For example, in a full ring game (nine players) you would fold A-T in first position, but you would raise it from the button assuming there wasn't much action before you. In general, the closer you are to the button (the most advantageous position on the table as you always get to act last post-flop) the weaker your hand can be.

Table Position | The position you have at the table will dramatically alter the hands you can play.As a general rule, you should use the following mantra: 'if it's not good enough to raise with, it's not good enough to call with.' Just because the chart says that A-J is a good hand to raise, this is only true if the action before you (and potentially after you) isn't too aggressive. Hand Value | It's important to remember that starting hands' rankings are always relative.Thanks to this dynamic, there are 169 possible starting hands, which can be further broken down in 1,326 possible combinations when you consider each different suit.Īs there are so many possibilities at the start of a new betting round, you need to consider whether you want to fold, call or raise (or re-raise) with your starting hand based on the following variables: In a nutshell, a starting hand in Texas Hold'em poker consists of two hole cards from a standard deck of 52 playing cards. If you're looking to start as you mean to go on, here's a guide to starting hands in the most popular poker game, Texas Hold'em. If you can think about poker in this way, it's easier to make the right moves in every situation. Essentially, each move you make is like a new step. One of the best ways to do this is to see each hand you play as a journey. To become an expert poker player you need to learn how to approach the game in the most logical manner.

Possible starting hands in texas holdem