Best Starting Hands in Texas Hold’em Poker: Guide & Strategy

Before playing your first hand in Texas Hold’em, you must understand that your two-hole cards can make or break your game. Learning about Texas Hold'em starting hands is crucial in determining the strength of your hand. Choosing the right starting hands to play is one of the most important decisions to become a successful poker player. Knowing which hands to fold and which ones to play gives you an edge over your opponents, especially when starting out. 

In this starting hands guide, we will explain how to read poker hands, poker hand rankings, the best poker hands, and how your position at the table can affect your decision-making. You will also get actionable poker position strategy and tips to help you make better choices and boost your winning potential immediately.

Why Starting Hands Matter in Texas Hold’em

In a poker game, your starting hands form the foundation of your strategy and can significantly impact your chances of winning. Here's why understanding starting hands is essential:

• Strength Assessment: The strength of your starting hand determines how you should play. Strong hands can justify aggressive play, while weaker hands may lead you to fold.

• Building Hands: Strong starting hands provide the potential to form high-ranking combinations as community cards are revealed, such as Straight, Flush, or Full House.

• Position and Action: Your position at the table (early, middle, or late) affects how you should play your starting hand. A strong hand can be played aggressively from any position on the table, but weaker hands may only be worth playing from a later position when you have more information.

• Reading Opponents: Knowing the potential range of starting hands other players might have helps you interpret their actions reasonably well and help you adjust your strategy accordingly.

Worst Texas Hold’em Starting Hands to Avoid

Below are some of the worst starting hands to play. If a player gets dealt any of these cards, they should look to fold them unless they are sitting at small blind or big blind positions, in which case they should try to play till they don’t have to call or raise their hands.

List of Poker Starting Hands

Below is the list of best poker starting hands from highest to lowest to help you understand.

Best Starting Hands Explanation

In Texas Hold'em poker, the ten best-starting hands offer strong potential for winning, both pre-flop and post-flop. These hands have high values and often form strong combinations such as pairs, straights, or flushes. 

Here's a look at the ten best Texas Hold’em starting hands and how beginners can leverage them:

Pocket Aces (AA)

AA is the best starting hand in Hold'em. Pocket Aces are also known as Pocket Rockets, Bullets, and American Airlines. It is the most preferred pre-flop hand and can be played from any position, be it early, middle or late. Players look up to getting pocket aces as their starting hand. Beginners should play this hand aggressively to build the pot and protect against outdraws.

Pocket Kings (KK)

Second only to aces, pocket kings are another powerhouse hand. They are also known as King Kong and Cowboys. Players should play KK more aggressively than AA, as an ace might hit the board and make it difficult for pocket kings to survive. So, they must be prepared to bet heavily to protect their hand.

Pocket Queens (QQ)

A strong pair that fares well against most hands. Pocket Queens are also known as Ladies and Two Queens. Players should raise pre-flop with pocket queens and play assertively post-flop, especially if the board is not high-card heavy. Though pocket queens are a strong hand to play preflop, it might be critical to play them post-flop when facing overcards such as AA, KK or AK. So, it is advisable to play this hand cautiously.

Pocket Jacks (JJ)

Pocket Jacks are also known as Hooks and Fishhooks. While strong, this hand requires careful play post-flop. Players should look out for overcards on the board that may weaken their hand. Pocket Jacks are a strong preflop hand when played against unpaired hands or lower pocket pairs.

Ace-King Suited (AKs)

AKs are also known as Big Slick. They are a premium hand that can win over any pocket pair except AA or KK. An Ace-King suited hand is strong enough to make a high straight or flush and much stronger than an unsuited Ace-king. Players should play this hand aggressively pre-flop and look for opportunities to dominate post-flop.

Ace-Queen Suited (AQs)

This hand is also called Big Chick and Little SLick. It can form top pairs, straights, or flushes. Players should consider raising pre-flop and bet confidently post-flop if they hit the board.

Ace-Jack Suited (AJs)

Similar to AQs, this hand offers the potential for high combinations. Use it to apply pressure pre-flop and play strongly if you connect with the board.

King-Queen Suited (KQs)

It is a strong drawing hand with the potential to create a Flush or Straight. If you have a good connection, raise pre-flop and stay involved post-flop.

Ace-King Offsuit (AKo)

While not as strong as its suited counterpart, this hand is still a premium holding. Players should play aggressively pre-flop and assess the board to determine their post-flop play. Players should focus on making a straight or two pair using their offsuit Ace-King.

Pocket Tens (10-10)

Pocket Tens are also called Dimes. They are a solid pair that can hold up well in many scenarios. Players should raise pre-flop and play carefully and cautiously post-flop, particularly against overcards.

How to Select the Best Starting Hands?

Here are some key factors to consider before selecting the best starting hands. The decisions you make pre-flop set the stage for the rest of the hand. Here are some key factors to consider before choosing your starting hand:

Card Rank

The rank of your cards is crucial. High-ranking cards like Aces, Kings, and Queens carry enormous potential for making strong hands. Hands like Ace-Ace (AA) and King-King (KK) are considered the best starting hands in Texas Hold’em.

Example: You’re dealt K♠K♣ in an early position—this is a premium hand you should raise to build the pot and limit the field.

Suited Cards

When both cards are of the same suit, they’re called suited cards. Suited hands improve your chances of making a flush—one of the most powerful combinations in poker.

Example: You hold J♠9♠ on the button. It’s not a premium hand, but being suited gives you added equity, especially if the table has limped around.

Connected Cards

Connected cards are ranked consecutive (e.g., 9♠10♦). These hands have the potential to make straights. The higher the rank, the better your chances of forming a winning combination.

Example: A starting hand like K♥Q♦.

Suited Connectors

Suited connectors combine the traits of the same suit and consecutive rank. They provide strong potential for flushes or straights.

Examples: A♠K♠, Q♥J♥, and 10♦9♦.

Position

Your position at the table is crucial when selecting starting hands. Late position is advantageous because it gives you more information about your opponents’ actions. It's wise to be more conservative with your hand selection in an early position.

Example: You are holding A♥10♦ in the early position; this might be a fold. But the same hand on the button becomes a potential raise due to the informational advantage.

Player Tendencies

Player tendencies play an important role in starting hand selection. If your opponent is a tight player who only bets, raises or enters the pot with strong hands, you should be careful and choose stronger starting hands.

Example: If the player to your right only raises with top-tier hands, and he just raised pre-flop, don’t try to outplay him with 8♣9♦.

Table Dynamics

The general table behaviour matters. If the table is tight and conservative, be selective and play fewer hands. If it's loose and aggressive, you may open your range a bit, but always observe before adjusting.

Example: If several players are calling raises with weak hands, you can start raising more frequently with hands like Q♠J♠ or 10♥9♥ in a late position to steal pots.

Stack Sizes

Consider the stack sizes; deep stacks allow you to play a broader range of hands. But if your stack is small, playing a hand like that can be risky because you might not have enough chips to wait for all the community cards to appear or recover from a loss. 

In that case, waiting for stronger hands like AQ or pocket pairs to protect your remaining chips is better. Your chip stack should guide how bold or careful you play your starting hands.

Example: With larger stakes like 150 BB, you can flat call with 6♦7♦ to try and hit a big hand. But if you're sitting on just 15 BB, stick to solid hands like A♠K♣ or 10♠10♦.

Now let’s look at some more actionable starting hands with real scenarios:

• Play Aggressively If:
  You have premium starting hands like AA, KK, QQ, or AK suited. These hands dominate most others and should be raised or re-raised pre-flop from any position.

Example: You are dealt A♠ A♦ on the button with a few limpers ahead; this is a perfect opportunity to raise big and isolate weaker hands.

• Cautious Approach If:
  You hold medium-strength hands like pocket 9s or lower, A-J offsuit, or K-Q offsuit. These hands can be valuable but are vulnerable against stronger holdings, especially from an early position or against a raise.

Example: You hold 9♣ 9♦ in an early position and face a raise and a re-raise; folding might be wise unless you have solid reads.

• Fold If:
  You have weak hands like 7♣ 2♦ (off-suit, unconnected, and low rank). These hands rarely improve and are best thrown away regardless of your position.

Example: You are in the big blind with 8♠ 3♦, and a player in the middle position raises 3x. You fold and wait for a better hand.

Pro Tip: Always combine hand strength with table context. A good hand in isolation may be unplayable depending on your position, stack, and opponents' tendencies.

Common Mistakes When Playing Starting Hands

Overplaying weak hands

Overplaying weak hands is a common mistake many players make, especially beginners. It means getting confident with hands that look good at first but are not strong enough to win often.

For example, you might have a K and 5 of different suits. At first glance, seeing a King might make you feel it is a strong hand. But actually, the K-5 offsuit is a weak starting hand, as five doesn’t help much, and if someone else has a King with a better kicker (like K-Q or K-J), you are likely to lose. 

If you bet or raise with this kind of hand (like a K-5 offsuit) and someone calls or raises back, you can lose a lot of chips. The key is to understand the strength of your hand and not get carried away just because one card looks strong.

Playing too passively

Playing too passively means calling too often and rarely betting or raising, even when your hand is strong enough to bet. It gives control of the game to your opponents and makes it difficult for you to win big pots or protect your hand.

For example, suppose you have A-Q suited, a strong starting hand and the flop appears A, 6, and 4 with no strong draws. It is a good spot, as you have a high pair with a strong kicker, but you only call every bet instead of betting or raising. It allows opponents to stay in the game and see more cards without putting in more chips. If your opponent hits a 6 and 4, they now have two pairs and can beat you.

By not betting or raising, you miss the chance to build the pot when you are ahead or push out your opponents, who might catch a better hand later. Playing too passively can lead to small wins and massive losses, so when you have a strong hand, it’s essential to play it confidently.

Ignoring position

Ignoring position is a common mistake in Texas Hold’em that can lead to poor decisions with starting hands. Your position at the table, whether you act early or later in a betting round, is significant in how strong your hand needs to be.

For example, if you are in an early position and play a hand like a J-10 offsuit, you are making a risky move. You still don’t know how the rest of the table will act, and your following player might raise you with a much stronger hand. 

But if you are in a late position, and most players have folded, that same hand (J-10 offsuit) becomes more playable because you have more information and control over the betting.

Ignoring position means treating early and later positions the same, which can get you into tough spots with weak or average hands. Smart players adjust their starting hand choices based on their sitting positions to avoid traps and make informed decisions.

Starting Hand Notations in Poker

Understanding the starting hand notations is crucial for making strategic decisions when playing Texas Hold 'em poker. These notations guide players on which hands to play and how to interpret different hand combinations. Let's explore the poker hand notations and how they work!

Suited and Offsuit Hands

In Texas Hold'em, suited or offsuit are starting hands:

• Suited Hands (s): Two cards of the same suit, such as K of Hearts and 10 of Hearts or Ace of Spades and King of Spades. The 's' notation signifies that the hand is suited, e.g., AKs for Ace-King suited. 
• Offsuit Hands (o): Two cards of different suits, such as King of Diamonds and 7 of Spades or Queen of Spades and 9 of Diamonds are Offsuit Hands. The 'o' notation indicates that the hand is an offsuit, e.g., K7o for King-Seven offsuit.

Range Notations with '+'

Another critical notation in poker is the '+' symbol. This symbol expands the range of hands you should play based on the hand it follows:

• Pocket Pairs: When '+' follows a pocket pair, it means to play that pair and all higher-ranking pairs. For instance, JJ+ means play JJ and all higher pocket pairs, such as QQ, KK, and AA.
• High Cards: When '+' follows a high card hand, it means to play that hand and all higher-ranking combinations. For example, A6s+ means you should play all-suited aces from A6s to AKs.

How Position Affects Your Starting Hand Strategy

A player's position at the poker table significantly influences the choice of starting hands and is an essential aspect of a winning poker strategy. Understanding how your position affects your starting hand selection can help you play strategically and gain an advantage over your opponents. Here’s why position matters in poker.

Early Position (EP)

The early position includes the first few seats to act after the blinds.

• Tight Hand Selection: Players in early position should be more conservative with their starting hands because they act first in each betting round and have less information about their opponents' hands.
• Risk: Being in EP is a disadvantage because other players can react to your actions. Play strong starting hands and avoid marginal ones.

Middle Position (MP)

The middle position includes the seats between the early and late positions.

• Balanced Approach: Players in the middle position should balance aggressive and conservative play. You have more information than those in EP but less than LP.
• Moderate Hand Selection: Choose your starting hands with care, prioritise strong hands, but consider occasional plays with marginal hands.

