The strength of your starting hand in Texas Hold'em can help you determine your chances of winning, even before the remaining cards are dealt. From a pair of aces — the strongest starting hand — to a 2 and a 7, knowing the strength of your starting hand is an important part of your success at the table. When playing Texas Hold'em you need to know which starting hands are worth staying in with—and which you should fold.
Dec 05, 2018 So here are the Top 10 Best Starting Hands in Texas Hold'em Poker 1. Ace-Ace A pair of aces (also known as pocket rockets) is the best starting hand you can ever get for Texas Hold'em Poker. King-King 'King Kong' (or the two cowboys) is the second best starting hand for Texas Hold'em poker. 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.
Having a strong starting hand can help you determine your chances of winning even before the flop is dealt. In general, you're a strong contender if your starting hand contains:
Top 10 Poker Hands. As many of you know, Phil Hellmuth is one of the most successful Texas Hold 'em players of all time. I recently read his book, Play Poker Like the Pros, and was very impressed with his Hold 'em Strategy. It is not my intent to plagiarize his book, but no poker strategy site would be complete without mentioning the playing. 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.
Beyond these cards, you'll also often be happy to see cards in sequence, particularly the high cards and face cards, and pairs in your starting hand. While some of these hands aren't always deemed the ideal hands, they can sometimes pay off if you're willing to take a risk. Don't forget the added bonus if your cards are all in the same suit, too. A flush, especially a straight flush or royal flush, can often win you the game. Again, the flop will play a major role in just how strong your chances are at winning, so assess carefully and determine how much risk you're willing to take.
The specific sequence of cards and the order in which they rank is an important aspect of the game. Studying up on the best starting hands in Texas Hold'em can help improve your game and your odds at winning the pot.
A strong starting hand might also encourage you to make a strong blind (your first bet).
When you're dealt your starting hand, some combinations greatly reduce your chances of winning. These are generally low numbers that are not in sequence or matched. You might consider folding early if your two cards are:
The strategy of what to hold, and why, takes a bit to master, so studying the worst starting hands in Texas Hold'em, even more, can help you improve your game.
Play only the cards in the 10-best list and always fold those in the worst hands list. Following this strategy may improve your results. However, there's no guarantee that receiving a strong starting hand will take the round, or that a weak starting hand is a definite loss. You never know how the flop may run, and while an unsuited 2 and 4 might seem like one to deal, sometimes you'll be pleasantly surprised with a two-pair or even a full house. Study up on the various hands you're aiming for.
How you approach the game will also differ based on the game itself. For example, if you're playing No-Limit Hold 'em, knowing the top No-Limit Hold'em hands can help you better understand how to play them.
As your skill increases, you'll also want to learn how position affects your Hold'em starting hand decisions. The more you learn, the more you'll realize how important your starting hands are to your bottom line. Play the good hands and fold the bad, and you'll be well on your way to becoming an expert at Hold'em.
The following table ranks the top hands in a 10-player game. This table assumes that all players stay in until the end.
