The only way you can possibly be dominated when you have pocket kings is if one of your opponents has pocket aces. And your opponents usually DON’T have pocket aces.

You’ll get calls from players with pocket jacks, pocket queens, or ace king or ace queen suited. In all those situations, you’re the favorite, so getting your money in the pot in that situation is the right thing to do.

Pocket kings get tricky when an ace shows up on the flop. Now you have to start thinking about what you’re going to do next.

You want to avoid making the mistake of overplaying your hand in this situation. Pocket kings aren’t the nuts, and once the flop has hit, the strength of your hand has likely changed. It’s okay to fold.

Position is important when that ace hits, because if you’re in late position, you can get a feel for what your opponent might be holding.

Don’t be afraid to fold pocket kings when an ace shows up on the flop, though. You shouldn’t automatically give up on the hand, either, but don’t play it like it’s the nuts.

Lots of players, especially newcomers or beginners, are really bullish on aces preflop—even if their other card is low in value and not of the same suit. Be willing to give your opponent credit for having that ace I the hole.

3- Pocket Queens

It’s even more important to avoid getting married to pocket queens than it is to avoid marrying pocket kings. You should bet and raise with pocket queens before the flop, although maybe less aggressively than you would aces or kings. You then need to be cautious if you see a king or an ace on the flop.

I almost never fold pocket queens before the flop, because the odds of my opponent having pocket kings or pocket aces are so low.

But the odds that someone still in the hand on the flop has one king or one ace preflop are good, so if I see one of those cards on the flop, I start getting more cautious. If I’m first to act, I’m usually good for a continuation bet, but if I get raised or re-raised, I’m willing to get away from the hand.

If I’m in late position with pocket queens, I’m often good for a bet if no one has acted, but I’m probably not going to raise or re-raise aggressive players in early position.

Pocket queens are a great hand, but they’re not the same as pocket kings or aces and shouldn’t be played as if they were.

4- Ace King Suited

Ace king is often called “big slick,” and if the 2 cards are suited, some players call the hand “super slick.” Players fall in love with this hand, as well they should, but it’s important to remember that ace king suited is a speculative hand. If you don’t catch something that helps on the flop, ace king is one you need to be willing to get away from on the flop.

In David Sklansky’s hand groupings, the best possible hands are in “Group 1.” These hands include pocket jacks, queens, kings, or aces. They also include ace king suited.

But there’s a big difference between ace king suited and any of these pocket pairs. In fact, even pocket jacks has a huge difference in strength from pocket aces.

The trick to playing ace king is to avoid overvaluing the hand. Yes, you should bet and probably even raise with this hand preflop. You just need to be ready to get away from the hand on the flop.

It’s also important to pay attention to your opponents’ tendencies. Ace king suited is easily dominated by pocket queens, kings, or aces.

But you also have lots of possibilities with this hand, including the possible nut flush. My favorite move in Texas holdem is to hit 4 to a flush with ace king suited and then play it really aggressively.

This is a classic semi-bluff. You probably don’t have the best hand on the flop, but you still have a roughly 1/3 chance of hitting the nut flush. Combine that with the possibility that your opponents might fold in the face of your aggression, and you have a situation with a lot of expected value.

5- Pocket Jacks

This is the lowest pair in David Sklansky’s top tier hand grouping. This might also be the biggest trouble hand in Texas holdem. It’s easy to overvalue pocket jacks, especially if you haven’t had a lot of playable hand in your time at the table. (I don’t know anyone who enjoys folding for an hour straight.)

The most important factor to consider when playing pocket jacks is position. If you’re in early position, betting or raising with pocket jacks is a good idea, but be cautious when someone plays back against you. From late position, raising is okay against a single opponent, but against multiple bettors and raisers, you might be in trouble.

When the flop hits, it’s time to pay attention. You’ll see overcards on the flop 2/3 of the time, and chances are good that someone has at least a queen in the hole if they’re still in the pot with you. What you’re really hoping for with pocket jacks is to pick up a small pot uncontested preflop, or to hit the flop hard enough that you can play back at someone with big cards.

Pocket jacks are almost always playable, but they’re small pot hands that you need to be willing to get away from.

6- Pocket 10s

Top 10 Poker Hands Pre Flop

I still raise preflop with pocket 10s, especially if I’m in late position, but I’m more cautious with them in late position. I’m almost always in trouble when a high card hits on the flop, and if 2 high cards hit on the flop, I gotta get out of there.

The best case scenario with pocket 10s is the same as with any smaller pair. You’re really hoping to hit a set, which happens rarely, but when it does… you’re going to win a big pot.

Don’t be afraid of making a continuation bet on the flop, though. Just be ready to get away from the hand if one of your opponents starts playing back at you.

Don’t forget, though, that your opponent doesn’t know what you’re holding. Even if an overcard hits, it might not be the overcard that your opponent needs. By making a continuation bet, you can sometimes get your opponent to fold and take down a small pot right away on the flop.

The number of players makes a difference, too—especially preflop. If you’re playing at a full table, your pocket 10s might or might not be the best hand. But if you’re playing at a table with 5 or 6 players, it’s often going to be the best preflop hand out there. This means you should play it aggressively before the flop.

