Good Starting Hands

Generally speaking, the best no-limit Hold’em players are selective when it comes to the hands they choose to play. For someone just starting out it is a good default strategy to be selective as well, and only get involved when you’re likely to be in a decent spot thanks to your starting hand.

Properties of Starting Hands

We can start out by dividing starting hands into two groups -- paired hands (two cards of the same rank) and non-paired hands (two cards of different ranks).

Pairs

Being dealt a pair doesn’t happen that often in Texas Hold’em. In fact, you are only due to be dealt a pair about once every 17 hands. Still, it is important to know how to play pairs when you do get them, since they can often prove very lucrative if played correctly -- and costly if not.

Within the group of paired hands are “premium” pairs (AA-QQ), “medium” pairs (JJ-99), and “small” pairs (88-22). When it comes to the premium pairs -- aces, kings, and queens -- you are always going to want to play. These are big “made” hands that usually don’t really need a good flop to continue to be strong, although sometimes the flop might not work well for you. In any event, before the flop you’ll almost always want to be raising and getting involved with your premium pairs.

Medium pairs -- jacks, tens, and nines -- are hands you often will want to play too, although these hands aren’t always going to be obvious leaders after the flop. And with small pairs (eights through deuces), you want to see a flop cheaply and hopefully hit a “set” (three of a kind), in which case you will often have a chance to win a big pot.

Non-paired Hands

When it comes to non-paired hands, there are three primary factors to consider when evaluating their strength: high-card value, suitedness, and connectedness. High-card value is most important, with suitedness and connectedness coming next with roughly equal importance to each other.

High Card Value

High-card value refers to the rank of your two cards. Hands like A-K, A-Q, A-J, and K-Q have two high cards that make those hands preferable to play. Hands with just one high card such as A-6 can be played, but can also get you in trouble since they compare unfavorably to hands with two high cards. Meanwhile, hands with a couple of low cards (e.g., nine and below) are more marginal – you’re probably better off folding those hands in most situations.

Suitedness

A non-paired starting hand can either be suited or non-suited. Generally speaking, if you are going to play a non-paired hand it is preferable for it be suited, since that increases your chances of making a flush. Thus, when comparing starting hands, a suited hand like Ah-Kh should be valued a bit higher than Ah-Kc.

Connectedness

One other factor to consider with non-paired starting hands is connectedness, a term that refers to how close in proximity the two cards are in rank. Hands like Q-J, 9-8, and 6-5 are “connectors” and thus have more ways of making straights than non-connected hands. “One-gap” hands like K-J, 9-7, and so forth are also preferable to hands with larger gaps.

Keep all of these different factors in mind -- whether your hand is paired, consists of high cards, is suited, or is connected -- when evaluating the strength of your starting hands.