If you want to play poker seriously and avoid losing money, you need to understand the best hands to start with. Many amateur players make the mistake of playing every hand they get, ultimately leading to losses. If you’re looking to improve your game and learn which hands give you the best chance of winning, this guide is for you.
Paired Hands
Paired hands consist of two cards of the same rank, such as pocket aces (AA). AA is the strongest starting hand in poker, followed by pocket kings (KK), queens (QQ), and so on down to the weakest pair, pocket deuces (22).
Playing Premium Pocket Pairs
Premium pairs like AA, KK, and QQ are strong hands that should be played aggressively preflop. Raising helps eliminate weaker hands that could catch lucky cards and help you.
Pocket tens (TT) is another solid hand, often favored by experienced players because of its equity against hands like Ace-King (AK) and other medium-strength holdings. These hands are profitable and playable from any position.
Playing Medium Pocket Pairs
Medium pairs like 99 and 55 are not as strong as premium pairs, often losing to bigger hands. In a game with many players, pocket fives (55) and sixes (66) are among the weakest pairs and should usually be folded from early position. However, if the action is slow and there are no aggressive players, a small raise may be a good play.
It’s best to avoid overcommitting with medium pairs and aim to reach the showdown as cheaply as possible. Being too aggressive with these hands can lead to unnecessary losses.
Playing Low Pocket Pairs
Low pocket pairs, such as 44 to 22, are generally weak, especially from early position. Since they don’t offer much immediate strength, folding is often the best decision.
A common strategy for low pocket pairs is to play them cautiously—limping in or calling small raises in multiway pots where the reward is worth the risk. If you don’t hit a set on the flop, folding is usually the best move unless the board presents a strong bluffing opportunity.
Best Unpaired Premium Starting Hands
The strongest unpaired hands include Ace-King offsuit (AKo) and Ace-Queen offsuit (AQo), both of which have excellent potential. These hands should be raised preflop from any position, whether in a six-player game or a full-ring table.
In short-handed games, hands like King-Queen suited (KQs) and Ace-Jack suited (AJs) gain strength and can be played aggressively from all positions. These hands dominate weaker holdings, make strong flops, and allow you to control the action.
Additionally, unpaired hands like Jack-Ten (JT), Queen-Ten (QT), and King-Queen (KQ) are playable from late positions, such as the button or hijack, but are weaker compared to premium hands like AK or AQ.
Suited Hands
Suited hands fall into two categories: suited connectors and suited gappers. These hands are best played from late positions, as they have strong potential to hit straights and flushes.
Suited Connectors
Suited connectors are hands where both cards are close in rank and of the same suit. Some of the best-suited connectors include:
- Premium: AKs, KQs, QJs, JTs, and T9s
- Playable from late position: 76s, 54s
AKs is a premium hand that should be played aggressively from any position, while KQs is also strong and versatile. Hands like QJs, JTs, and T9s are valuable because they can hit big draws and win large pots.
Lower suited connectors, like 76s and 54s, are best played from a late position with a raise but should usually be folded from early position. If playing offsuit connectors, such as 89o+, they can be viable from late position when facing weak opponents or small pots.
Suited Gappers
Suited gappers are hands where the cards have the same suit but are not consecutive in rank. Examples include:
- Strong gappers: KJs, QTs, T8s, 75s
- Playable from late position: KTs, Q9s, 74s
- Riskier gappers: K9s, Q8s, 73s
The smaller the gap, the more playable the hand. Strong gappers like KJs can be played aggressively from middle or late positions, while hands with two or three gaps, like K9s or Q8s, should only be played from late positions to minimize risk.
By understanding which poker hands to play and when to play them, you can maximize your chances of success and avoid common beginner mistakes.
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Source: EasyPoker