7- Ace King (Not Suited)

Top Holdem Hands

Ace king offsuit doesn’t play much differently than ace skin suited, but the difference is big. If you can run the guys holding smaller pairs off before the flop, you’ll be doing well. If you miss the flop, you really have no choice but to slow down. Since you don’t have the flush potential or the semi-bluff potential with the unsuited ace king, it’s a trickier hand to play.

Top 10 Preflop Poker Hands Printable

Still, ace king is a premium hand, because you have 6 cards that will improve your hand on the flop. If you see an ace on the flop, you have the best possible pair with the best possible kicker. If you see a king on the flop, you have the top visible pair with the best possible kicker. Someone with pocket aces has you beat, but that’s unlikely.

A lot of players have trouble with big slick, but you needn’t have trouble with it. Play it strong preflop, then slow down on the flop if you miss the flop. If you hit the flop, hit the gas. Most of the time, especially at the lower stakes, all you need to do to play profitable poker is to fold your bad cards and bet and raise with your good cards.

Some advanced players will call this “ABC poker.”

But ABC poker is the beginning of poker wisdom. If you can’t play good ABC poker, you’ll have no chance of doing well with more complicated, multi-level strategies.

8- Ace Queen Suited

I’ve seen poker writers call ace queen suited the worst possible best hand. I’m not sure that’s the case, but ace queen suited is much weaker than ace king suited, even though a lot of players don’t make a distinction.

At a full table, you’re probably going to do just as well by folding ace queen suited from early position as anywhere else. If you’re in middle or late position, ace queen suited is a betting and raising hand, but it’s a hard hand to play from early position.

If there’s a lot of betting and raising preflop, the only sensible move is to fold the ace queen suited and wait for a better hand. Chances are that if a lot of people are betting and raising, someone has a reasonably high pair or at least ace king. In either of those cases, your ace queen suited is thoroughly dominated. Don’t put money in the pot if you’re sure you’re dominated.

The best time and way to play ace queen suited is when you have position and everyone else has demonstrated weakness. You’re hoping to hit an ace or a queen on the flop. You also have a shot at the nut flush, but that gap between ace and queen represents a king which can be a lot of trouble.

It’s easy to miss the flop entirely with ace queen suited, too. If that’s the case with you, it might be your best bet to not bet at all, but just check and fold.

Ace queen suited is considered a trouble hand, but it doesn’t have to be. You just need to be willing to fold it in the face of aggression or in the face of a flop that doesn’t fit your cards.

9- Ace Jack Suited

I don’t play ace jack unsuited at all, and ace jack suited is only barely playable. I’d really rather have a pair of 8s or 9s than ace jack suited. In fact, ace jack suited has all the same problems as ace queen suited, only more so.

Ace jack suited is really best suited for play from late position when you see weakness from your opponents. It might also be more playable at a short-handed table.

You need to hit the flop hard with this hand if you’re going to get into a confrontation with another player. Even if the highest card on the flop is a jack, you’re still very vulnerable to other higher cards on the turn and the river.

Of course, your best case scenario is to hit a big flush, but that’s unusual. But that possibility warrants mentioning, because without the flush possibility, ace jack isn’t even playable most of the time.

I’ve seen ace queen suited called the worst best starting hand, but I think that’s because more people realize just how weak ace jack suited really is. If they weren’t sure about that, ace jack suited would certainly be at least as bad.

10- King Queen Suited

I like king queen suited. I think it’s an easy hand to play.

Best Preflop Poker Hands

If you’re in early position, limp in with king queen suited, but only if you’re at a passive table. If you’re at an aggressive table, you’re probably better off folding king queen suited from early position.

You can also limp with king queen suited from middle or later position, and if everyone seems weak, you can even raise with king queen suited from late position.

One of the beauties of king queen suited is that it’s pretty easy to tell where you’re at after the flop. You either have a flush or a strong flush draw, or you don’t. You either have a straight or a strong straight draw, or you don’t. You’ve either hit a high pair or not. Either way, you have an okay kicker.

You should never play king queen suited as aggressively as pocket aces or pocket kings, but this shouldn’t be a trouble hand, either. Pay attention to your position, and pay attention to how well the flop fits your hand. Then play accordingly.

Conclusion

Poker Best Hands

You can safely ignore any of this advice about the top 10 Texas holdem starting hands and still win at poker. This is a card game, not chess. So many factors, including random chance, affect your outcome that even if you make mistakes, you can come out ahead.

In fact, with only a little bit of searching, you’ll find other lists of the top 10 starting hands in Texas holdem that include different hands from what I’ve included here. I think most people will agree that between this list and 1 or 2 of those other lists, almost all the playable opening hands will be covered.

If you’re playing for lower stakes, ABC poker should be enough to make you profitable. Bet and raise when you think you have the best hand, and fold or check when you think someone else does.

Top 10 Preflop Poker Hands Ever

Which hands would you include on your list of the top 10 Texas holdem starting hands and why?