When discussing premium hands in poker, one is referring to the strongest preflop hands that dominate the game. In No-Limit Hold'em, the array of 169 unique starting hands includes 13 pairs of cards from 2s to Aces, as well as 78 suited combinations and another 78 that are unsuited.
There are a total of 1,326 distinct combinations when considering every suited hand as an individual option, as derived from the four available suits. To simplify matters and eliminate redundancy, similar suited hands like 9♦8♦ and 9♠8♠ are categorized together as having the same value. preflop Similarly, non-suited hands such as Q♣J♦ and Q♥J♠ are treated equally. Each pocket pair offers six unique combinations that hold equal worth.
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Top 10 Poker Starting Hands Chart
In terms of starting hands, pocket Aces occupy the highest tier, while the combination of 2 and 7 offsuit sit at the bottom of the scale. Generally, larger pairs are seen as more favorable, and strong Aces are recognized as making it to the upper echelon of hands.
Though 169 starting hands may seem more manageable for a player’s memory compared to the larger figure of 1,326, it still represents a significant amount of information to retain. To streamline this, poker enthusiasts often categorize hands as weak, medium, or premium.
As an example, hands like 5♠2♦, 7♣3♥, and J♦4♠ are considered weak hands, while hands like 10♣9♣, J♦8♥, and Q♣9♦ fall into the average category (interestingly, the Qx7x hand is termed the 'computer hand' because of its central position among poker hand rankings).
What Exactly Are Premium Poker Starting Hands?
Different players might assign varying levels of importance to specific hands based on their playstyle. However, generally speaking, the top 10 percent of starting hands are widely acknowledged as premium. hands Statistically, the 22 possible combinations noted as premium include 77 and above, QT and better, as well as KQo and higher (which comprises pocket pairs starting at sevens, premium Aces, and similar cards). The lowest suited Ace worth considering would be Ax9x, while the least advantageous offsuit Ace to play would be AxJx. paint While these quality holdings are decent, they fall short of being truly premium in terms of equity.
While other pocket pairs GRAPHIC SHOWING THE TOP 10 PERCENT OF POKER STARTING HANDS
A true premium poker hand is typically one that can be opened from virtually any position — such as pocket tens or better and powerful suited Aces like A♠K♠ or A♥Q♥. These hands usually present a long-term expectation of profitability and can withstand aggression from opponents.
Naturally, obtaining a premium starting hand doesn’t happen often. The chance of being dealt pocket Aces is around 220-to-1, while receiving suited or unsuited AxKx is about 81.9-to-1. The odds of getting pocket tens or better stands at 43.2-to-1, and suited cards featuring a Jack or better have odds of 54.3-to-1. three-bets .
CHART SHOWING ODDS OF RECEIVING PREMIUM HANDS
For poker players aiming to elevate their skills, one of the most effective strategies is to focus solely on premium hands while discarding weaker ones. For beginners, a judicious guideline could be to play only pocket pairs, substantial Aces, and face cards. By narrowing down the range of hands you are willing to play — known as your 'hand range' — you'll cultivate a tight and respectable image. This strategic approach often encourages opponents to treat you with greater caution.
Selecting the right hands is one of the foundational principles of becoming an accomplished poker player. Nevertheless, it’s crucial to adapt your approach when a hand considered premium turns out to be less favorable post-flop.
For instance, if you raise preflop with A♦K♦ and get a couple of callers, you've got a premium hand initially. But if the flop opens with 8♠9♠10♣, the strength of your hand diminishes significantly. In this situation, it would be wise to temper your aggressiveness knowing your previously strong hand may not hold up well.
It's useful to be aware of the odds of the flop to better understand how frequently your hands are likely to improve. Do you know how often you achieve a set if you begin with a pocket pair?
There's quite a bit of mathematics involved in calculating flop odds, but to save you some effort, here are some figures:
It’ll happen just 10.775% of the time.
If you're holding suited cards, anticipate flopping a flush draw roughly 10.944 percent of the time, but the probability of actually flopping a flush is much lower at 0.842 percent. For unsuited combinations, you’ll flop a flush draw about 2.245 percent of the time, with connecting cards such as Jx10x or QxJx resulting in a straight around 1.306 percent of the time.
Unpaired Hole Cards
- Flop a pair = 26.939%
- Flop two pair w/ both hole cards = 2.02%
- Flop trips = 1.347%
- Flop a full house = 0.092%
- Flop four-of-a-kind = 0.01%
Pocket Pairs
- Flop two pair = 16.163%
- Flop trips = 10.775%
- Flop a full house (set and pair on board) = 0.735%
- Flop a full house (trips on board) = 0.245%
- Flop four-of-a-kind = 0.245%
The Impact of Playing Premium Hands
By limiting your starting hand choices to premium options, you're guaranteed to encounter a few disappointing losses. Even if you go all in preflop holding Aces against Kings, the opponent retains a 20 percent chance of winning. Interestingly, hands like 8♠7♠ have a higher probability of beating pocket Aces (approximately 24 percent) than any other combination.
When players pursue a premium hand strategy, it often becomes a waiting game, with large hands facing off against each other, especially during the later stages of tournaments. This results in many 'flips' (such as big slick versus pocket Queens), cooler situations (like running Kings into Aces), or bad beats (for instance, Queens being defeated).
However, it can take some time for players to finally land premium hands, which may lead to periods of boredom at the table. For this reason, some players opt to broaden their range and include less powerful hands in their strategy, which can be the optimal choice. cracked by jacks all-in preflop).
If you observe that your opponents are playing conservatively, waiting for premium hands, you should seize the opportunity to raise more frequently and steal pots. After all, you now understand that premium hands are not dealt as often as we may hope.
Chad Holloway, who won a WSOP bracelet in 2013, has extensive experience in poker journalism and has worked with PokerNews as both a managing editor and live reporter.