Starting Hands in No Limit Texas Holdem
The Necessity of Folding
No matter if you play limit or no limit games, there is no doubt that folding hands is something you must learn to be a good poker player. It may surprise you, but after learning the rules of the game, the next thing you have to do in No Limit Texas Holdem is to learn when *not* to play. This is called folding, and you must have the patience and discipline to fold when you must.
Folding is necessary a lot of the time because most hands in poker just don't win, or if they do it is very seldom. We assume you know how to read poker hand rankings. A little study of this along with some experience will prove to you the wisdom of folding bad hands.
Hand Selection in No Limit Texas Holdem
In no limit games, the pot grows big faster than in limit games. Thus more hands pay off. At the same time you have to be cautious as it is easy to lose big money in no limit.
Now here are groups of playable hands from best to worst. Those hands not listed should not be played.
Note: This hand selection guide is for no limit ring games / cash games only. These are not for tournaments as the dynamics of tournament play are often quite different.
Premium Poker Hands: Ace-Ace, King-King
These are the pocket pairs everyone wants to get. Raise and re-raise aggressively with these. If you are in early position, try to guess who might have a decent hand If yes, raise small and hope they will re-raise so you can re-raise back. If you are in middle or late position, you can make a medium raise and again hope the next player will re-raise. In late position, raise big hoping to be called.
Very Good Hands: Ace-King Suited/Unsuited, Queen-Queen, Ace-Queen Suited, King-Queen Suited
These hands are good but be more careful with them. The later you are in position, the bigger you raise. Do not re-raise unless you are sure that none of your opponents has a premium hand. This is why poker tells are so vital. Don't be over-confident with these hands. Think and analyze before going all-in.
Good Hands: All pairs from Jacks to Two's
Be cautious with these hands. Call a raise if it is small (that is, only a small portion of your chip stack is at risk). If you are in late position and everyone has limped, make a raise. You can either win the pot then or hope for a three of a kind.
Playable Hands: All suited connectors from Ace-Jack to Five-Three
These are hands you will not play often. Play the hands values of Jack or better in them from late position. Play the rest only when you are on the button. Hopefully you can steal the blinds without a fight.
As a final note, remember that poker tells are a vital tool when judging hands. If you know from tells what kind of hands your opponents have, you can make correct decisions on your hands more often. Hand selection is situational. While it works, there will be times when you may stray from this guide and use your own judgment. That's how you know you're learning.
