Every hand you are dealt has a certain chance to win before all the cards are out even if someone has pocket aces on the same deal, your 72o still has a small chance to be the winner. Let take a closer look at two concepts that guide preflop play: Equity and Implied Odds.Įquity can be explained as your share of the pot. Why is that?Īnd a hand like 5-5? That will often need a third five on the flop to prove a winner, but that happens very rarely – can you still make money playing it? It’s only ace-high, and you’re unlikely to win the hand unless you actually pair up somewhere down the line – yet the recommendation is to raise with it. What about A-K? That hand is also recommended for a raise in every position – but it’s not a made hand. A large pair like that is a huge favorite against even several opponents. This makes sense they’re both very strong starting hands, because they can actually win quite a few pots unimproved. Any starting hands chart you’ll find will reinforce this: A-A is listed as a raising hand for all positions, and so is K-K. It doesn’t take a great deal of experience to know that pocket aces are the best starting hand in Texas Hold’em. Reviewed by WSOP Winner Chris ‘Fox’ WallaceĬhecked out our Hold’em starting hand charts? They’re incredibly useful for a beginner to memorize, but as you become a more experienced player they can only take you so far.