PokerzinThe most repeated decision in poker is also the simplest: whether to get into the hand before the flop. Players who play too many hands spend the rest of the hand in trouble, with weak pairs and bad kickers. If you get this choice right, you are already ahead of most beginners before thinking about bluffing or math.
How many hands there are
There are 1,326 two-card combinations, but many are equivalent, since suits have no value. Grouped together, 169 different hands remain:
- 13 pairs (from 2-2 to A-A). The chance of being dealt any pair is 1 in 17 (5.9%); pocket Aces, 1 in 221.
- 78 suited hands, like A♠ K♠. In poker notation, "AKs".
- 78 offsuit hands, like A♠ K♥, or "AKo".
What makes a starting hand good
Three things, in this order of importance:
- High cards. A pair of Kings or an Ace with a high kicker win without help. High cards also make higher pairs than your opponents'.
- Pairs. A pocket pair is already a made hand. Small pairs rarely win on their own, but they flop a set about 12% of the time (1 in 8.5), and a hidden set often wins a big pot.
- Connectedness and suit. Neighboring cards (like 9-8) can make straights, and suited cards can make flushes. It helps, but less than it seems: being suited adds only about 2 to 3 percentage points to your chance of winning the hand.
A starting point for 6-handed tables
Pokerzin tables have six seats. With fewer players, medium hands gain value: there are fewer opponents who might hold something better, and the blinds come around faster. The list below is a starting point for opening with a raise when nobody has entered before you. It isn't a fixed rule. The starting hands chart shows all 169 hands and which position to open each from.
Always play (and raise)
A-A, K-K, Q-Q, J-J and A-K. With these, the question is how much to put in the pot, not whether to play.
Play from almost any position
10-10, 9-9, A-Q, suited A-J and suited K-Q.
Play from the late positions
Pairs from 8-8 down, an Ace with any suited card, high cards like K-J, Q-J and J-10, and suited connectors like 10-9 and 8-7. From here on, position matters more than the cards: see why the button is the best seat at the table.
Fold almost always
Low disconnected cards (like 9-3 or 7-2), offsuit Aces with a low kicker (A-6, A-4) when someone has already raised, and a King or Queen with a low card.
Why A-4 is a trap
An Ace in your hand looks promising, and that's why so many people lose chips with it. The problem is domination: when you hit the Ace on the flop, whoever called or raised often has an Ace with a better kicker. A-K against A-Q, for example, wins about 74% of the time, and with A-4 it's worse. You win little when you're ahead and lose a lot when you're behind.
Some preflop matchups
Chance of winning if both hands go to the end with no more betting:
| Matchup | Odds | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A-A vs K-K | ~82% x 18% | Higher pair against lower pair |
| A-K vs Q-Q | ~43% x 57% | Two higher cards against a pair |
| 2-2 vs A-K | ~52% x 48% | Any pair against two higher cards: almost a coin flip |
| A-K vs A-Q | ~74% x 26% | Domination: same high card, worse kicker |
| A-A vs a random hand | ~85% | The best starting hand still loses one time in seven |
The numbers vary a little depending on the suits of each hand. What matters is the order of magnitude.
Rules of thumb
- When in doubt before the flop, fold. Folding a marginal hand costs little; playing it badly costs a lot.
- Come in raising, not just calling. A raise can win the blinds right away and gives you the initiative.
- The more players already in the pot, the stronger your hand needs to be.
- Good hands played from bad position become medium hands, and medium hands become bad ones.