Poker Starting Hands

Here is our list of recommended starting hands for No Limit Holdem.  There have been some published starting hand for limit games, but in no limit since you can lose all of your money on one hand, there needs to be a no limit starting hand guide.  For these starting hands, we focused very heavily on your winning odds preflop and on the flop.  We also factored in implied odds.

Group #1  AA, KK

These are the powerhands and the strongest hands possiable.  These are hands you can always reraise with and go all in with in.  An exception would be if someone when all in before it gets to you after the hand was already raised.  In this case, you have to use your best judgment rather to fold or not if you have KK's and believe someone has AA's.  More often than not, you will be laying down your KK's to AK, QQ & JJ rather than to AA's.

Group #2 QQ, JJ, AK

These are hands you can almost always reraise with.  However you would only want to call a reraise with these hands and if someone went all in preflop, you would likely fold these hands.  For tournaments, you may want to call an all in bet with these hands.

Group #3 AQ, TT, AJ

These are hands you would want to raise with from any position.  You would want to consider folding these hands if the pot was already raised.

Group #4 KQ, 99, AT, KJ, 88

These are hands you would only call with.  Only in late position would you want to raise with these hands if you think there is good chance to pickup the blinds.  Be aware if someone calls your raise, there is likely a good chance that they have a stronger hand that you if which case you need to play these hands slow.

Group #5 QJ, KT, A9, A8, QT, 77-22

These hands take a bit of skill to play.  If there was no raise preflop, then you likely have the best hand if you hit your pair.  However be aware that group 4 hands beat these hands and watchout for a person betting strongly.

Group #6 A7-A2 Any 2 cards with one gap or two 9 and higher

For these hands, it is better to be suited to play these hands.  It is also good to only play these hands in late position.

Group #7  Suited Connectors with no gap and one gap down to 45s

I don't like 23s, 24s, 34s or 35s since likely an ace is needed to make your straight in which case there will likely be strong betting on the flop which will give you bad odds in drawing for the straight.