Beginner’s Corner

Starting Hands

One of the first things you need to learn to be a winning poker player is your starting hand selection.  Which hands are worth playing and which hands are just leaking your bankroll away?  There are several different factors involved when deciding which hands are worth paying your money to see the flop. 

Some of the factors that will influence your hand selection each game are:

• Are you playing Limit or No Limit Holdem?

            In Limit Holdem, you will need to start with a premium hand nearly all of the time.  The reason being, it is only possible to win a fixed amount vs. your initial investment.  Here is an example using  odds from Mike Caro.  If you hold suited connecting cards (ie 6d7d) the odds are  that you are only going to make a straight or a flush once every 24 times you play it.  Let's think about this.  In a $1-$2 Limit game if you play this hand every time you get it, and it costs you at least $1 to see each of those flops, you will need to win a pot of $24 just to break even over the long run.  In short, hands like low suited connectors just aren't the types of hands that should be played regularly in a Limit ring game.

            No Limit Holdem however is a different animal.  Using the above example, you are still only going to make a five card hand 1 in 24 attempts, but if you pay attention, you can put yourself into a situation where you stand to win a much bigger pot therefore making it a profitable play.  This does not mean play every suited connector you get!  You still need to reserve your play of weaker cards for an optimal situation.  Example:  In a 9 handed No Limit game, you are on the dealer button and 4 people have just limped into the pot in front of you.  You now stand a very good chance of winning a decent sized pot if you do flop a five card hand or a very strong draw to a five card hand.  The key to being a great player, is remembering why you played that hand in the first place, and being able to let it go when it doesn't hit like you wanted!  Example:  You have that same 6d7d and the flop comes down 2c7sQh and one of the players bets, FOLD.  You weren't playing the hand trying to make middle pair with a horrible kicker.  You missed this flop and it's time to move on.  In short, if you are going to expand your hand selection from the premium hands, you need to know what you are looking for on the board and fold if you don't get it.

• What position are you in compared to the dealer button?

            The player with the dealer button will have the advantage after the flop of gaining the knowledge of all of the other players' actions before they must act.  This can be  huge advantage.  You must take your position into consideration when making your hand selection.  Weaker holdings should not be played from earlier position.  You stand the chance of a raise from one of the many people left to act behind you, and you will also have to act before the raiser after the flop.  You are willingly giving up an advantage to the players left to act.  Example you hold KhJc 2 seats after the Big Blind and you limp in.  The player one before the button (the cut-off seat) raises the pot, the Button calls, as does the Big Blind.  You have put yourself in a bad spot.  Now the flop comes 7h10cKs and the Big Blind checks.  What do you do?  If you bet out and get called, do you bet the turn?  If you check and one of the later players bets, do you call?  If you bet and the Big Blind check-raises 1 bet, do you call that?  These are the reasons why you want to play hands that will give you a good idea of where you are in the hand. They are also reasons why you want to play hands in good position so that you have put these decisions into your opponents play, not yours.

Let's break the actual starting hands down into several categories.  This list refers to a full table as the lower valued hands tend to go up in value as the table gets shorthanded.  (Cards being the same suit does not add an enormous amount to their value, but suited hands will be noted with an 's' in the list below.)  Hands obviously can be played in positions below its appearance on the list.  ie KK should be played from late position as well.

Hands that are strong enough for early position play:

• AA
• KK
• QQ
• AK s
• AK
• AQ s
• AQ
• JJ

Hands that are vulnerable and should be played in at least middle position if the pot has not been raised.

• TT
• 99
• 88
• AJs
• AT s
• AJ
• KQ s

Hands that are VERY vulnerable and risk being dominated - Therefore if played, should be in late position in an unraised pot.

• 77
• 66
• 55
• AT
• Ax s
• KQ
• KJ s
• QJ s
• KJ

Hands that should be played sparingly in late position in an unraised pot with multiple callers already in.

• Suited connectors with no gap in rank.  ie 67, JT

This hand guide is a starting point for your game, you may find these to be a bit too liberal for the particular game you are in, but as you play, you will be able to adjust.  After some time of playing, if you notice that you are playing too many hands, you may want to drop back to these basic hands for a session or two just to get back on track.