Late Position (LP)

The late position includes the seats near the dealer button, such as the cutoff and button.

• Aggressive Advantage: Players in late positions can afford to play more aggressively because they can see how others act before them.
• Wider Hand Range: In LP, you can open up your starting hand selection to include a broader range of hands due to your positional advantage. You can capitalise on the weaknesses of others and control your actions.

Adjusting Hand Selection Based on Position

• Tightening Up in EP: In the early position, focus on premium hands (e.g., high pairs, high-suited connectors) and fold more marginal hands.
• Balanced Strategy in MP: In the middle position, loosen up slightly but remain selective with your starting hands.
• Widening Range in LP: In late position, take advantage of the ability to bluff or raise with a broader range of hands, as you have better information about your opponents' intentions.

By adjusting your starting hand selection based on your position at the table, you can maximise your chances of winning and gain an edge over your opponents. This strategic approach can lead to more successful plays and increased profitability in the long run.

Types of Poker Starting Hands

In poker, starting hands set the tone for each round and guide your strategy as the game progresses. There are various starting hands, each with strengths, weaknesses, and potential for profitability. Understanding them can help you make informed decisions and improve your chances of winning. Let’s explore the essential starting hands in poker!

Pocket Pairs

You have received a pair if you have two cards of different suits but the same rank. Pairs are quite preferred starting hands. But, we can categorise the poker pair hands based on their strengths:

• Premium Pocket Pairs

Pocket Aces (AA), Pocket Kings (KK), and Pocket Queens (QQ) are the premium Pocket Pairs. The best way to play these hole cards is to raise them preflop to ensure you can take advantage of any weaker hands on the table. Pair of Tens is also a premium pocket pair that will prove profitable when raised from any position in the long run.

• Medium Pocket Pairs

Pocket pairs ranging from 99 to 55 are categorised as Medium Pocket Pairs. These cards usually derive value if the probability of a Three-of-a-Kind type of hand being made is on the cards. These hands are of some significance pre-flop, but you should play carefully with them in the later stages, like Turn and River. The pairs of 55 and 66 can be raised from middle to later positions. On the other hand, while playing on a table of 9 or more, these hands behave as the weakest hands that should be folded without hesitation from a position like Under The Gun.

• Weak Pocket Pairs

Pairs of 22 to 44 are categorised as Weak Pocket Pairs. These cards are significantly less likely to win unless you flop a set. You should avoid raising them from early positions, while if you raise them from later positions like cutoff, you can be profitable in the longer run.

Unpaired Hands

The unsuited hole cards can be categorised as playable, somewhat playable and unplayable hands.:

• Playable Hands

Hole cards of different suits, like AK and AQ, are strong playable hole cards. In a table of 6 or less, you can treat same-suited KQ and AJ as premium hands and make your first move from any position.

• Somewhat Playable Hands

KQ and AJ of different suits are weaker than their identical ones. It’s better to fold them when playing on a table of 9. Other hands that fall under this category are A4 to AT, KT, KJ, QT, QJ, QQ, JT, and JJ of different suits. These hands can sometimes be played from late positions.

• Unplayable Hands

Some hands have very low strength and should never used to raise in the first move. Hole cards like Q5o, J6o, 52o, 84o, and most other combinations are simply unplayable. Hence, you may keep getting loads of them for a long time. Therefore, it is recommended not to get carried away by your emotions. You should make it a habit only to play certain hands from certain positions.

Suited Hands

• Connectors

Connectors are pairs of cards that are consecutive rank-wise irrespective of their suits, i.e., AK(s), KQ(s), QJ(s), JT(s), AK(o), KQ(o), T9(s), T9(o), etc. Connectors that belong to the same suit are called suited connectors, while the ones with different suits are called offsuit connectors.

In suited connectors, AK(s) is the most premium hand, while KQ(s), QJ(s), and JT(s) are also good hands that can be played from any position on the table.

These hands can get converted to straights and flushes.

AK(o) is the most premium hand among unsuited connectors and can be played from any position. Otherwise, all other unsuited connectors, like JT(o)+, are weaker hands that should only be played from later positions.

