Best Poker Hands and Charts. Why It’s Important to Know

What are we talking about? The best hands in poker are of course the highest ones, which are Aces and Kings. However, this knowledge is not enough to successfully win games and make money.

What is the secret? To correctly choose starting hands, you need to understand the charts. This is a graphical representation of different hands, which you should play.

The Concept of a Chart and the Best Hands in Poker

How does a poker hand work? Two players post blinds, each player at the table receives a set of cards and the betting starts. Even a beginner realizes that a pair of aces is much preferable to an unsuited three and five. Therefore, the starting hand determines the chance of winning the hand.

In poker, the term “starting hand” refers to a combination of two cards that a player receives at the beginning of the hand. It determines the course of a player’s action during the game. The correct choice of starting hands increases the probability of winning, and therefore ensures profit over the long term.

The two cards player receives in the beginning of the hand are important for several reasons. First, they determine the fundamental level of strength of the hand before the flop. The rank (and the suit match) shows a possible advantage or disadvantage against opponents. In addition, the best starting hands allow you to choose a more aggressive strategy.

Knowing which combinations are stronger and which are weaker allows you to make optimal decisions in a game. Starting hand charts were developed to help poker players decide when to keep on playing and when to fold preflop. By following this strategy, a player significantly increases his win rate over the long term.

It is simply unprofitable to enter the game with every single hand every single time. What are the criteria for determining the hands with which you can be active?

In poker theory, the term “hand range” is often used. This is the name for a certain set of different combinations. For example, the range of KK+, AQ means 6 pairs of kings, queens and aces (all four suits) and 16 different Ace-Queen combos. In total, there are 34 starting hands in this range.

The main mistake all beginners make is that they think that they play against a specific hand that the villain holds and not a range of hands. It is important to think in ranges and not specific hands, and a chart is a graphical representation of all available combinations in the form of a matrix.

The Best and Average Hands in Poker

Best hands

Let’s consider which hands can be called the most promising. The top combinations traditionally include Aces and Kings, the highest cards in the deck. However, the probability of getting them when dealing is quite low and is 1 %. It is recommended to raise such hands before the flop in any position. The probability of winning is about 85 %.

However, the number of opponents affects our chance to succeed a lot. If there are more than two opponents at the table, then the probability of winning can decrease to 40 %.

Pocket jacks and queens are also included in the category of the best hands in poker. With such a holding, you can play aggressively preflop. Of course, it is possible that your opponents will have a stronger pair. However, the chances are quite small.

An Ace with a King of the same suit is also an excellent starting combination. We can get a top pair, higher straight and, of course, a nut flush.

Average hands

These are not the top hands, but quite decent combinations still. The best hand in this category is AKo. We can hit a top pair with the top kicker, which is quite strong, but we can still be behind, so you should be careful.

TT is also a great but not the best hand, which you should open raise preflop.

In addition to the combinations described above, it is worth mentioning the suited hands AQs, AJs, and KQs. If you have them, you can safely raise preflop. However, you should be careful with these hands against tight players.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Starting Hand Charts

Starting hand charts are the most popular. With the help of such charts, you can determine which cards are most promising to play at the beginning of the hand. These are a very valuable resource for a poker player, as they allow you to determine which hand is the best, taking into account the influence of various factors.

It is difficult to overestimate the importance of starting hand charts for a poker player. For beginners, they can serve as an excellent reference and visual aid, with the help of which you can quickly understand the principles of selecting starting cards. This is especially true for beginners taking their first steps and who have neither the experience nor the intuition to develop a preflop strategy.

Starting hand charts are also useful for experienced players. Information from charts will help keep preflop ranges in check. In this way, a balance can be achieved between opposite styles of play (aggressive and conservative), which significantly increases the chances of winning in a long run.

Charts also take into account various factors: position at the table, opponents’ playstyle, current stage of the game, etc. Knowing the best hands in poker allows the player to make more informed decisions and adjust tactics depending on the current situation.

Despite the obvious benefit of providing a structured approach to picking starting hands and developing an optimal strategy, charts are not without some drawbacks. Let’s list the main disadvantages:

• The recommendations are general in nature, that is, they do not always take into account the real situation at the table. Poker is a fairly dynamic and volatile game. Blindly following the chart’s advice can lead to a fatal mistake.
• The charts do not take into account the experience and playing style of each specific poker player. Some players have a habit of playing with certain starting hands, and the charts offer template plays without any adjustments.

• Experienced players can rather quickly read the pattern of your open-raise strategy if you don’t change it at all. Therefore, they can build a counterplay.
• Following standard actions does not leave room for creativity. In some cases, choosing a more aggressive strategy becomes justified, especially when playing against a certain type of opponent.

However, all these shortcomings do not prevent starting hand charts from being a very useful and popular tool for beginners and experienced poker players. You should use those as an assistant tool in forming your own strategy, developing the ability to adapt to a specific game situation and opponents.

Correct Use of Starting Hand Charts

Charts are popular with players of all skill levels. Experts give the following recommendations on using a starting hand chart:

• You need to carefully study the contents of the table and find out which combinations are strong and weak in various game situations.
• You should understand that the decision you make depends on the stage of the game. For example, at the beginning, you can prefer a more conservative range of starting hands.
• Use charts as a reference for implementing your strategy, taking into account the playing style of your opponents. Against aggressive opponents, ranges should be different from when you play against tight guys. Each of your actions must be carefully considered.

