Author -> Master-Texasholdem -> 27/10/07

Powerful or not?

So what is a big hand and what isnt? Here is a quick insight into what hands you should be playing and which hands you should be throwing away quicker than sour milk!

The power house hands!

Most poker players are happy to see pocket pairs come out on the deal but you have to know how to play these cards when you get them. Obviously the higher the pair the better your hand, but beware a mid rank poker pair like 10/10 can easily be beat if anything higher than a 10 comes out on the flop.

Pocket aces are always the favourite and are powerful preflop, i would always bet big after seeing pocket aces. This will get rid of the stragglers playing potential low rank straights and flushes. But beware if people call your big bets then they most likely will also be sitting on a monster!

Here is a list that as a beginner i would play in all positions

 

A-A

K-K

Q-Q

J-J

A-K (suited)

A-Q (suited)

A-J (suited)

K-Q (suited)

K-J (suited)

A-K (off-suit)

K-Q (off-suit)

As you become more experienced you can add other hands to this list but its a good starting point.

Stay Away ...
Non connecting suited hands! Many players new to the game often believe that suited hands are more powerful than they really are! Remember than poker is based on maths and probability and the chances of you finding 3 or the remaining 11 suit cards are slim hence the high rank of a flush hand in poker!

Ace with low kicker! Often people will bet big into a hand purely on the basis of holding an ace. If you go into a hand with say A-6 and an ace doesnt come out you are reduced to bluffing your way through with a high potential of being called out!