The best hands typically include the highest possible pairs like A-A, K-K, Q-Q, or J-J, which are already good so the pressure of improving their value down the road is not that much. Place the burn card face down on top of. Renew Existing License. If your hand is suited, match your hole cards in the upper right half of the table. Learn hand rankings, table positions & the best poker tips all from one. How to put your opponent on a hand and how to narrow this range down across the streets. Guide to Texas Hold’em Starting Hands Poker Starting Hands Chart. A lot of Texas Hold 'Em strategy is based on the cards in your hand. If you're looking to start even simpler, check our basic rules guides and tools for even more poker tips. Table selection: only play in games where you have an edge. Playable Texas hold’em hands. Of course, it’s not easy to get dealt a premium starting hand. It looks like a great starting hand, and it’s good. Similarly, if you’re playing Pot Limit Omaha, A-Q-10-J is a strong hand. Royal Flush: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and a Ten of the same suit, such as A♣ K♣ Q♣ J♣ T♣. com Rating: 9. Texas Hold'em Poker Rules. However, because suits have no value in this poker variant, a lot of these combinations will have the same value before the flop. Texas hold’em is a game of strategy, like any poker game. With blinds 25/50 there's $75 in the pot you can win. #3. The Best Starting Hands in Hold’em. Each time cards are dealt (start, flop, turn, and river), players bet on winning the round with chips. Medium: 41 – 90 big blinds. The goal of a Texas hold'em game is to use your hole cards in combination with the community cards to make the best possible five. In Hold ’em, you often need both seat position and starting. This next selection of poker lessons will provide further guidance on how and why you should play your starting hands. The best hands to play in Texas Holdem are: Big pocket pairs: AA-TT; Big suited connectors: AK, AQ, AJ, KQ;. Texas Hold’em online poker is a community card game. A royal flush is the absolute best possible hand in the game of Texas Hold'em. 10 ♠ J ♠ Q ♠ K ♠ A ♠. THE ONLY AUTHENTIC POKER BRAND raises the stakes as the best FREE online poker experience on iPhone & iPad, hands-down. The Big Blind is last to act pre-flop but one of the first to act post-flop. 7% of the hands. Royal Flush: Ace, King, Queen, Jack and a Ten of the same suit, e. It was created by Bill Chen for use in the book Hold’em Excellence by Lou Krieger. Pocket Jacks, also known as fish hooks, are among the most complained about starting hands in poker. The user interface of the applications makes it. In a heads-up Texas Hold’em game where Player A holds a pair of Aces, Player B holds a pair of Kings. While there is no universal answer to this question, as the value of starting hands depends on several factors, there are certain hands that are generally considered better than others. Let’s take a closer look at how a Texas Hold’em hand is played, from start to finish. Adapt the right strategy. Be careful, though. It is also known as Pocket Rockets and Bullets because of its strength. Ignition Poker – 150% up to $1500. The chance of getting a straight flush is 0. You can bet $6 or you can raise $6. When Low Limit Holdem Strategy and Tactics put up starting hands in the Summer of 2000 they were geared towards to hyper-loose limit Texas Holdem games of the Southern California live poker rooms, a place where nine or ten people would sit there and seriously pay to see the flop every single deal. Here are some common names for Texas Hold'em starting poker hands. The worst possible starting hand that you can form is 3-2. QQ (Q-Q) This is stronger than most two cards, except for KK and AA. P = 1/1326. When playing against one random hand, playability is not so crucial. Texas Holdem Heads-Up Preflop Odds. ‘AJs’ could stand for A J whereas ‘AJ’ could stand for A J. Probability of being dealt a given starting hand. was using what is called a Hand Matrix. That’s why our go-to play with them is 3-betting. Top 10 Texas Hold’em starting hands. Each hand is followed by its long-term winning percentage (out of 100, of course) against a specific number of opponents holding random cards. In this article, you'll learn: How to use the poker hand. Ranking the best starting hands in Texas Holdem isn't as straightforward as some think. Starting Hand Strategy. 4. Grab our easy to read preflop poker charts for free and build a solid poker strategy for your. Early Position – These are the. Pocket Jacks. Everything is built around the Big Blind. 