What Are Good Hands In Texas Holdem

The strongest starting hand in poker, pocket aces are a strong pre-flop favourite over any other two cards and a 4:1 favourite over almost any hand. You will be dealt 'pocket rockets', as they are. Eight-Player Power Ratings in Texas Hold ’Em Introduction. The following table ranks the top hands in an 8-player game. This table assumes that all players stay in until the end. Explanation of column headings. Cards: Initial two-card hand. Probability of win: Probability that this hand will win, or tie for the win.

Introduction

Hands

The following table ranks the top hands in an 8-player game. This table assumes that all players stay in until the end.

Explanation of column headings.Good
  • Cards: Initial two-card hand.
  • Probability of win: Probability that this hand will win, or tie for the win.
  • Average win: This is how much the player will win on average, including his own bets, if the player does win. This is less than 8 because sometimes the player will have to split the pot.
  • Expected value: This is how many units the player can expected to win (positive) or lose (negative) with this hand. For example if the player had a pair of aces and contibuted $1 to the pot then the player could expect to have a net win of $2.09.
  • Probability: Probability of getting this hand to begin with.
  • Additive probability: Probability of getting this hand or any stronger hand to begin with.

Initial Hold'em Hands in Rank Order for 8-Player Game

What are good hands in texas hold
CardsProbability of WinAverage WinExpected ValueProbabilityAdditive Probability
Pair of A's39.05%7.942.0990.45%0.45%
Pair of K's33.26%7.921.63280.45%0.9%
Pair of Q's28.71%7.881.26280.45%1.36%
A/K suited26%7.670.99530.3%1.66%
Pair of J's25.13%7.840.97050.45%2.11%
A/Q suited24.51%7.60.86280.3%2.41%
K/Q suited23.72%7.610.80430.3%2.71%
A/J suited23.41%7.530.76160.3%3.02%
Pair of T's22.32%7.790.73950.45%3.47%
A/K unsuited22.68%7.610.72640.9%4.37%
K/J suited22.66%7.530.70730.3%4.68%
A/T suited22.55%7.450.68030.3%4.98%
Q/J suited22.1%7.520.66220.3%5.28%
K/T suited21.87%7.470.6330.3%5.58%
Q/T suited21.38%7.450.59360.3%5.88%
J/T suited21.26%7.440.58130.3%6.18%
A/Q unsuited20.98%7.510.57650.9%7.09%
Pair of 9's19.89%7.810.55270.45%7.54%
K/Q unsuited20.31%7.520.52810.9%8.45%
A/9 suited20.28%7.390.49810.3%8.75%
A/J unsuited19.7%7.410.46070.9%9.65%
K/9 suited19.5%7.420.44660.3%9.95%
A/8 suited19.66%7.320.43860.3%10.26%
K/J unsuited19.1%7.430.41830.9%11.16%
Pair of 8's18.19%7.790.41640.45%11.61%
T/9 suited19.18%7.380.41620.3%11.92%
Q/9 suited19.03%7.410.41070.3%12.22%
J/9 suited18.96%7.40.40320.3%12.52%
A/5 suited19.29%7.210.39140.3%12.82%
A/7 suited19.12%7.260.38830.3%13.12%
Q/J unsuited18.67%7.410.38320.9%14.03%
A/T unsuited18.74%7.310.37050.9%14.93%
A/4 suited18.86%7.230.36380.3%15.23%
A/6 suited18.62%7.220.34480.3%15.54%
A/3 suited18.41%7.260.3360.3%15.84%
K/T unsuited18.18%7.330.33280.9%16.74%
K/8 suited18.05%7.330.32340.3%17.04%
