Introduction

Theory of Preflop Play

Starting Hand Chart

Interactive Tutorial

Playing in the Blinds

More Thoughts on Pre-Flop Play

Theory of Preflop Play

Your two hole cards are never much of a poker hand! But every poker hand you will make will be based upon these cards. So you must select hands with promise. There are three ways your pocket cards can show promise: high card value, suitedness, and connectedness.

High Card Value

In short-handed games, or tight games this is a massive factor. In a low-limit loose table its still the biggest factor in determining the worth of your hole cards.

Aces and Kings are considered high cards. Queens are the borderline for being considered a true high cards. Jacks weigh-in as high cards, on some occassions. Tens can be considered "high" only in very special circumstances. Anything lower than a ten is never considered high.

So look to Aces and Kings, and to a lesser extent Queens and Jacks, as the cards you like to play.

By starting with high value cards, you gain the opportunity to make higher pairs, higher straights, higher flushes, and higher three of a kinds.

By starting with two high value cards you improve the chance of having the best kicker when somebody else shares your pair or trips. Your two pair will also be higher than your opponent's. (in addition two high cards, by default, share some form of "connectedness).

As a result, two high cards win out versus two lower cards that hit "the same hand". And the odds of "hitting those same hands" is similar or the same.

Finally, with high cards, when you hit your hand you can bet more aggressively, building the pot, certain you have a winner. With lesser cards you need to be more cautious and not only win less but win smaller pots.

A hand without two high cards is most often unplayable. A hand with two very high cards is often worth a raise.

Suitedness

The value of suitedness increases with the number of people in the pot and the size of the pot. Two suited cards (e.g., ) only have a six percent chance of making a flush by the river! So like any long-shot you want a big pot to make drawing worth your while.

Suitedness is a nice added bonus for two high cards.

Playing any other suited cards is a matter of limping with them in late position after at least a couple of other players. Never cold call with two low suited cards versus a raise, and rarely, if ever, limp from an early position. You want in cheap versus a large field.

Connectedness

Connectedness means the cards are close together in value. Two consecutive cards are by far the best connected cards. (e.g. ).

Gapped connectors also have some value but that value diminishes with the size of the gap. For example, a gap of one is preferable to a gap of two .

Connectedness is important because it increases your chance of making a straight.

In general, connectedness is an "added value factor" for hole cards. Two high cards are better the closer together they are in value. Two suited cards are more playable if they share connectedness, thus, the famous name "suited connectors" (e.g, .).

Our starting hand recommendations