6:1 on the card (or as close to it as possible). Also briefly touched on are certain hand groups like big pocket pairs, hands with two Broadway cards (i. Although your cards have much importance, your position is equally essential in relation to the dealer. Most of the nicknames on this list refer to starting hands/hole cards from Texas Hold’em, but a few others represent nicknames for made five-card poker hands. After every player has two hole cards, the. You must play pre-flop raise on. As a starting point in determining which hands to play, it’s essential to know which ones are the best and why. Texas Hold'em Starting Hands This article discusses starting hand charts for advanced No-Limit Texas Hold'em Poker players. Definition. Roughly speaking, you need to be able to separate good cards from bad ones, fold trash hands and play with stronger ones. As a professional poker player myself for over 10 years now, these are my top 21 Texas Holdem tips that most pros don't want you to know about! 1. This gives you as a conservative player 90 acceptable starting hands. Each of them possesses a probability to win. Step 5 – Deal Texas Hold’em Turn Card. Preflop strategy is the first thing to get down pat, when you're looking to improve your poker game. 3. These two hands are only 71% favorites over a random four-card hand, whereas in Hold’em you would be an 82% favorite over any two. 1. This means that Player A with AJ wins the pot. The World’s online gaming authority since 1995. Queen-Queen is another strong hand, but it. If you play most of your hands in position, you're already on your way to becoming a winning poker player. Royal Flush :Focus on specific parts of your game – there is a lot of information on the table to take in and aspects of your game to concentrate on, so start simple and try to focus on one part of your game. 2. There are many different preflop charts of starting hands depending on the type of game, the chosen strategy, your position and the situation at the table. This means the player is playing. The following table shows my power rating for each initial 2-card hand in a 8-player game. The gap concept is simple: it takes a much stronger. 42o. There is no "generic" way of calculating the equity of a given confrontation except for calculating it directly. Bovada Poker – 100% up to $500. Face card- low card, unsuited. Reading the chart: If your hand is unsuited, match your hole cards in the lower left half of the table. This way of working out the probabilities would be the more accurate way - however, just to note, the probabilities worked out on 5 of 52 are practically the same, and far easier to calculate. 29: Twiggy. Of the 1,326 combinations, there are 169 distinct starting hands grouped into three shapes: 13 pocket pairs (paired hole cards), 13 × 12 ÷ 2 = 78 suited hands and 78 unsuited hands; 13 + 78 + 78 = 169. As a player, you have to navigate the psychology of other players which changes between games and even as the conditions in a single poker game change. What follows is a guide on starting poker hands in Texas Hold'em. 90%, which effectively secures it a place among the worst starting hands in Texas Hold’em. The game is $1/$2 No-Limit Texas Hold'em, the Chevy Cavalier of poker. If you get 4-bet, shove the hands in bold, Fold the rest. Improve your poker or find out just how bad that bad beat was. The final stage reveals the last card and is called the "river. . All Texas Hold’em starting hands can be separated into two categories: “suited” and “offsuit”. Given that there are 169 different hands in Texas Hold'em poker,. The reason why they are the best starting hands is because they are statistically most likely to. Standard Equity Post-Flop in No-Limit Hold’em. After the blinds are posted, the dealer begins dealing one card at a time to each player, starting. All of the players involved with the same hand will split the pot evenly. In Texas Hold’em and other poker games, the strength of your starting hand is an important determinant of your chances of winning by the time the Flop, Turn and River are dealt. 4 / 169. Take your online poker games anywhere and know that you’re getting the true Vegas-style game. For example, you might focus on raising the right hands preflop for a whole session. This matrix lists out all 169 possible starting hands (13×13 = 169) and is the universal way that poker players visualize ranges. starting hands. The process looks a little tricky at first, but it’s really quite straightforward and logical after you have. You will rarely (if ever) see this hand. In Texas Hold'em, you attempt to make the best poker hand using a combination of your hole cards and the community cards. Poker Starting Hand Chart (6-Max Cash, 100bb) As such, it’s essential only to raise hands that are going to be +EV to start with (for an open-raise). 02% against 98 suited, etc. The first time he got it in against Jack Alto who held AJ on A ♠ J ♥ T ♥ and hit a 2 on the turn and a T on the river to make a full house. List of the Worst Poker Hole Hands. Starting Hands by Nickname; Starting Hands by Cards. The odds of being dealt any specific pocket pair, such as aces, is 220-to-1 but the odds of being dealt a pair of aces and then someone at the same table being dealt pocket kings is slightly less as the two aces have been removed from the 52-card deck. Limit poker is where each bet is a fixed amount. Top 10 Best Starting Hands Texas Hold‘em. 3. The list is roughly listed from best to worst, but hand values change somewhat based on the level of competition, the makeup of the game, and your ability to play well after the flop. 3. 