Explanation of column headings:Cards | Probability of Win | Average Win | Expected Value | Probability | Additive Probability |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pair of A's | 31.36% | 9.91 | 2.1071 | 0.45% | 0.45% |
Pair of K's | 26.43% | 9.87 | 1.6079 | 0.45% | 0.9% |
Pair of Q's | 22.66% | 9.81 | 1.2224 | 0.45% | 1.36% |
A/K suited | 21.73% | 9.52 | 1.0688 | 0.3% | 1.66% |
Pair of J's | 19.84% | 9.74 | 0.9318 | 0.45% | 2.11% |
A/Q suited | 20.44% | 9.41 | 0.9239 | 0.3% | 2.41% |
K/Q suited | 19.8% | 9.41 | 0.8639 | 0.3% | 2.71% |
A/J suited | 19.51% | 9.31 | 0.8159 | 0.3% | 3.02% |
K/J suited | 18.94% | 9.31 | 0.7636 | 0.3% | 3.32% |
A/T suited | 18.87% | 9.2 | 0.7353 | 0.3% | 3.62% |
Q/J suited | 18.55% | 9.28 | 0.7217 | 0.3% | 3.92% |
A/K unsuited | 18.29% | 9.41 | 0.7209 | 0.9% | 4.83% |
Pair of T's | 17.76% | 9.65 | 0.7145 | 0.45% | 5.28% |
K/T suited | 18.34% | 9.21 | 0.689 | 0.3% | 5.58% |
Q/T suited | 18.04% | 9.19 | 0.6577 | 0.3% | 5.88% |
J/T suited | 18.07% | 9.16 | 0.6552 | 0.3% | 6.18% |
Pair of 9's | 16.05% | 9.69 | 0.5559 | 0.45% | 6.64% |
A/Q unsuited | 16.78% | 9.26 | 0.5539 | 0.9% | 7.54% |
A/9 suited | 16.87% | 9.12 | 0.5377 | 0.3% | 7.84% |
K/Q unsuited | 16.3% | 9.26 | 0.5098 | 0.9% | 8.75% |
K/9 suited | 16.22% | 9.16 | 0.4854 | 0.3% | 9.05% |
T/9 suited | 16.33% | 9.09 | 0.485 | 0.3% | 9.35% |
A/8 suited | 16.34% | 9.03 | 0.4756 | 0.3% | 9.65% |
J/9 suited | 15.96% | 9.12 | 0.4561 | 0.3% | 9.95% |
Q/9 suited | 15.89% | 9.14 | 0.4527 | 0.3% | 10.26% |
Pair of 8's | 14.96% | 9.67 | 0.4471 | 0.45% | 10.71% |
A/5 suited | 16.23% | 8.9 | 0.4447 | 0.3% | 11.01% |
A/J unsuited | 15.7% | 9.1 | 0.4291 | 0.9% | 11.92% |
A/7 suited | 15.93% | 8.96 | 0.4272 | 0.3% | 12.22% |
A/4 suited | 15.88% | 8.94 | 0.4205 | 0.3% | 12.52% |
A/3 suited | 15.51% | 9 | 0.3957 | 0.3% | 12.82% |
K/J unsuited | 15.3% | 9.11 | 0.3944 | 0.9% | 13.73% |
A/6 suited | 15.62% | 8.91 | 0.3916 | 0.3% | 14.03% |
Q/J unsuited | 15.07% | 9.08 | 0.3687 | 0.9% | 14.93% |
Pair of 7's | 14.14% | 9.65 | 0.3647 | 0.45% | 15.38% |
A/2 suited | 15.02% | 9.04 | 0.3579 | 0.3% | 15.69% |
K/8 suited | 15.03% | 9.03 | 0.3568 | 0.3% | 15.99% |
T/8 suited | 15.05% | 9 | 0.3556 | 0.3% | 16.29% |
9/8 suited | 14.69% | 9.11 | 0.3388 | 0.3% | 16.59% |
A/T unsuited | 14.93% | 8.94 | 0.3353 | 0.9% | 17.5% |
J/8 suited | 14.66% | 9.03 | 0.3231 | 0.3% | 17.8% |
Q/8 suited | 14.61% | 9.04 | 0.3204 | 0.3% | 18.1% |
K/7 suited | 14.64% | 8.96 | 0.312 | 0.3% | 18.4% |
K/T unsuited | 14.6% | 8.96 | 0.3086 | 0.9% | 19.31% |
J/T unsuited | 14.64% | 8.92 | 0.3066 | 0.9% | 20.21% |
