| Texas Hold'em
Top 10 Starting Hands |
| Opinion varies on which precisely are the Top 10
Starting hands, but what all experts are agreed upon is that you
should play your strong hands and fold early on the weak ones. |
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% probability they will win in a 10-player game >> |
[%] |
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suited (s) |
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Pair of Aces Top of the list and without doubt the most powerful
starting hand you can be dealt. |
[31] |
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Pair of Kings Second only to AA, KK is significantly more powerful
than any other starting hand. |
[26] |
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Pair of Queens Though lacking the almighty strength of AA and
KK, it is still a significantly strong hand. |
[23] |
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Ace/King(s) Suited cards indicated by (s), are always more desirable
than mixed (m), or ‘off-suit’ cards. |
[22] |
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Pair of Jacks Highly playable from any position. |
[20] |
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Ace/Queen(s) Strong suited hand with high flush and straight
potential. |
[20] |
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King/Queen(s) First of the hands that does not have an Ace or
a pair. Its strength lies in its good straight potential. |
[20] |
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Ace/Jack(s) High cards with straight potential and worth playing. |
[20] |
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King/Jack(s) KJ has slightly better straight possibilities than
AJ, but the King is not as powerful as the Ace. |
[19] |
 |
Ace/Ten(s) The strength of this hand lies in the high rank of
the Ace and the fact that the cards are suited. |
[18] |
| There is little to choose between a number of these hands with
regard to their strengths and possibilities. Also, this list presumes
that there are the maximum ten players sitting at the table. If
there are less than ten, the rankings will alter slightly. A pair
of Tens, for example, now becomes more powerful, making it preferable
to AJ(s), though the top pairs remain all powerful and suited cards
are still preferred. |
| Top 20% of Hands in 10-Player Game |
| |
- Pair of sevens or higher.
- Suited A and any other card.
- Suited K and 7 or higher.
- Any two suited cards both 8 or higher.
- Any two unsuited cards
both jack or higher.
- Unsuited A and 10.
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| Remember, no two cards are unbeatable. Once the flop falls, cards
that looked promising may no longer be worth pursuing. Still, to
give yourself the best chance to succeed, play only the premium
hands. |
| The best starting hands expalined: |
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Large Pairs - Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks. Even pairs
of tens and nines and eights are high quality starting hands. Play
them. |
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Aces with suited High Cards - When you get an Ace with
a K,Q,J, or even a ten, many good things can happen. You already
have high card. If a flush comes, you'll have the best possible
one because of your ace. High straights, and even a straight flush
is possible with these cards. Play them. |
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Suited Faces Cards and Tens - While it's nicer to have
an ace in the hole, suited face cards are playable hands. They
hold a lot of potential including high pair with a strong kicker,
straights, and flushes. |
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Aces with unsuited High Cards - Aces with an unsuited
partner can still give you top pair with a high kicker, or a high
straight. Because other players may also have an ace, the strength
of the second card in your hand is important. If two players tie,
that second card, or 'kicker' will decide the winner. This is why
A-10 is a playable hand, and A-6 is not. (A-10 can also turn into
a high straight). So while aces are highly sought after, do not
feel the need to play every hand in which you are dealt an ace. |
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King with Face Card - A King with a Queen, or with a
Jack is a playable hand. But, it is not as strong as you may think.
Still, two face cards rank high enough that seeing the flop is
often a good idea. |
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These are the strongest starting hands in a Texas Holdem game.
Other hands are playable depending on the circumstances at the
table, but beginners may want to stick to playing only these premium
hands until they understand the game more fully. Playing these
hands will not guarantee that you will be a winner. Poker doesn't
work that way. Even pairs of Aces get beaten. But, if you want
to win a pot, finding any of the cards listed on the chart in your
hand is a good place to start.
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