Starting Hands Chart & Preflop Guide

The #1 Preflop Rule: You Cannot Win Playing Every Hand

In Texas Hold'em, you are dealt 2 private hole cards. Out of 169 distinct starting hand combinations, winning poker players fold roughly 75% to 80% of their hands before the flop.

Entering pots with weak, uncoordinated cards is the fastest way to bleed your stack. By memorizing this Starting Hands Guide, you will know exactly when to raise, call, or fold from every table position.

🃏 The 5 Starting Hand Tiers

Starting hands are categorized into 5 distinct tiers of mathematical strength:

[ Tier 1: Monsters ]  ➡️  [ Tier 2: Strong Broadway ]  ➡️  [ Tier 3: Set-Mining Pairs ]  ➡️  [ Tier 4: Suited Connectors ]  ➡️  [ Tier 5: Trash ]

1. Tier 1: "The Monsters" (Premium Hands)

• Hands: A-A, K-K, Q-Q, A-K suited, A-K offsuit
• Strategy: Always open with a Raise or 3-Bet from any position. You want to build a large pot preflop with these premium holdings.

2. Tier 2: Strong Broadway & High Pairs

• Hands: J-J, 10-10, A-Q suited/offsuit, A-J suited, K-Q suited
• Strategy: Excellent hands to raise with. Be cautious if you face heavy 4-bet aggression from tight players in early position.

3. Tier 3: Pocket Pairs for "Set-Mining"

• Hands: 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, 5-5, 6-6, 7-7, 8-8, 9-9
• Strategy: On the flop, your pair will hit a Three of a Kind (Set) roughly 1 out of 8.5 times (12%). If you hit your set, you can stack opponents who hold top pairs. If you miss, you can fold cheaply.

4. Tier 4: Suited Connectors & Suited Aces

• Hands: J-10s, 10-9s, 9-8s, 8-7s, 7-6s, A-2s through A-9s
• Strategy: Highly playable in late position (Cutoff/Button) and multiway pots. They possess immense disguise value and can flop monster straights, flushes, or combo draws.

5. Tier 5: Trash / Junk Cards

• Hands: Unsuited disconnected cards like 7-2o, 8-3o, 9-4o, J-2o
• Strategy: 100% instant Fold. Never limp or call with these hands.

📊 Preflop Starting Hands Chart by Table Position

⚠️ 3 Dangerous "Trap Hands" to Avoid

Many amateur players lose huge pots by overestimating the following hand types:

• ❌ Weak Offsuit Aces (A-2o to A-7o): When you hit an Ace on the flop, you will frequently be dominated by a superior kicker (A-K, A-Q, A-J).
• ❌ Offsuit Low Broadway (K-Jo, Q-To, J-To): These hands look pretty, but they make second-best pairs and easily get dominated in multiway pots.
• ❌ "The Worst Hand in Poker" (7-2 offsuit): 7-2o is mathematically the worst hand in Texas Hold'em because the two cards cannot make a straight without at least four cards on board, and they share no suit.

💡 Preflop Betting Sizing Standard

• Standard Open Raise: 2.5x to 3x the Big Blind (e.g., if Big Blind is $10, raise to $25–$30).
• If players limped before you: Add 1 Big Blind per limper to your raise size.
• 3-Bet Size (Re-raise): 3x the original raise if you are in position, or 3.5x–4x if you are out of position.