20 Nov 2023 detailed hand charts to guide players on how to optimally play their starting hands in Texas Holdem, offering specific strategies based on one's. The odds against you flopping a set with a hand like 55 are pretty bad; about 7. These win percentages are for Texas Hold'Em poker only; other variants have their own percentages. Download PDF. As a bonus you will also learn the nicknames of the different hands. To help you out, I have provided for you an attractive printable or downloadable “cheat sheet” for both 5 card hand rankings as well as top 24 pre-flop starting hands. Place the burn card face down on top of. You remember that preflop, he defends with 30. Ace Magnets {the hand loses value if an ace hits the board} - KK Ace with winning kicker - AJHands down, the Sit and Go has been the most significant innovation to come out of online poker. If you are a beginner poker player, I would advise you to start playing full ring for a couple of reasons. The second time Doyle got it in good on the turn after turning a higher. As the term suggest, starting hand selection is deciding which hole cards you will play before the preflop. The worst statistical starting hand in Hold’em with its tongue-in-cheek nickname of “The Hammer” With the literal poker explosion in the last several years and millions of new players flocking the the game, poker hand nicknames have become more prevalent and popular than ever. In Texas hold'em, a hand such as A♥A♠ is an 82. com Starting Hands Chart for No Limit Texas Hold'em shows you which hands you should play and how you should play them. In ranked order, the best starting hands in Texas Hold’em are: Pairs from A-A to 10-10; A-K, A-Q, A-J, A-10; K-Q, K-J; Q-J; J-10; 9-10, 8-9, 7-8, 7-6 (suited. King-King, or Pocket Kings, are the second-best hand and have high equity against most hands except Pocket Aces. The Chen formula is a system for scoring different starting hands in Texas Hold’em. The figure: does not refer to what you. This isn't. Learn the slang that Hold 'Em regulars use to describe their hole cards and improve your vocabulary while you improve your game with THETA Poker Pro. Check out these 10 Texas Hold'em poker strategy tips and tricks from pro players. Everyone needs a base from which to expand their playing repertoire. Nicknames for Poker Hands in Texas Holdem. Texas Holdem Expected Value Hand Charts – 6 Players. The best example is preflop pocket aces. A genuine premium poker hand might be one that you open from any position – pocket tens or better and big suited aces like A♠K♠ or A♥Q♥. Some of the top hands to start with are: AA and KKThe following table lists some interesting and valuable hold’em math: Many beginners to poker overvalue certain starting hands, such as suited cards. This is a holding like J-T-9-8 and the best type of rundown is, of course, double-suited. Speaking of odds and percentages, the win percentage with this hand is 4. 8% of the time. This means that the odds of someone being dealt a. Poker Hands Chart: Top 10 Starting hands in Texas Hold’em. The rarer the hand, the higher it ranks. In other words, pocket pairs become very strong hands on the flop 150% more often compared to offsuit broadway. January 31, 2018. 00139%, with the odds against at 72,192. Hyper’s 6-Max Limit Hold’em Guide Part 2 2005 WSOP Main Event – Michael1123’s Recap Texas Hold em Poker Hands Position (6 Max) Basic Poker Odds Renton’s Small Stakes NLHE Ring Strategy: Postflop II Before Moving. If you stick to the starting hand requirements mentioned above, you would probably find that you are folding too often and missing out on opportunities to win money. 5. Because only two cards are dealt to each player, it is easy to characterize all of. Paired hands: Find the number of available cards. It is normal to 3Bet with 25-10% of hands. This is a Hand Matrix. Let’s take a look at 50 poker hand nicknames used around the world. Once the hand is over and the pot is awarded, the small blind, big blind, and dealer all move one seat to the left, and a new hand begins. You must be willing to suffer through a series of poor hands (e. 4% equity against AA, 30. The following table shows my power rating for each initial 2-card hand in a 4-player game. This number assumes, for the sake of argument, that is the same as , or any other suited combination. But there. 