Pair of 7's16.85%7.770.3090.45%17.5%
Q/T unsuited17.83%7.320.30440.9%18.4%
J/T unsuited17.86%7.30.30410.9%19.31%
A/2 suited17.86%7.280.29970.3%19.61%
T/8 suited17.68%7.320.29490.3%19.91%
Q/8 suited17.51%7.340.2850.3%20.21%
J/8 suited17.44%7.330.27920.3%20.51%
K/7 suited17.57%7.270.27770.3%20.81%
9/8 suited17.31%7.380.27680.3%21.12%
K/6 suited17.17%7.230.24130.3%21.42%
Pair of 6's15.84%7.750.22820.45%21.87%
K/5 suited16.83%7.20.21170.3%22.17%
8/7 suited16.38%7.350.20330.3%22.47%
K/4 suited16.44%7.220.18690.3%22.78%
9/7 suited16.2%7.330.18680.3%23.08%
T/7 suited16.3%7.260.18270.3%23.38%
Q/7 suited16.22%7.250.17560.3%23.68%
A/9 unsuited16.27%7.20.17110.9%24.59%
J/7 suited16.07%7.260.16620.3%24.89%
K/3 suited16.06%7.260.16530.3%25.19%
Pair of 5's14.93%7.730.15420.45%25.64%
7/6 suited15.66%7.330.14810.3%25.94%
K/2 suited15.7%7.290.14460.3%26.24%
Q/6 suited15.85%7.20.14170.3%26.55%
T/9 unsuited15.71%7.210.13320.9%27.45%
K/9 unsuited15.62%7.240.13080.9%28.36%
8/6 suited15.37%7.30.12230.3%28.66%
Q/5 suited15.56%7.170.11580.3%28.96%
Pair of 4's14.31%7.760.11030.45%29.41%
J/9 unsuited15.34%7.220.10810.9%30.32%
6/5 suited15.12%7.320.10670.3%30.62%
Q/9 unsuited15.27%7.230.10440.9%31.52%
A/8 unsuited15.55%7.10.10370.9%32.43%
Q/4 suited15.16%7.20.09160.3%32.73%
9/6 suited14.99%7.260.08910.3%33.03%
5/4 suited14.74%7.320.07890.3%33.33%
T/6 suited15.03%7.180.07850.3%33.63%
Pair of 3's13.83%7.80.07820.45%34.09%
7/5 suited14.74%7.290.07410.3%34.39%
Q/3 suited14.81%7.240.07210.3%34.69%
J/6 suited14.92%7.170.06910.3%34.99%
Pair of 2's13.49%7.830.0570.45%35.44%
Q/2 suited14.46%7.280.05240.3%35.75%
A/5 unsuited15.1%6.950.04890.9%36.65%
A/7 unsuited14.94%7.010.04730.9%37.56%
J/5 suited14.66%7.130.04540.3%37.86%
6/4 suited14.07%7.330.03060.3%38.16%
8/5 suited14.22%7.240.03030.3%38.46%
J/4 suited14.28%7.160.02220.3%38.76%
A/4 unsuited14.63%6.960.01840.9%39.67%
5/3 suited13.71%7.330.00490.3%39.97%
J/3 suited13.92%7.20.00230.3%40.27%
A/6 unsuited14.39%6.9500.9%41.18%
T/8 unsuited14.07%7.11-0.00020.9%42.08%
K/8 unsuited14.01%7.09-0.00590.9%42.99%
9/5 suited13.81%7.19-0.00660.3%43.29%
T/5 suited13.98%7.09-0.00920.3%43.59%
A/3 unsuited14.15%6.99-0.01110.9%44.49%
9/8 unsuited13.73%7.18-0.01370.9%45.4%
J/2 suited13.59%7.24-0.01540.3%45.7%
7/4 suited13.48%7.28-0.01870.3%46%
J/8 unsuited13.68%7.11-0.02780.9%46.91%
T/4 suited13.64%7.11-0.03040.3%47.21%
Q/8 unsuited13.6%7.11-0.03310.9%48.11%
4/3 suited13.09%7.37-0.03510.3%48.42%
T/3 suited13.3%7.15-0.0490.3%48.72%
A/2 unsuited13.54%7.01-0.05070.9%49.62%
K/7 unsuited13.48%7-0.05570.9%50.53%
6/3 suited12.85%7.33-0.05870.3%50.83%
8/4 suited12.98%7.22-0.06260.3%51.13%
T/2 suited12.95%7.19-0.06820.3%51.43%
5/2 suited12.5%7.33-0.08390.3%51.73%
8/7 unsuited12.79%7.13-0.08770.9%52.64%
9/4 suited12.71%7.16-0.09080.3%52.94%
K/6 unsuited13.02%6.94-0.09720.9%53.85%
4/2 suited12.08%7.38-0.10790.3%54.15%
7/3 suited12.25%7.27-0.11010.3%54.45%
9/3 suited12.37%7.19-0.11080.3%54.75%
9/7 unsuited12.54%7.09-0.11140.9%55.66%
