Pre-Flop Hand Categories

Introduction

In this Article

• from where certain hands derive their strength
• how you can, depending on the situation, play profitably before the flop

There are 1326 possible starting hand combinations in Texas Hold’em, of which not all are equally strong or profitably playable.

Whether a specific hand is playable and how would be best off playing it, depends on various factors, for example, your position at the table.

Pocket Pairs

Big Pairs (AA-TT)

The strongest starting hands that you can get dealt in Texas Hold’em are the high pocket pairs. This is valid practically under all playing conditions (as well as against fewer or more opponents, in a passive as well as aggressive games).

With a high pair you would often be holding the best hand on the flop, when playing against fewer opponents, even if your hand doesn’t improve any further.

For extra opponent that you have, the more improbable it becomes that you’re holding the best possible hand with your high pair.

Should a high pair improve to an even stronger hand, e.g. to a three-of-a-kind or even a full house, you could win a large pot with it.

The strength of a pair is dependent on how big the cards are. The higher your pocket pair, the lower the probability that you’ll lose to another pocket pair (in the case of AA, of course, this issue doesn’t even exist).

AA and KK are the best starting hands that you can get. Pre-flop it would be called a monster and you should try, with such hands, to get as much money into the pot as possible. You can achieve this by betting aggressively and raising.

You should follow the same method with QQ.

JJ and TT are similar very good starting hands, that have a clear-cut higher EV than the average starting hands of your opponents, due to which you should always raise with them, as long as there haven’t been any other raises before you.

All the same, you should be slightly more cautious with such hands, if there has been one or more raises before you, since in such a case your hand could possibly be dominated by a higher pair.

Medium Pairs (99-77)

Medium pocket pairs have a higher-than-average profit in long term.

• You will win against one or two players quite often even unimproved. This especially counts if you know that your opponents play with weak hands smaller than your pocket pair.
• In multiway pots with lots of players, medium pairs are also profitable. In this case, you customarily need a set to stay in the hand post-flop.

If there are many players who see the flop and you improve your hand to a set, loose-aggressive opponents are the type of players you want to play against. Their looseness guarantees that they play with bad hands and their aggression ensures frequent betting and raising with one pair hands and overcards. With a set or a full house, you are able to win huge pots in loose-aggressive games.

Medium pairs should be played as written in the open raising chart. Open limping is possible from early position, but it is best if several loose opponents limp in so you get good implied odds. From middle position, you should raise these hands if you are first in. If only one player limped in, you should try to make an isolation raise. You try to force the blinds to fold which will bring dead money in the pot. If you play heads-up, you will be ahead with such hands in most cases. If several players have already limped in, you should do so as well because you have fewer chances to win unimproved.

Small Pairs (66-22)

With small pocket pairs, you usually hope to make a set or full house on the flop to win a large pot.

 
Small pocket pairs work best in loose games, because many opponents on the flop guarantee good implied odds. You make your set 12% of the time. If you did not improve your hand on the flop, you should fold it to a bet in multiway pots.

Usually you should keep the investment as small as possible (an exception can be blind stealing according to the open raise chart). You should limp in with small pairs if 2 players already limped in. If 3 or more people are in the hand, you are able to play small pairs even if you have to invest 2 small bets.

Suited Hands

Big suited Broadways ( AKs-ATs, KQs, KJs)

Big suited Broadways are the strongest non-pair hands, hierarchically coming second to the big pairs (AKs has a higher EV than TT). In many cases you will hit top pair with a very good kicker. These hands also have very good flush draw value and decent straight draw value.

Big suited Broadways are excellent starting hands under all circumstances. In unraised pots you should raise these hands pre-flop because of their equity edge. If there has been a raise and you face only one opponent, you have to decide between raise or fold. You should use the extended pre-flop strategy for advanced players to help with this decision. If there are many people in the hand, cold calls with big suited connectors might be profitable.

Little suited Broadways (KTs, QJs, QTs, JTs)

These hole cards are very powerful in loose games in particular. If there are players who limp in with weak hands, you also have an equity edge. However, there is a chance of getting dominated when you hit top pair on the flop.
Note: These hands have their best value in multiway pots because they have less top pair power, but a higher chance to complete to a straight with pretty much the same flush chances.