1% chance to hit your flush on the turn. The best starting hand in Texas Hold’em is Ace-Ace or Pocket Aces. Hand vs Range: One known poker hand going up against the entire range of an opponent’s possible hands. We explain rules about poker and the winning hands. Shortcuts. Rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent, 9/47 = 19. Here is a list of the ranking order of all 10 possible hands that one can hold followed by the best starting hands in Texas Hold’em. 38: Raquel Welch. 8-2 - Another very weak starting hand. There are 10 possible 5 card poker hands: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, high card. Welcome to the poker odds calculator, where we calculate the odds that you'll win a given Texas hold' em round based on your hand and the current community cards. Below is a table of Texas Holdem starting hands, ordered by their Expected Value (EV) in a 6 player holdem game. The Chen formula is a system for scoring different starting hands in Texas Hold’em. #2. Knowledge Stays Forever. Best and Worst Starting Hands in Texas Hold'em Poker . As we discussed in the poker strategy article about position at the poker table, the closer you sit to the right of the small blind, the better your position is. Then, we ranked and ordered the starting hands from the best to worst in the table and chart below. If you’re somewhat new to poker, it’s best to start with a solid value-heavy range for both your 3-bets and 4-bets. See moreTexas Hold'em Starting Hands Infographic. Starting hands should have four cards (9+) for high hand. Choosing the best starting hands in Texas Hold'em involves considering various determining factors. In addition, you can play them occasionally for deception value. They don’t apply to tournaments, SNGs, or limit. List of the Strongest 10% of Poker Hands. They’re strong, can be played from any position, and are preferred pre-flop over any other two cards. A suited ace-queen, also called Little SLick or Big Chick, is also one of the best starting hands in Texas Hold'em. Statistically, players should get pocket aces at least once every 221 hands. Download the Full Poker Hands Ranking; 1. g. Play Texas Hold’em and enjoy WSOP’s authentic features! Want to become a poker legend? The WSOP app is the right poker app for you!. Each suited hand have four possible combinations. No Limit. Loose Ends - Pocket Pairs. Starting with the strongest set of hands that you can be dealt in group 1, the hands get progressively weaker working down the table until the virtually unplayable. Pocket aces will win 85% of the time against another hand (in heads-up poker). The strength of starting hands will determine how the player will proceed in the game. Beginners love to see the flop as cheaply as possible, but it's dangerous to let them do it. Texas Holdem online is quickly becoming a popular way to play poker. However, most players will never play 2-3 either, which means. There are two possible combinations of being dealt this hand (A K and K A ), so we simply multiply the probability by 2 to get a more useful probability. Start Your Hold’em Adventure with Borgata Online. The poker strategy guides above provide you with the knowledge needed to understand why a certain play would be better or worse than another. 1. Take 1 away from that number, multiply those two numbers together and divide by 2. Key Strategy for No-Limit Texas Hold'em. The relative probability of being dealt a hand of each given shape is different. Starting Hand Strategy. The dealer button in Texas Holdem poker is in the best position, and each position to the right of the button is the next best position. Find 2. The best starting hand in Texas Hold’em is Ace-Ace or Pocket Aces. These win percentages are for Texas Hold'Em poker only; other variants have their own percentages. Until next time, remember: "Luck comes and goes. This number assumes, for the sake of argument, that is the same as , or any other suited combination. If your hand is suited, match your hole cards in the upper right half of the table. There are 169 different two card starting hand combinations in hold’em poker. Generally, they are a 4 to 1 favourite over most other hands. The best possible hand in Texas hold’em is the. There are ways to deal 2 hole cards from a deck of 52 cards. Adapt the right strategy. The two cards that you are dealt at the start of a hand in Texas Hold'em are your weapons. 