T/7 unsuited12.55%6.98-0.12380.9%56.56%
9/2 suited12.03%7.24-0.12870.3%56.86%
K/5 unsuited12.65%6.88-0.12980.9%57.77%
7/6 unsuited12.08%7.09-0.14330.9%58.67%
8/3 suited11.88%7.19-0.14520.3%58.97%
3/2 suited11.49%7.43-0.14540.3%59.28%
6/2 suited11.62%7.32-0.14920.3%59.58%
Q/7 unsuited12.22%6.95-0.15110.9%60.48%
J/7 unsuited12.18%6.97-0.15140.9%61.39%
K/4 unsuited12.21%6.9-0.15790.9%62.29%
8/2 suited11.57%7.23-0.1630.3%62.59%
8/6 unsuited11.7%7.04-0.17670.9%63.5%
K/3 unsuited11.79%6.94-0.18180.9%64.4%
6/5 unsuited11.51%7.07-0.18650.9%65.31%
Q/6 unsuited11.81%6.87-0.1890.9%66.21%
7/2 suited11.19%7.24-0.18970.3%66.52%
K/2 unsuited11.41%6.98-0.20350.9%67.42%
5/4 unsuited11.12%7.06-0.21490.9%68.33%
9/6 unsuited11.22%6.97-0.21820.9%69.23%
Q/5 unsuited11.46%6.82-0.21910.9%70.14%
7/5 unsuited11.07%7-0.22490.9%71.04%
T/6 unsuited11.18%6.83-0.23610.9%71.95%
Q/4 unsuited11.03%6.84-0.24540.9%72.85%
J/6 unsuited10.94%6.8-0.25620.9%73.76%
6/4 unsuited10.39%7.05-0.26770.9%74.66%
Q/3 unsuited10.63%6.88-0.26790.9%75.57%
8/5 unsuited10.47%6.92-0.27570.9%76.47%
J/5 unsuited10.64%6.73-0.28370.9%77.38%
Q/2 unsuited10.26%6.93-0.2890.9%78.28%
5/3 unsuited10.04%7.04-0.29360.9%79.19%
J/4 unsuited10.22%6.76-0.30910.9%80.09%
9/5 unsuited9.97%6.82-0.32060.9%81%
7/4 unsuited9.73%6.95-0.32380.9%81.9%
T/5 unsuited10.06%6.65-0.33080.9%82.81%
J/3 unsuited9.83%6.81-0.33120.9%83.71%
4/3 unsuited9.38%7.08-0.3360.9%84.62%
J/2 unsuited9.46%6.86-0.35120.9%85.52%
T/4 unsuited9.66%6.67-0.35540.9%86.43%
6/3 unsuited9.08%7-0.36420.9%87.33%
8/4 unsuited9.12%6.84-0.37660.9%88.24%
T/3 unsuited9.28%6.72-0.37670.9%89.14%
5/2 unsuited8.73%7-0.38920.9%90.05%
T/2 unsuited8.93%6.76-0.39620.9%90.95%
9/4 unsuited8.76%6.71-0.41260.9%91.86%
4/2 unsuited8.3%7.06-0.41380.9%92.76%
7/3 unsuited8.41%6.88-0.42190.9%93.67%
9/3 unsuited8.4%6.74-0.43380.9%94.57%
9/2 unsuited8.04%6.8-0.45310.9%95.48%
3/2 unsuited7.67%7.12-0.45430.9%96.38%
6/2 unsuited7.79%6.94-0.460.9%97.29%
8/3 unsuited7.96%6.73-0.46460.9%98.19%
8/2 unsuited7.61%6.77-0.48440.9%99.1%
7/2 unsuited7.28%6.77-0.50730.9%100%
Total7.20100%

Methodology

This table is the result of a random simulation of 25,729,704,000 games and assumes all players stay in until the end of the hand.

What Are Good Starting Hands In Texas Holdem

The following table shows my power rating for each initial 2-card hand in a 8-player game. The numbers are on a 0 to 40 scale. Basically, you should only play hands that are dark green, blue, or purple. Of course you should be more be more liberal in late position and picky in early position.

Use the top table if you have a pair, the middle table if your cards are suited, and the bottom table if your cards are unsuited. Except for a pair,look up your high card along the left and your low card along the top.

What Are Good Hands In Texas Hold'em

Inside Links

What is a good hand in texas holdem poker

What Are Good Hands To Play In Texas Holdem


Written by: Michael Shackleford