Pair of 6's | 13.51% | 9.64 | 0.3017 | 0.45% | 20.66% |
Q/T unsuited | 14.45% | 8.94 | 0.2918 | 0.9% | 21.57% |
K/6 suited | 14.35% | 8.91 | 0.2787 | 0.3% | 21.87% |
8/7 suited | 14.03% | 9.08 | 0.2736 | 0.3% | 22.17% |
K/5 suited | 14.09% | 8.87 | 0.2494 | 0.3% | 22.47% |
9/7 suited | 13.81% | 9.04 | 0.2488 | 0.3% | 22.78% |
Pair of 5's | 12.88% | 9.61 | 0.2379 | 0.45% | 23.23% |
T/7 suited | 13.82% | 8.91 | 0.2315 | 0.3% | 23.53% |
K/4 suited | 13.78% | 8.92 | 0.2294 | 0.3% | 23.83% |
7/6 suited | 13.54% | 9.06 | 0.2262 | 0.3% | 24.13% |
Pair of 4's | 12.56% | 9.68 | 0.2155 | 0.45% | 24.59% |
K/3 suited | 13.49% | 8.99 | 0.212 | 0.3% | 24.89% |
Q/7 suited | 13.57% | 8.91 | 0.2091 | 0.3% | 25.19% |
J/7 suited | 13.49% | 8.92 | 0.2026 | 0.3% | 25.49% |
Pair of 3's | 12.31% | 9.75 | 0.2002 | 0.45% | 25.94% |
K/2 suited | 13.21% | 9.05 | 0.1955 | 0.3% | 26.24% |
Pair of 2's | 12.15% | 9.82 | 0.1933 | 0.45% | 26.7% |
8/6 suited | 13.2% | 9.01 | 0.1901 | 0.3% | 27% |
6/5 suited | 13.14% | 9.04 | 0.1887 | 0.3% | 27.3% |
Q/6 suited | 13.28% | 8.85 | 0.1754 | 0.3% | 27.6% |
5/4 suited | 12.88% | 9.04 | 0.165 | 0.3% | 27.9% |
Q/5 suited | 13.05% | 8.82 | 0.1509 | 0.3% | 28.21% |
7/5 suited | 12.73% | 8.99 | 0.1449 | 0.3% | 28.51% |
9/6 suited | 12.74% | 8.95 | 0.1409 | 0.3% | 28.81% |
T/9 unsuited | 12.87% | 8.8 | 0.1327 | 0.9% | 29.71% |
Q/4 suited | 12.73% | 8.88 | 0.1301 | 0.3% | 30.02% |
T/6 suited | 12.72% | 8.79 | 0.1189 | 0.3% | 30.32% |
A/9 unsuited | 12.74% | 8.77 | 0.118 | 0.9% | 31.22% |
Q/3 suited | 12.44% | 8.95 | 0.1131 | 0.3% | 31.52% |
6/4 suited | 12.22% | 9.06 | 0.1077 | 0.3% | 31.83% |
J/6 suited | 12.56% | 8.78 | 0.1026 | 0.3% | 32.13% |
Q/2 suited | 12.17% | 9.02 | 0.0978 | 0.3% | 32.43% |
J/9 unsuited | 12.36% | 8.81 | 0.0891 | 0.9% | 33.33% |
8/5 suited | 12.16% | 8.93 | 0.0856 | 0.3% | 33.63% |
5/3 suited | 11.97% | 9.06 | 0.0849 | 0.3% | 33.94% |
K/9 unsuited | 12.27% | 8.83 | 0.0836 | 0.9% | 34.84% |
J/5 suited | 12.32% | 8.74 | 0.0763 | 0.3% | 35.14% |
Q/9 unsuited | 12.11% | 8.82 | 0.0679 | 0.9% | 36.05% |
J/4 suited | 12.01% | 8.8 | 0.057 | 0.3% | 36.35% |
A/8 unsuited | 12.16% | 8.63 | 0.0494 | 0.9% | 37.25% |
7/4 suited | 11.59% | 8.99 | 0.0421 | 0.3% | 37.56% |
J/3 suited | 11.74% | 8.88 | 0.042 | 0.3% | 37.86% |
4/3 suited | 11.36% | 9.13 | 0.0369 | 0.3% | 38.16% |
9/5 suited | 11.7% | 8.85 | 0.0351 | 0.3% | 38.46% |
J/2 suited | 11.47% | 8.95 | 0.0266 | 0.3% | 38.76% |
T/5 suited | 11.84% | 8.65 | 0.0243 | 0.3% | 39.06% |
A/5 unsuited | 12% | 8.45 | 0.0133 | 0.9% | 39.97% |