• You do not need to learn the table by heart. Gradually, the necessary knowledge will be engraved in your memory. Understanding the importance of playing starting hands is of great importance.
• As you gain experience, you will begin to form an individual style, which may sometimes contradict the advice of the charts. The information about strong starting hands obtained from the charts is used as a foundation on which to build your unique strategy.

Let’s imagine that you are playing Texas Hold’em and you get your hand. In order to determine its strength, you can use the starting hands chart. Having received the necessary information, you either continue the game or fold. Let’s consider a specific example.

You start the game at the table in the early position. Therefore, you are one of the first players to act. You have Q♠ J♠ in your hands. If you check the chart, you will see that such a hand is definitely not the best one. However, it is not weak either. With such a hand a lot depends on your position at the table.

Based on the advice of the chart, you can mix both plays with this hand. It all depends on the chosen style. If you want to play a conservative style, it is better to fold this hand in an early position. If you want to demonstrate an aggressive strategy, you can decide to limp, that is, make a minimum bet without raising. In some cases, even a raise is justified (for example, there are no bets on the table yet).

You should also take into account the style that your opponents adhere to. If you find out that your opponents prefer to fold too much, you can use it and raise more.

The main thing to understand is that the starting hand charts are not a collection of rules that must be followed. When making a decision, you should always proceed from a specific situation at the table and take into account many factors: the playing style of your opponents, position, dynamics of the game, etc. With experience, you will intuitively feel when you need to follow the chart recommendations and when you can neglect them.

Criteria for Choosing Starting Hands in Poker. Play or Fold

No chart can guarantee a win. The information contained in the charts is advisory in nature. Let’s list the main factors that need to be taken into account when making decisions preflop.

Position and table size

The charts have a clear division by position. The earlier a poker player has to act, the smaller the range of hands he can play. This circumstance is explained by the following reasons:

• After you make a move, there are still players left to act. There is a chance that someone wakes up with a strong hand.
• If players before the blinds call your raise, you will be the first to act on each of the following streets. It is more difficult to realize the potential of your hand in such a spot.

This rule works both ways: the fewer players left behind you, the larger the range of hands you can raise.

The number of chips in stacks

This factor is more significant in tournament games. If there are players with small stacks behind you, there is a high probability that they will go all-in, which will stimulate you to fold the weakest hands in your range.

In order to avoid losing money in the long run, you need to narrow your raising range and not put money into a pot with hands that you will have to fold. This also applies to your stack. You should not raise the same cards with 100 and 10 big blinds.

The playing style of your opponents and their actions

There may be completely different poker players at the table. Some of them are aggressive, others prefer a conservative style, etc. Usually, when someone raises before you, it means they have a decent hand and you should definitely shrink the range of hands you want to play.

For example, from the UTG+2 position, according to the chart, we raise with a pair of nines, but if one of the opponents raises before us, then it is better to fold this hand, since there is a high probability that the opponents have stronger hands. Beginners tend to play only with the best hands. With other holdings, they just prefer to fold. This can be used to your advantage.

Stage of the tournament

When playing in multi-table poker tournaments (MTT), a lot depends on what stage we are in. At the start, players are usually quite active, since the stack is large and the blinds are low. You should not enter the game too often. This is unprofitable, since you will have to play a lot of multiway pots.

When the bubble (a stage in tournament right before getting into the money) occurs, opponents play more cautiously. During this period, you can try to be active. There is a high probability that every time you raise, your opponents will fold, which means you can widen your range.

Frequently Asked Questions about Hands in Poker

How to play suited hands correctly?

Most inexperienced poker players enter the pot with almost any cards of the same suit. It is a mistake. If you want to hit a flush, it is better to use higher suited hands, because the probability of making flush is around 6 %.

Eight and nine of the same suit is a much better option since you have both flush and straight potential.

Why use a chart of starting hands?

At the start, all beginners will find it useful to use a chart. The table contains information that will help you navigate preflop. A person who is just learning the basics of poker will have an idea of what hands to play preflop, taking into account the position.

Let’s list the main advantages of the preflop chart:

• Reduced risk of losing when entering the pot. Consequently, the win rate will increase.
• In some situations, a reasonable raise forces opponents to fold.
• Beginners can play a decent preflop strategy with no experience whatsoever.
• The probability of winning increases with the right decisions in each game situation.
• Folding a weak hand at the right time increases the chances of winning in the long run.

How is color-coding in starting hand charts helpful?

Color-coding makes charts easier to perceive. Strong and weak combinations are usually visually differentiated. This allows the player to quickly navigate the table to obtain the information needed.

Usually there’s a little hint on how to decipher the color-coding in every chart, but here is the most common color system:

• Green. This color denotes the best hands in game. Usually AA, KK and AKs are colored in green.
• Yellow. Promising hands in terms of further play, but not top ones. This category includes medium strength pairs, various combinations of cards with an ace.
• Red. Weak hands, which we should mostly fold.

This color-coding method is used in most charts. However, it should be remembered that in some tables it could be different. Therefore, you should always carefully study the instructions for the chart in order to avoid making annoying mistakes in the game.

The article provided basic information about starting hands. If you are a beginner, the chart will help you quickly adapt to the gaming environment without making serious mistakes. As you gain experience, you will understand how to act in a given situation. Do not forget that the position at the table plays one of the key roles in poker. The playing style of your opponents is also of great importance.