Free Online Poker Starting Hands Lesson
You understand the way the game works now you are going to play the first game – but stop – are you about to make a Common beginners mistake – Playing too many hands
So what sort of cards should you play as starting hands and when?
The Big 4
- > AA
- > KK
- > AK
The big 4 are what we all want to see! Winning is not certain even with them but it’s a damn good start! They’re especially strong against the medium power hands weak players play all the time.
- Play them from any position
- Raise with them preflop to protect your hand and make the others add to the pot.
- Don’t limp in without a good read on the table.
Be careful of drawing hands, look out for possible flushes and straights on the flop and overbet. 5,6 suited, funnily enough is one of the best hands to play against AA – so you need to be aware and look to knock out such hands.
Medium Pairs
- > 88
- > 99
- > 10 10
- > JJ
Harder to play and weak players can lose a lot of money with them.
You can play them from early position to get into the hand cheap. What you really want from this is another card on the flop to give you a set e.g., you have 8, 8 and at the flop another 8 comes up giving you 8, 8, 8 – this is very good news!
Even if a set is not made you will still be in good shape against players with smaller pairs or preflop against players with 2 over cards such as A Q.
Raise preflop in mid to late position if nobody else is betting but if there is a lot of activity preflop (e.g. raise and re-raise) it’s best to fold them as it may well indicate the presence of strong hands.
Big Cards
- > AJ
- > KQ
- > AQ
Similar cards to medium pairs in terms of “power juice”
Generally play from late position, in early or mid position you are vulnerable against quite a few stronger combinations.
As with medium pairs if there is a lot of preflop action be careful, folding might be the best course of action.
Small Pairs
Play from late position.
- > 22
- > 33
- > 44
- > 55
- > 66
- > 77
Often called “drawing hands” meaning that in order to win with them you have to hope you can improve on them at the flop i.e., you need another one of the same to make the set of 3.
In heads up play the small pair can beat the player with the big hand overcards but on most multi player tables winning with just a small pair is very unlikely.
As with medium and big hands, if there is a lot of preflop action be very cautious about pushing ahead.
Starting Hand – Danger Cards
The problem with these is that new players see these as more powerful than they are.
These are still playable (late position) but take care in the same way as with Big cards and Small Pairs – i.e., only play them is the hand is “cheap”
- > A 10
- > K J
- > Q 10
- > Q J
- > K 10
- > J 10
Starting Hands – Drawing Hands
Good to play when SUITED in any position to get in cheap.
- 4 5
- 5 6
- 6 7
- 7 8
- 8 9
- 9 10
They’re not total beginners hands but hey you’re got to start somewhere so the free online poker tables are the place to test and practice.
Play when there are lots of players on the table so that you get good value.
Don’t chase the hand with them if there is not good value in the pot.
If the flop does not hit simply fold and use pot odds to figure if you should call.
Don’t play them to big raises or bets.
Bad starting hands
All the others – For example -
- 10 4
- 9 6
- K 6
- J 8
- 7 8 unsuited
- A5
Bad Play avoidance rules
Don’t fall in love with suited hands – A 3 suited – it can work – rarely – but especially when beginning poker it is best to leave well alone.
Never call in early position with such cards it’s killer.
Generally large card – small card is bad. unless you know better fold them.
With anything less than super power hands what you really want to do is get to the flop “cheaply” – so if there is a lot of preflop betting and raising, that is not cheap, therefore fold.
Further free online poker starting hands tip from out and about online
Free Poker Online Hands Cheat Sheet
Become a better poker player by understanding how to play different Texas Hold’em starting hands with our latest poker strategy infographic.…
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