6/3 suited | 11.09% | 9.07 | 0.0056 | 0.3% | 40.27% |
T/4 suited | 11.53% | 8.71 | 0.0042 | 0.3% | 40.57% |
A/7 unsuited | 11.71% | 8.51 | -0.0033 | 0.9% | 41.48% |
T/8 unsuited | 11.48% | 8.63 | -0.0087 | 0.9% | 42.38% |
T/3 suited | 11.24% | 8.78 | -0.0125 | 0.3% | 42.68% |
A/4 unsuited | 11.63% | 8.49 | -0.0126 | 0.9% | 43.59% |
9/8 unsuited | 11.2% | 8.79 | -0.0158 | 0.9% | 44.49% |
8/4 suited | 11.04% | 8.9 | -0.0168 | 0.3% | 44.8% |
5/2 suited | 10.83% | 9.07 | -0.0176 | 0.3% | 45.1% |
T/2 suited | 10.98% | 8.86 | -0.0274 | 0.3% | 45.4% |
A/3 unsuited | 11.22% | 8.55 | -0.0402 | 0.9% | 46.3% |
4/2 suited | 10.47% | 9.16 | -0.041 | 0.3% | 46.61% |
A/6 unsuited | 11.35% | 8.43 | -0.044 | 0.9% | 47.51% |
9/4 suited | 10.73% | 8.8 | -0.0567 | 0.3% | 47.81% |
J/8 unsuited | 10.94% | 8.63 | -0.0567 | 0.9% | 48.72% |
K/8 unsuited | 10.97% | 8.6 | -0.0569 | 0.9% | 49.62% |
7/3 suited | 10.46% | 8.98 | -0.0603 | 0.3% | 49.92% |
9/3 suited | 10.42% | 8.87 | -0.0756 | 0.3% | 50.23% |
8/7 unsuited | 10.57% | 8.72 | -0.0777 | 0.9% | 51.13% |
Q/8 unsuited | 10.7% | 8.62 | -0.0779 | 0.9% | 52.04% |
A/2 unsuited | 10.7% | 8.6 | -0.0797 | 0.9% | 52.94% |
3/2 suited | 9.9% | 9.24 | -0.0848 | 0.3% | 53.24% |
9/2 suited | 10.15% | 8.95 | -0.0911 | 0.3% | 53.54% |
6/2 suited | 9.96% | 9.06 | -0.0976 | 0.3% | 53.85% |
K/7 unsuited | 10.54% | 8.48 | -0.1062 | 0.9% | 54.75% |
8/3 suited | 10.07% | 8.86 | -0.1076 | 0.3% | 55.05% |
9/7 unsuited | 10.24% | 8.65 | -0.1147 | 0.9% | 55.96% |
7/6 unsuited | 10.1% | 8.68 | -0.1234 | 0.9% | 56.86% |
8/2 suited | 9.78% | 8.94 | -0.1254 | 0.3% | 57.16% |
T/7 unsuited | 10.17% | 8.43 | -0.1424 | 0.9% | 58.07% |
K/6 unsuited | 10.19% | 8.38 | -0.1456 | 0.9% | 58.97% |
7/2 suited | 9.53% | 8.93 | -0.1484 | 0.3% | 59.28% |
6/5 unsuited | 9.73% | 8.65 | -0.1577 | 0.9% | 60.18% |
8/6 unsuited | 9.67% | 8.59 | -0.1693 | 0.9% | 61.09% |
K/5 unsuited | 9.93% | 8.31 | -0.1749 | 0.9% | 61.99% |
5/4 unsuited | 9.49% | 8.64 | -0.1795 | 0.9% | 62.9% |
J/7 unsuited | 9.66% | 8.4 | -0.1879 | 0.9% | 63.8% |
K/4 unsuited | 9.58% | 8.37 | -0.1984 | 0.9% | 64.71% |
Q/7 unsuited | 9.57% | 8.36 | -0.1997 | 0.9% | 65.61% |
7/5 unsuited | 9.26% | 8.55 | -0.2086 | 0.9% | 66.52% |
K/3 unsuited | 9.26% | 8.45 | -0.217 | 0.9% | 67.42% |
9/6 unsuited | 9.09% | 8.46 | -0.2308 | 0.9% | 68.33% |
K/2 unsuited | 8.97% | 8.54 | -0.2343 | 0.9% | 69.23% |
Q/6 unsuited | 9.25% | 8.26 | -0.236 | 0.9% | 70.14% |
6/4 unsuited | 8.75% | 8.63 | -0.2446 | 0.9% | 71.04% |
Q/5 unsuited | 9% | 8.19 | -0.2631 | 0.9% | 71.95% |
T/6 unsuited | 8.98% | 8.19 | -0.2645 | 0.9% | 72.85% |
