Photo Courtesy of Anna Shvets
Best Starting Hands In Texas Hold’em
The Most Popular Poker Game
Texas Hold’em is a popular poker game found at just about every casino poker room. People will tell you it is about strategy and skill. Using your demeanor makes the game more player based and the cards less important. Exciting mental play makes the game appealing to most gamblers.
But that does not mean the game is just mental. Your cards are very important and until you know what you have, and how to play the cards you were dealt the game can be difficult. For most of the poker veterans the cards dealt are just an oversight to the real game, but that does not mean the cards aren’t one of the keys to your success.
This is a look into the best starting hands in Texas Hold’em. We will take a look at how to use the cards you were dealt, and what to look for when you receive them.
Pocket Aces
Your ‘Bullets’ are the best starting hand, they offer you a clear advantage over every other hand pre-flop. Although they are not a guaranteed win the pocket aces will beat every other pair on the board. Just like any other pair the odds of receiving pocket aces remains low, and there are plenty of counters to the hand. Although they can be countered there are plenty of ways to play with them, and they can yield high reward if they hit. High bets can be a dead give away but if you play it safe you could win big.
Pocket Kings
Just below the Aces the Kings are a great pair to have to start off your game. Pre-flop the only pair of cards that can beat you are the pocket aces. A pair of any face cards at the beginning of the game can yield high rewards if played right. Just watch out for aces on the board, you might want to lay off the betting even if the ace is paired with a low number.
Face Card Pairs
All of the face cards if paired are really good to start out with, your odds of winning increase dramatically, especially if you see lower numbers after the flop. Just keep in mind that someone may have suited cards or a higher pair on the board so be on your toes and do not get too attached. Queen and Jacks paired although can be countered they are good to start off with to give the player some freedom while betting.
Other Pairs
Dealt Pairs can be decent for players and pay off, there is an opportunity to gain another of the same card for a three of a kind or even gain a full house which is a pair and a three of a kind.
Low pairs can easily be beaten but sometimes they can yield a high reward, but the higher the pair at the beginning of the game is the better. Face cards give you the best overall odds when playing pairs out of pocket.
Ace King Suited
The Ace King duo is already a powerhouse, but them being the same suit can ensure a couple of ways to win. Most importantly the flush which is when five of the cards have the same suit. This beats almost all of the other combinations of cards. You can also win off of king high or ace high pairs. These are the best two cards to have suited.