5% of all possible hands dealt to you. What makes it so exciting is that this part of the game is so dynamic. The 19 starting hands apply to no limit ring games. This isn't a bad starting point, but it massively oversimplifies the game of poker. Each of these starting hands can be double-suited, single-suited or rainbow. Pocket Aces are clearly the best, but what are the worst possible hands in poker? Let's take a look. Every player starts by learning the basic rules of the game and the appropriate starting hand selection, which is what we'll give you here. At the start of each hand you need to be aware of where the dealer button is. Related. $1/$2 is the smallest No-Limit game run in most casinos and for that reason the games are very, very soft. This never changes. The hands that you choose to go into battle with in Texas Hold’em are vital. One of the most famous examples of this is in Sklansky and Malmuth's Hold 'em Poker For Advanced Players. Profitable Hole Cards in Texas Hold’em There are a total of 52 x 51 = 2’652 possible starting hands. There are 52 cards in a deck and two of those will be in your hand when starting playing, with a further four cards exposed from the flop and turn. 45% against AK suited, 27. A pair of aces, also known as "pocket rockets" (and sometimes "American Airlines") is the best starting hand for Texas Hold 'em. Spread limit Hold'em is stated as 2/10 or something similar. Here is our official list of the best online texas holdem real money poker sites to play on in 2023: BetOnline Poker – 100% up to $1000. Knowledge Stays Forever. Some Texas Hold'em examples: Community cards are A-K-Q-6-4: Player A has AJ, and Player B has A 9. They play ANY Ace from ANY position. Many players are unprofitable at first because they play far too many starting hands. Download our FREE ultimate Texas Hold’em Poker cheat sheet PDF. Choosing the right starting hands is very important in Texas holdem, because what cards you play with often determines the result, and the poker combinations that you can collect. Some perform well regardless of your position at the table, others should only be played in late position, while others should be ditched at the first opportunity. Four cards of the same value. If you are using poker software like Holdem Manager or Poker Tracker, it will display the data in percentages all the time. was using what is called a Hand Matrix. Ace-Ace. Pocket Aces are clearly the best, but what are the worst possible hands in poker? Let's take a look. There are 1,326 different starting hands in hold’em. These five hands are all good enough to play in most situations, but if you value them too highly, they can cost you money. #4: Texas Holde'm Chest Sheet - Starting Hands. Take 1 away from that number, multiply those two numbers together and divide by 2. $79. Texas Holdem Starting Hand Charts. The strength of your starting hand in Texas Hold'em can help you determine your chances of winning, even before the remaining cards are dealt. They play ANY Ace from ANY position. Even if they are suited, they will make you a very low flush, and if either makes pairs, it is still a low hand. Some have a hate relationship with JJ and TT, but I love being dealt these. When we eliminate identical combinations, there are 169 starting hands in Texas Hold’em. Make sure you memorize these hands as playing the game is impossible otherwise. g. You can improve your winnings in poker dramatically by focusing on playing hands like this. With reference to suit, there are as many as 1,326 different combinations of hole cards. There are 169 different. So how do you play Texas hold'em?. Play begins when all seats at the table are full. Two of the most critical concepts in playing winning Hold ’em are understanding table position—the position of every player at the table in relationship to the dealer button—and learning how to evaluate your two pocket cards, or starting hand. g. Some of the best Omaha poker hands are known as “rundowns”. Starting. Small: 40 big blinds or less. Many fishes. Pocket Ace; Two aces are by far the best starting hand for Texas Hold‘em. Texas hold'em starting hands guide; Poker betting strategy guide; Guide to folding in poker; The dynamics of micro stakes online poker games. Summary Of Preflop Texas Holdem Strategy. Place the blinds (starting bets) or "ante up. $1/$2 games are inhabited by everyone from 60-year-old nits to first timers to gamblers who raise every hand to young,. Let’s start by discussing the best-starting hands, often called ‘premium hands. NOTE: In Pineapple the chances of hitting a set on the board are higher than in Hold’em – by a tiny fraction. The PokerStrategy. VIEW. This 7 Card Stud poker strategy page has expert tips on basic starting hands, switching to 7 Card Stud from Hold’em, Limit vs Spread-Limit Stud & more. . When all flop action is done, it will be time to deal the next community card, called the turn, which goes right next to the flop. They are not as strong as the very best starting hands but offer lots of straight and flush potential. Get 150,000 Gold Coins for $10, plus get 30 FREE Sweeps Coins. Every position at the poker table has a certain range of starting hands that can be profitably shoved at a given stack depth. For example, when the player is faced with the decision of check/call, bet, or fold at the start of every hand, there are different hand. There are 1,326 possible combinations for your opening hand in Texas Hold’em poker. Here are top Texas Holdem poker hands ranked, from the best to the worst. Many poker players value the AQs above J-J and 10-10 as they consider this poker hand to be the second-best