5/3 unsuited | 8.52% | 8.62 | -0.2651 | 0.9% | 73.76% |
8/5 unsuited | 8.6% | 8.4 | -0.2784 | 0.9% | 74.66% |
Q/4 unsuited | 8.67% | 8.26 | -0.2844 | 0.9% | 75.57% |
J/6 unsuited | 8.65% | 8.13 | -0.2973 | 0.9% | 76.47% |
Q/3 unsuited | 8.35% | 8.35 | -0.3028 | 0.9% | 77.38% |
4/3 unsuited | 7.9% | 8.69 | -0.3133 | 0.9% | 78.28% |
7/4 unsuited | 8.05% | 8.47 | -0.3177 | 0.9% | 79.19% |
Q/2 unsuited | 8.06% | 8.45 | -0.3191 | 0.9% | 80.09% |
J/5 unsuited | 8.41% | 8.04 | -0.3241 | 0.9% | 81% |
9/5 unsuited | 7.99% | 8.21 | -0.3435 | 0.9% | 81.9% |
J/4 unsuited | 8.07% | 8.11 | -0.3453 | 0.9% | 82.81% |
6/3 unsuited | 7.56% | 8.57 | -0.352 | 0.9% | 83.71% |
J/3 unsuited | 7.75% | 8.2 | -0.3638 | 0.9% | 84.62% |
T/5 unsuited | 8.06% | 7.89 | -0.3641 | 0.9% | 85.52% |
5/2 unsuited | 7.34% | 8.56 | -0.3714 | 0.9% | 86.43% |
J/2 unsuited | 7.48% | 8.31 | -0.3791 | 0.9% | 87.33% |
T/4 unsuited | 7.71% | 7.95 | -0.3877 | 0.9% | 88.24% |
8/4 unsuited | 7.38% | 8.27 | -0.3898 | 0.9% | 89.14% |
4/2 unsuited | 6.96% | 8.68 | -0.3963 | 0.9% | 90.05% |
T/3 unsuited | 7.4% | 8.04 | -0.4054 | 0.9% | 90.95% |
T/2 unsuited | 7.11% | 8.14 | -0.4211 | 0.9% | 91.86% |
7/3 unsuited | 6.85% | 8.36 | -0.4273 | 0.9% | 92.76% |
9/4 unsuited | 6.96% | 8.03 | -0.4408 | 0.9% | 93.67% |
3/2 unsuited | 6.35% | 8.77 | -0.4427 | 0.9% | 94.57% |
6/2 unsuited | 6.38% | 8.46 | -0.4601 | 0.9% | 95.48% |
9/3 unsuited | 6.63% | 8.12 | -0.4615 | 0.9% | 96.38% |
9/2 unsuited | 6.35% | 8.23 | -0.4772 | 0.9% | 97.29% |
8/3 unsuited | 6.36% | 8.09 | -0.4852 | 0.9% | 98.19% |
8/2 unsuited | 6.06% | 8.19 | -0.5039 | 0.9% | 99.1% |
7/2 unsuited | 5.86% | 8.17 | -0.5211 | 0.9% | 100% |
Total | 11.33% | 8.82 | 0 | 100% |
Methodology
This table is the result of a random simulation of 20,583,763,200 games and assumes all players stay in until the end of the hand.
The following table shows my power rating for each initial 2-card hand in a 10-player game. The numbers are on a 0 to 40 scale. Basically, you should only play hands that are dark green, blue, or purple. Of course you should be more be more liberal in late position and picky in early position. If forced I would say you should need 10 points in late position and 19 points in early position to call the big blind. If your table is loose, as if often the case online, you can play a bit looser yourself.
Use the top table if you have a pair, the middle table if your cards are suited, and the bottom table if your cards are unsuited. Except for a pair,look up your high card along the left and your low card along the top.