One of the most important, if not the most important decision a player will make in Texas Holdem is which starting hands to play. Although, this will not automatically turn you into a great player, it will however give you a good base to start.

In Texas Holdem and depending on who you speak to, there are 169 possible two-card starting hands and out of these hands there are only about 75 that are worth playing. Which of these you play is usually determined by your position to the dealer button, so to save yourself some money, you need patience to wait for the best possible starting hand. Below is our advice as to the best starting hands to play while partaking in a game of Texas Holdem. Feel free to book mark this page so you can refer back to it when necessary.

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		A A is without doubt the best possible starting hand you could be dealt.
		K K are paint cards and when you start with a pair of them you have the second best starting hands.
		Q Q are the “Baby Paint” cards, not as strong as its predecessors but still significantly strong.

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		J J are also considered “Baby Paint” cards and are highly playable not only from early position.
		A K suited referred to as the “Big Slick” you definitely raise.
		10 10 are still significantly strong.

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		A Q suited is another strong hand that has great flush and good straight possibilities.
		A J suited is also a very strong hand.
		A K unsuited in early position, generally you should call.

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		K Q suited is another strong starting hand
		A 10 continues the strength of the suited cards.
		K J has slightly better straight possibilities than AT but the King is simply not as powerful as the Ace.

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		A Q unsuited has strength mainly in its high pair and trip potential, although a straight is caught occasionally.
		Pocket 9’s are considered medium pairs; they are not the strongest pairs so they require you to play them selectively.
		Q J suited has obvious strengths in it's flush and straight potential.

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		K 10, can be played from most positions, however, be prepared to fold if the flop and turn go against you.
		Pocket 8’s are also considered medium pairs; show a little caution in early position.
		Q 10 suited from early position are playable.

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		A 9 played from middle position are the first of our non-pair hands that cannot create a straight.
		A J unsuited in early position are worthwhile playing.
		J 10 suited becomes the first of our hands that has full straight potential. 3 cards either side could create a straight (e.g.. Q, K, A or 7,8,9).

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		K Q unsuited not all inspiring but can be played from early position.
		A 8 suited is another hand that cannot create a straight.
		A 10 in a tight game would not be very worthwhile playing.

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				This group of hands can be played from early positions if the game is not too tight but it may be wise to only play them from medium positions

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				As with the previous group, this group can be played in early positions but a little more caution should be used. It's probably sensible to play them only from medium positions but this depends on how loose the game is.

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				It would probably be best to only play this last group from later positions. Hands that are not in this top list of 42 should only be played under special circumstances such as, possibly, when you are the small blind with no raises

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				This is the worst group of hands and have no redeemable features. These should only be played on a 'free ride' from the big blind or if you really have the urge to bluff someone.

Related Resources

Texas Holdem Basics
Texas Holdem Starting Hands
Beginning Texas Holdem Part (1)
Beginning Texas Holdem Part (2)
Beginning Texas Holdem Part (3)