Holdem Poker Strategy (Beginner) Part 5.

Holdem Poker Basics

Good Starting Hands

In our first tutorial, Overview of Texas Hold ‘Em, we described the basics of how to play this great game. One of the first things a player has to decide once he gets his Hole cards (the two cards each player receives, face down, before the Flop), is if he wants to play or not. So how does a player make a decision at this point of the game?

There are two issues that a player needs to consider when making this decision. The first issue is the player’s position in relation to the Button. You can read more about the Button and how it plays a role in the overall game in another article specifically written to explain the Button’s importance. The second issue that helps a player decide whether he wants to stay in the game at this point or fold his hand are the cards received from the dealer. These two cards are called your Starting Hand.

Good starting hands are:

High Pairs: Any of the following would be considered High Pairs: Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks, 10’s.

High Suited Connectors: High suited connectors would be AK (Ace and King) that are of the same suit (Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, Spades). Also in this group would be: AQ suited, KQ suited, QJ suited.

Now, the above are good starting hands, but that does not mean that you can only play if you have these cards. As you play Hold ‘em, you will become more at ease with what hands to start with. Some pro players and many amateurs will play just about any hand they are dealt. Gus Hansen is a good example of a professional player who likes to see Flops and will therefore play almost any two cards he gets. It does not matter to him if they are high cards or not.

Just below the High Pairs and High Suited Connectors are the mid-pairs and lower suited connectors. Mid-pairs are 9’s down to 6’s. And the lower suited connectors are from J-10 down to 7-6.

Below this level are the low pairs—any pair below 6-6. And the lower suited connectors (ie, the rest of the suited connectors in the deck) down to 2-3 suited.

Once you get below this level, you will most likely be looking at wired connectors. Two cards in sequence, such as a 5-6, but they are not suited. For example, one card might be a diamond and the other card might be a club.

There will also be many times when you will be dealt spread cards. For example, you might have a 10 of spades and an 8 (of some suit). And then, finally, there will be many, many hands where you simple get two cards that hold no value at all in relation to one another.

How you play or even if you play the cards you are dealt is one of the first important decisions you will have to make as a true player. Remember, you do not have to play each and every hand. In fact, most of the winning professionals on tour today play relatively few hands. They will fold more often than not. It may not seem like this on television, but in real life, in real tournaments, folding is done far more frequently than you may think.

All beginners should learn how to play tight. Playing tight is waiting for the better occurrences of cards (high pairs, med-pairs, and high suited connectors) and folding anything else they may get. Once you have several dozens of games under your belt you can venture out and try some of the weaker opening hands.

It is also important for beginners to understand position. We have articles written specifically on position and we invite you read those, but for now, it is enough to say that the same two pre-flop cards can be (and almost certainly will be) played differently, depending on the player’s position.

One of the best ways to learn the game is to join one of the free online poker rooms. Here you can learn the game by playing the game and you will not have to risk any real money. But even if you are playing for play chips, try to learn the strategies behind the pre-flop cards. Remember, higher pairs have a better chance of winning but this is not always true. The only way to really learn pre-flop strategies is to play.

By - Artel.

Thanks for posting these lessons! I asked if anyone had basic strategies before but never got a response and then I looked here and saw all of the guides put into new threads.

This is a great resource for new poker players. Thanks.

[Brandbla8]

Great information here. I really enjoyed reading this post. I think I actually learned a thing or two that I had not yet seen.