The Basics of Starting Hands in Poker

 

To become a master poker player, you must first learn how to approach the game logically. Seeing each hand you play as a journey is one of the finest ways to do this. Every action you take is essentially a new step. It's easier to make the appropriate actions in every situation if you think about poker in this way.

Here's a guide to starting hands in the most popular poker game, Texas Hold'em, if you want to get a head start.

The Start of the Starting Hand

To become a master poker player, you must first learn how to approach the game logically. Seeing each hand you play as a journey is one of the finest ways to do this. Every action you take is essentially a new step. It's easier to make the appropriate actions in every situation if you think about poker in this way.

Here's a guide to starting hands in the most popular poker game, Texas Hold'em, if you want to get a head start.

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Hand Worth

It's vital to keep in mind that the rankings of starting hands are always relative. The chart may indicate that A-J is a strong hand to raise, but only if the action before you (and maybe after you) isn't overly aggressive. As a rule of thumb, "if it's not good enough to raise with, it's not good enough to call with."

Position of the Table

Your table position has a significant impact on the types of hands you can play. The weaker your hand can be the closer you are to the button (the most beneficial position on the table because you always get to act last post-flop). In a full ring game (nine players), for example, you might fold A-T in first position then raise it from the button if there was little action before you.

Size of Stack

The amount of your stack, like table position, determines whether or not a hand is worth playing. Because the amount of post-flop activity is limited when you have a short stack, you must have a considerably tighter pre-flop range (i.e. play stronger hands). If you have more chips, on the other hand, you have more alternatives later in the hand, which means you may be a little more liberal with your opening hand selection.

Putting Your Starting Hand in Context

Before we go into the details of the aforementioned variables, let's take a short look at the hands you should be playing from various locations at a nine-handed table if you were in a vacuum.

First Position

Raise with: A-A, K-K, A-Ks, Q-Q, A-K, J-J, A-Qs, A-Qo, or A-JsCall with: no hands

Early Position (seats 2-4)

Raise with same hands as above, plus: 10-10, A-J, K-QsCall with: K-Qs

Middle Position (seats 5-7)

Raise with same hands as above, plus: K-Qo, K-Js, Q-JsCall with: A-10s, A-10o, K-Jo, Q-Jo, K-10s, 9-9, 8-8

Late Position (seats 8-9)

Raise with same hands as above, plus: A-10s, K-10s, K-Jo, Q-Jo, 9-9, 8-8Call with: 77, 6-6, 5-5, Q-10s, Q-10o, K-10o, J-10s, J-10o, J-9s

If all else is equal, you should use the options listed above to guide your play. Let's pretend you're in first place, with a small stack and an aggressive opponent behind you.

Given what has been discussed in the preceding section, removing A-Js and A-Qo from your raising range makes sense. They're still powerful hands, but they're not going to hold up against a raise when you're out of position.

How to Play the Perfect Hand

Before you commit to a pot, go through the following steps to keep things as easy as possible:

Consult the starting hand chart outlined above.Consider your position at the table and your stack size.Ask yourself the following question: "Am I in a strong position overall?"If the answer is "yes" you should be more inclined to raise or re-raise with each suggested hand.If the answer is "no" you should be more conservative with your opening range.

When it comes to starting hands in poker, there are no hard and fast rules. If you follow the advice given here, you should find that you make fewer mistakes at the table and have many more successful trips around Texas Hold'em Poker world.