• Gappers

The pair of cards separated from each other in the ranking are called gappers. For example, KJ, QT, J9, T8, and 97 are single gappers where these two-hole cards are separated in rankings by just one card between them. The bigger the gap, the weaker the hand becomes. Hence, you must be more selective while playing with two or three gappers. Some examples of two gappers are KT, Q9, J8, and T7, while examples of three gappers are K9, Q8, J7, and T6. While these gappers sometimes get connected during the game, it is only worth taking risks with a high-strength gapper like KJ.

Which Starting Hands Should You Play From Your Position?

You can take your poker game to advanced levels if you know which starting hands should be played from which positions.

The hand position charts below depict a coloured matrix of the hands that should be played or folded from which positions. Following such rules and a structured approach can help maximise your poker returns in the long run.

Playing Pairs And Suited Hands

Pocket pairs from AA to 77 can be played from any position, while suited unpaired Aces from AK to AT, unpaired Kings from KQ to KT, Queens QJ and QT, Jacks JT and J9, and T9 can be played from any positions. The rest of the suited hands should be played as per depictions in the chart.

Playing Off-Suited Hands

The range for off-suited hands is narrower than for pairs and suited hands. AK to AT, KQ, and KJ can be played from any position. The rest of the unsuited hands can either be played from mid-to-late positions or are unplayable.

Starting Hand Ranges From UTG Position In Full-Ring Poker

UTG is the first one to make the move pre-flop. Hence, this position has minimum information about the cards of other players. Therefore, the playing hand range is tighter for this position compared to Lo-Jack or any other later positions. While sitting in this position, the playable range is 77s+, T9s+, QTs+, KTs+, AQo+, and ATs+. Sitting at an early position like this one, you must play against frequent calls and re-raises (3-bet). Thus, it is recommended that you play with only such strong hands.

Here is the coloured chart that depicts the hand range that can be played while sitting at UTG.

Starting Hand Ranges From LoJack Position

The image here shows the hands that can be played and those that should not be played from this position. Lo Jack is in a late position on the table. Hand range while sitting at this position will be much broader than when sitting at UTG, as is visible from the table.

In this later position, the hand range includes suited Aces of A2(s)+, off-suit Aces of A10(o)+, pocket pairs of 55+, suited connectors of 76(s)+, suited one gappers of J9s+, and suited two gappers of Q9(s)+ and a suited three gapper K9(s).

Starting Hand Ranges From The Button

The hand range for the button position is broader than even Lo-Jack and UTG, as it is the last position on the table.

You are up against the blinds only in the button position, so there is an upfront advantage RFI (raising first in) while sitting at this position. The players seated at the button have a high probability of winning even with suited two-gappers 96(s)+ and three-gappers of J7(s)+, Q6(s)+ Queens, and some offsuit hands like 9T+.

The hands that might have been otherwise weaker at earlier positions, like UTG or Lo-Jack, become stronger because of the positional advantage at the button. The playable hands include the suited kings of K4(s)+, offsuit aces of A4(o)+, all the suited connectors, which are 43(s)+ and one-gappers 53(s)+, and all pocket pairs,i.e., 22+.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best-starting hand in poker?

The best-starting hand in Texas Hold'em is Pocket Aces (AA).

How many poker hands do you start with?

There are 169 different possible starting hands in Texas Hold'em. The number of starting hands available for you depends on your position.

Who is the first to bet in Texas Hold’em?

The first player to bet is the one sitting to the left of the button, i.e., a small blind.

How many different starting hands are there in poker?

When you consider both pocket pairs and unpaired hands (suited and unsuited), there are 169 different possible starting hands in Texas Hold 'em.

What percentage of poker starting hands should I play in Texas Hold’em?

The percentage of playable poker starting hands depends on your position at the table and your playing style, but typically, you might play between 15-25% of starting hands.

What poker hands should I fold?

When out of position, it is generally advisable to fold weak hands, such as offsuit low cards, disconnected hands, and unpaired hands with low ranks.

What hands should I play in poker preflop?

You can play strong hands such as pocket pairs, suited connectors or Broadway cards (A-Q-K-J).

Conclusion

Learning to play online poker is not just about understanding hand rankings;  your starting hand sets the foundation of your strategy. To become a good poker player, you must know which starting hands to play with and which to fold. It is important to remember that even the premium hands cannot do well at times, depending on the community cards (flop, turn, and river) dealt during the game. It is advisable to practice with your friends to learn and improve your gameplay.