drawing hand. These hands will be immensely profitable when our loose, passive opponents enter the hand, and get trapped when we flop a set, or make. In the case of Texas Hold'em, there's the 2 pocket cards and 5 on the board. This hand is from a $1/$2 no-limit cash game, meaning the small blind is $1 and the big blind. We provide insight into rules, strategy, lingo, variations of the game, tournament play, and more. Against a table full of other poker players, aces still hold positive equity of 35%. Texas Hold'em Starting Hands Cheat Sheet; Poker Hands Printable; How to Raise and Play Against a Raise. Pocket Aces has: around 85% chance to win against a random hand; around 82% chance to beat KK; 79% to beat JTs To help you avoid such unfavorable starting hands, here are the top 10 worst starting hands you should steer clear of in Texas Hold 'Em Poker. $1/$2 is the smallest No-Limit game run in most casinos and for that reason the games are very, very soft. Start your Texas Hold’em journey with a. In traditional Texas Hold’em this is the worst starting hand, and almost completely unplayable. One of the things that’s a drag with a pair of aces or a pair of kings in no limit Texas hold’em is that a lot of times you’ll win a small pot with them because everyone will fold in the face of your aggression. To choose the first dealer, each player picks a face-down card from the deck and the one with the highest value card is the dealer. King-King, or Pocket Kings,. Many heads up players does not 3Bet at all. These are also known as pocket kings, King Kong, or cowboys. A good heads-up poker player will assess the opponents mindset. The “Resteal” and “Call Steal” rows are used if an opponent has open-raised from the CO or BTN. 78 non-paired suited. If you want to. Work out pot odds; 2. That said, starting hands are only one part of the game. Straight Flush : Five cards in a row with the same suit that is not A-high, such as –T♠ 9♠ 8♠ 7♠ 6♠. Choosing the best starting hands in Texas Hold'em involves considering various determining factors. Fold most hands that have 7, 8 or 9. For more on which Texas Holdem Starting Hands to play, see: Texas Hold'em Starting Hands Cheat Sheet; How to Play Pre-Flop: Playing Behind a Raiser. When we eliminate identical combinations, there are 169 starting hands in Texas Hold’em. In all, there are 169 two-card possible starting poker hand combinations in a game of Hold'em poker. An ace with a face card: sets a good foundation, if the flop works in your favor. In Texas Hold ‘Em each player plays the 5 best cards between the table and your hole cards. Forget about all these Pre Flop Charts to get the precise winning odds of your Hole Cards in Texas Hold'em Poker: The PreFlopper Poker Calculators are simple-to-use applications that will help you develop a solid pre-flop playing strategy for Texas Hold'Em, Omaha, Omaha HiLo, Stud and Razz Poker. Texas Hold’em online poker is a community card game. They may have a VPIP (short for voluntarily-put-money-in-pot) of around 40% in 6max. In Texas Hold’em, the player next to the dealer typically places a. An introduction for new players to starting hand selection in no-limit hold'em. Sticking with strong starting hand selection is profitable in the longer run. Pick the poker variation you're playing in the top drop-down menu and the number of players in the hand (you can add in up to five players). The straight comes about slightly less often, making it the winner against three of a kind in the poker hand rankings. In almost all cases, you want to raise and re-raise with them preflop, and you should often be happy to get all the money in preflop with them (for 100bb or less). Follow these hand charts and learn how to play your starting hands at Texas Holdem. This represents a 7% edge while in Hold. These cards determine your initial strength and potential in the game. Best Starting Hands. Odds and probability of AA vs KK happening. In some instances (versus extremely tight players and usually those in. The process looks a little tricky at first, but it’s really quite straightforward and logical after you have. In NLH, players can wager up to the size of their stack as they’d like at any point. As such, they have been given a number of nicknames over the years. Generally, they are a 4 to 1 favourite over most other hands. Playing before the flop is your first opportunity to voluntarily put money in the pot. docx Author: Bob Created Date: 11/2/2023 5:46:09 PM. IE, you can go all in. From the flop, until the final betting round after the river has been dealt. In Limit Hold'em, and particularly in shorthanded Limit Hold'em, you must push very small. Pocket jacks is known as a big danger hand in Texas Hold’em. Determine if we can profitably call. 2. From a pair of aces — the strongest starting hand — to a 2 and a 7, knowing the strength of your starting hand is an important part of your success at the table.