3 Top Starting Hands in Texas Hold 'em

02.12.2022

Source: Pixabay No Attribution Required

Poker broadly remains the most popular casino card game. There are several subcategories within this bracket that certain players prefer. For example, progressive knockout competitions are far more aggressive and tense competitions than a standard game of Texas Hold 'em.

Although many poker tournaments will adopt different game variations, Texas Hold 'em is the number one game in Western casinos. The main reasons behind this are the following:

● The game is easy to play to a basic level.

● It requires major practice and skill to play to a high level. 

● It is both easy to teach and easy to learn.

This is a potent combination as if it was easy to play to a high level and easy to teach and learn, it would suggest that there wasn't much skill involved and might become boring much more quickly.

However, if you can learn and teach it quickly, you can pass on your knowledge seamlessly to others. The best way to do that is practicing poker online, since the more hands you play in poker, the quicker you’re going to master the game.

Today, we will break down the top 3 Texas Hold 'em starting hands and see which is the ideal one to get out of the starting block. Particularly, we will run through them in reverse order and talk you through each.

In all fairness, we could have probably compiled a list of the top 10 tips to win poker. However, we will start with the basics if it's still a game you are getting to grips with as a beginner.

Queen-Queen

Getting out of the traps with a double Queen is a fantastic way to start proceedings. Two queens are also referred to by poker players as "ladies". If an ace or King comes on the flop, there's a decent chance your hand will be beaten.

Whilst this is a decent hand, you still need to approach it with a level of caution. Many players might think this hand can create uncertainty. The reason for this is that despite being a good hand, many players will have lost with it.

Over the years, some of the game's biggest stars have manoeuvred their way into winning positions masterfully with this hand. This includes the man many consider the greatest Texas Hold 'em player, Stu Ungar.

King-King

As we move upwards through the suits, the next best starting hand after ladies is "King Kong". However, you may also hear it referred to as "cowboys". The double King is a seriously good hand; if you can avoid an ace, you will likely be able to take the victory in this specific hand.

As we discussed in the previous section, Queen-Queen can cause some doubt and may cause you to overthink, as even though it's a quality hand, it could easily go the other way too. You have more legroom with "cowboys", as it will often win the game, except for an ace being drawn.

An ace might not signal that another player has a stronger hand. It opens up the possibility of your hand not being the strongest in the game.

Ace-Ace

This is when we're cooking on gas. The chances of having an ace pair, or "rockets" as they are commonly referred to by poker players and professionals, is over 200/1. The same applies to online poker too, which has seen an explosion in numbers since the advances in igaming hit the industry, creating huge growth.

This hand is the best starting hand. However, it doesn't mean you have a guaranteed path to victory just because you have started off on such a positive foot. Pay close attention and be vigilant of how many other players enter the pot. If you're looking at this game from a probability and mathematical perspective, the more players that enter the game, the likelihood of someone beating your aces increases dramatically.

Conclusion

If you're starting with any of the three hands, we have mentioned in this article today, you will likely be able to position yourself in a way you will win the game. However, always approach any hand cautiously and do not allow complacency to set in, even if you find yourself with rockets.

The key to playing poker, or any gambling game for that matter, is that you play it for fun. Despite the fact there are a number of professional poker players, you should not see gambling as a form of income. Irrespective of how much you win, you could still end up with nothing if one or two games do not go your way.

If you find yourself in a position where you are playing longer than you originally planned or you are gambling more than you can afford to lose, stop gambling immediately and consult a professional who will be able to assist you further.

Poker in Las Vegas

Poker in Rozvadov

Poker in London

Poker in Bratislava

List of World Poker Events

More interesting and useful articles from the world of poker you can read in our blog. Also search for poker clubs in the country or city, get to know about upcoming poker tournaments or cash games at PokerDiscover.com

If you liked the article, don’t forget to share it with your friends

Tags:

You got %count% points
Report Bug