Starting hands in poker
When you’re playing poker, the first thing you need to do is decide which starting hand to play. Starting hands are classified by their strength, which is determined by the following factors:
- The number of high cards in the hand;
- The number of low cards in the hand;
- The number of cards of the same suit;
- The number of cards of the same rank.
The most important factor in determining the strength of a starting hand is the number of high cards. A hand with more high cards is generally stronger than a hand with fewer high cards.
Another important factor to consider is the number of low cards. A hand with more low cards is generally stronger than a hand with fewer low cards. Low cards can be used to make straights and flushes, so they are often more valuable than high cards.
The last two factors to consider are the number of cards of the same suit and the number of cards of the same rank. These factors are important because they can help you make straights and flushes.
When you’re choosing a starting hand, you should always consider the factors mentioned above. By doing so, you’ll be able to make more informed decisions and increase your chances of winning.
Starting hands in Texas Hold’em
There are 169 distinct starting hands in Texas Hold’em. The following table shows the frequencies of each starting hand, sorted by descending order.
| Starting Hand | Frequency |
| AA | 0.45% |
| KK | 0.24% |
| 0.17% | |
| JJ | 0.14% |
| AKs | 0.13% |
| TT | 0.11% |
| AK | 0.11% |
| AQs | 0.09% |
| 99 | 0.09% |
| AJs | 0.08% |
As you can see, there are a lot of starting hands in Texas Hold’em. The best way to learn which ones to play is to practice and learn from your experiences.
One last thing to keep in mind is that the starting hands listed above are for cash games. In tournaments, you need to be more selective with your starting hands because the blinds are usually higher and you can’t afford to waste chips.
Starting hands in Omaha
In Omaha, there are slightly different starting hand requirements. This is because there are four hole cards instead of two. The following table shows the frequencies of each starting hand, sorted by descending order.
| Starting Hand | Frequency |
| AA | 0.45% |
| KK | 0.24% |
| 0.17% | |
| JJ | 0.14% |
| AKs | 0.13% |
| TT | 0.11% |
| AK | 0.11% |
| AQs | 0.09% |
| 99 | 0.09% |
| AJs | 0.08% |
As you can see, the best starting hands in Omaha are generally similar to the best starting hands in Texas Hold’em. The main difference is that you need two good cards of the same suit to make a flush.
The worst starting hands in Omaha are generally the same as the worst starting hands in Texas Hold’em. The main difference is that you need two good cards of the same suit to make a flush.
When you’re playing Omaha, you should always be aware of the starting hand requirements. By doing so, you’ll be able to make more informed decisions and increase your chances of winning.
Poker starting hand odds
The odds of being dealt a specific starting hand in poker are as follows:
- Pair: 16.67%;
- Two pair: 0.82%;
- Three of a kind: 0.47%;
- Straight: 0.39%;
- Fush: 0.20%;
- Full house: 0.14%;
- Four of a kind: 0.024%;
- Straight flush: 0.0015%;
- Royal flush: 0.000154%.
As you can see, the odds of being dealt a specific starting hand are very low. For example, the odds of being dealt a royal flush are less than 0.0002%.
This means that you should expect to be dealt a bad starting hand most of the time. However, this doesn’t mean that you should give up on poker. Remember, even the best players in the world only win a small percentage of the time.
The key to being a successful poker player is to make the most of your good starting hands and to minimize your losses with your bad starting hands. By doing so, you’ll be able to stay in the game and eventually come out ahead.