BEST STARTING HANDS
Tiffanyruda – These are the top ten starting hands you can get in Dominobet. Lower pocket cards may have more chance of winning once a flop has come out but remember that lower pocket cards have less chance of winning once a flop has been revealed.
Hellmuth presents a list of the top 10 starting hands in Texas holdem, and he suggests that you ONLY play hands from that list. His list is a little different from the one I present below, though. His list consists of any pocket pair of 7s or better, plus ace king suited and ace queen suited. See full list on pokerology.com.
- A-A (Pocket Aces)
- K-K (Pocket Kings)
- Q-Q (Pocket Queens)
- A-K (Ace King)
- J-J (Pocket Jacks)
- 10-10(Pocket Tens)
- 9-9 (Pocket Nines)
- 8-8 (Pocket Eights)
- A-Q (Ace Queen)
- 7-7 (Pocket Sevens)
Admittedly, if you’re holding pocket sevens in the first position you’re in good shape because there are not as many players who will be drawing out which means you have a better chance of winning a big pot.
However, if you’re playing seven-card stud differently from holdem then you really do need at least a pair of Queens or better in order to win. Seven-card stud is not the time to be throwing away top pairs in the hope that a better hand will come out subsequent to the flop. Watch out for the over cards that won’t hold up.
If you’re lucky enough to be in good position on the flop with an ace, king, or queen then bet it hard. You may still get some calls but people will start to fold in droves if you bet hard. When you’re good and confident that you have the best hand then come out firing.
- Worst Starting Hands
Once you realize that pocket aces are not your only Baton, you’re on the right track to being a winning player. However, still not being completely familiar with the best hands in stud still leaves many questions and fears in the way.
- Free Baton
The first card you want to get with a good hand is the ace or king. Only get this card if you’re confident in your hand and it doesn’t change the nature of the hand. If you’re not sure about the strength of your hand, consider just checking or calling.
The second card in your pocket pair is the seasoned professional. You want to play this card hard and fast because it’s going to get some action. Two aces are the best. Three aces are also nice, but not asenders. Four aces are the goal. Oh, and twos are okay as well.
- Slow Play
The third card in your pocket pair is the slow play. This is a good one to slow-play if everyone is checking or folding to you. One of the sig I was talking about with pocket kings before is that pair of Aces. When you have aces, especially in late position, you’re intimidating almost everyone. Two aces are the goal. And three aces are the second best.
- King On The River
Sometimes, luck just isn’t on your side. That’s why you want to chase a straight to the river. You want to make sure it’s to a straight so you can be heads-up at the river with the best hand. Remember, even with a mediocre hand you want to retain control of the betting to make sure it’s going in the right direction.
The fourth card in your pocket pair is the worst. It’s a gut shot and usually the cards that start the river – any ace, king, or queen – are the worst.
- Slow Play
Finally, the slow play card. This is the one you want to strive for, because it’s the one that produces the biggest mistake. Any ace, ace-king, king-king, or queen is a slow play card. Why? Because these are the cards that, if you hit the flop, produce gigantic hand. But, when you don’t, produce a slow play.
When you’re making a slow play, even if you have the best hand, you’re probably not going to get paid off. Therefore, you want to give yourself the best odds possible when you slow play. Give yourself a couple of seconds to consider the situation before you check or bet, and neveravering with your big hand. However, if you’re dealt a small pair, go for it.
Texas Holdem Starting Hands Odds
After you hit the flop with any hand, chances are someone hit theirs. You’re not going to get paid off, but if you hit a straight, or flush, you’ll get paid off. Therefore, with any hand, you want to make sure you have the best odds possible if you slow play. This stuff about odds and percentages is crucial to winning.