Medium & Small Suited Aces (A9s-A2s)

Suited aces are – especially in low limit games at some smaller Poker rooms – very good starting hands. They have some high card strength and very good nut flush draw power. In loose games you might be able to get your nut flush paid off on the turn or river. But you should be cautious if you make top pair with aces. There is a high chance of being dominated by an ace with some better kicker.

The kicker is very important for suited aces. So A9s has much more power than A2s. A nine will be the best kicker in most cases, while a two never is. Furthermore, you have a good chance to win with a pair of nines (they might be top pair). A pair of twos also has very little value. Especially inexperienced players prefer A5s-A2s because of their wheel opportunity. A wheel is the lowest possible straight from A-5. Researches on this matter have shown that A5s is a little bit better than A6s. In all other cases the hand with the better kicker is more profitable.

Suited aces display their power in multiway pots with loose opponents who limp in with very weak hands in general. Medium aces (A9s-A7s) can be raised from late position according to the starting hands chart. With smaller aces you should just limp in if there are already several opponents in the hand. Suited aces are also perfect to steal the blinds (take a look on the open raising chart). An ace gives you the best hand pre-flop in most likeliness. If you have only one or two opponents left on the flop, it is possible to “buy” the pot with a continuation bet if your opponents didn’t hit anything. If the pot has been raised, medium and small suited aces are unplayable outside of the blinds (domination).

Suited Kings & Suited Queens (K9s-K2s, Q9s-Q2s)

These are relatively weak and speculative hands. Outside of the blinds, these hands are only playable from late position with several limpers. Their value is the chance of a flush. If you make top pair, there is a huge chance of being dominated. These hands are weaker compared to suited aces, because you will not win with a pair of kings or queens that often.

There is the possibility of losing a flush to a nut flush, but this is very uncommon.
Because of their flush potential, these hands are perfect for blind defense.

Suited Connectors & Suited One-Gappers (T9s-54s, J9s-64s)

These hands are mere speculative hands without any high-card strength. They do have good straight and flush value, though.

These hands are very profitable in loose-passive games, because you will hit relatively weak draws on the flop quite often. In aggressive games, you will not be able to get the odds to proceed with these hands. But, in passive games, the opponents frequently provide you with free cards.

These hands are only playable from late position (or the blinds) with several limpers. You should pay at most 1 SB to see the flop.

Suited Trash (all other suited starting hands)

All other hands are called suited trash. You should never play these hands unless you are in the big blind.

They are not strong enough to be played profitably in the long run.

Offsuit Cards

Big Offsuit Broadway (AKo; AQo, AJo, KQo)

Big aces and KQ are the best offsuit starting hands. They will often improve to top pair and will win a lot of small and medium pots. Thus, offsuited hands have a little less value than their suited relatives.

Because of their high card strength, they are strong and profitable in the long run. They should generally be raised in unraised pots. If the pot is raised already, you have to evaluate your chances to win the hand (opponent evaluation). This means fold or reraise.

In order to use the equity advantage of these hands against the weak hands of overly loose opponents, you should always raise with these hands, as long as no opponent raised before you.

If there was already a raise before you, you should, in the framework of the advanced pre-flop theory, estimate your chances, and appropriate re-raise or fold.

Little Offsuit Broadway (ATo, KJo, KTo, QJo, QTo, JTo)

These are only slightly profitable. They should be folded from EP and early-MP. In late position against loose opponents they certainly have some value.

You should be very cautious and analyze which players have limped in. If for example a rock limps in from EP, you should be aware that you might be dominated.

They have top-pair qualities, but don’t have a very strong kicker. QJo for example gives your opponents overcard draws in many cases.

Offsuit Trash (all other offsuit starting hands)

All other offsuit hands are too weak to invest any money.
Exception: You might steal the blinds with offsuited aces from LP. Take a look at the open raise chart for this matter.

Summary:

You now have an overview of various groups of starting hands, their strengths, their weaknesses, and you now know, which hand to play in what situation.

The decision if and how you can play a hand profitably, depends on various factors, that you should quickly recall from memory, before you decide your line of play with a particular hand:

• How strong is your hand, generally? (High pair > strong hand / small suited-connectors > speculative hand)
• How do your opponents play? (loose or tight / aggressive or passive)
• Against how many opponents are you playing?
• In what position are you sitting?
• Is your hand suited or off-suited?

Since this article is almost exclusively concerned with the pre-flop game, in order to improve your game on the flop and later streets, you should read the relevant post-flop-related articles as well.