Ranking Best Starting Poker Hands
Although the order of the best poker hands to start with is sometimes contested, this list will give you a rough idea of which hands are stronger than others: #1. Pocket Aces (A♠ A♥). The very best starting hand in Texas Hold'em. Poker is a game of knowledge and decisions. The more you know, the more successful you’ll be. Have you ever faced a tough decision with a small pocket pair in early position in a tight game? Poker Zone can help. Sklansky’s Starting Hand Rankings provide recommendations on what hands to play in what positions based on the type of game you.
Poker Hand Rankings Quiz
Put your knowledge of poker hands to the test with the quiz below. Good luck!
Note: Want some strategic tips to help you win at poker? Check out these 10 Quick Poker Tips!
Tie-breakers and Kickers
When multiple players have the same poker hands, the extra cards come in to play. These extra cards are called 'kickers'. The player with the higher kicker will take the pot when this happens.
Texas Hold'em Example:
This means the players' final five card poker hands are:
Ranking Best Starting Poker Hands Held
Both players have a pair of kings, but the winner of the pot is Player B because he has Player A 'out-kicked'.
In a high card or one pair hand tie-breaker, both players can sometimes have the same kicker. In this case the second kicker is used, and then the third, and so on. If both players’ best five card poker hands are identical, then they share the pot equally.
Now, let's talk about starting hands in Texas Hold'em.
Ranking The Top 20 No Limit Texas Hold’em Starting Hands
I wanted to include something a bit more exciting in this article, so here's the top 20 No Limit Hold'em starting hands in terms of raw all-in equity (or percentages).
Ranking Best Starting Poker Hands Ever
Although the order of the best poker hands to start with is sometimes contested, this list will give you a rough idea of which hands are stronger than others: