Holdem Poker Starting Hands Chart
Many poker professionals agree that one of the most important skills of a successful player is knowing which starting handsto play in different positions and situations. Following are three starting hand charts for full-handed limit poker games.
Preflop play
is fairly straightforward, but no starting hand chart can cover everything you need to know. Different games require different strategies. These charts should help you adapt to three types of poker games: Typical Game, Aggressive Game, and Soft Game. These guidelines are not strict, however. There are times when you should play hands that the charts say you should fold. There are other situations where you should raise when the chart says to just call.
Poker Odds Charts. Poker odds charts come in useful when you want to quickly work out the odds of winning a hand in Texas Hold'em. The most commonly used odds charts are the 'standard poker odds charts' below, which give both the percentage and ratio odds of completing your draw depending on the number of outs you have (see pot odds and drawing hands for more information). In the poker game of Texas hold 'em, a starting hand consists of two hole cards, which belong solely to the player and remain hidden from the other players.Five community cards are also dealt into play. Betting begins before any of the community cards are exposed, and continues throughout the hand. The player's 'playing hand', which will be compared against that of each competing player, is.
Poker
is a complex game. These charts are meant for beginning and intermediate poker players. More advanced players can deviate from our suggestions. Expert players do not rely on charts; they instead tailor their plays to each particular situation. Only experience at the tables can help you reach that level of expertise.
In the meantime, we suggest you study the preflop sections of Hold’em Poker for Advanced Players by David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth and Small Stakes Hold’em by Ed Miller. Sklansky, Malmuth, and Miller cover the complexities of preflop in much greater detail than we do here.
| Typical Game: 2-4 players seeing the flop on average. A moderate amount of preflop raising | |||
ActionBefore You | No Raise | One Raise | Raise &Re-raise |
| Early Position | Raise: AA-JJ, AKs-AJs, AKo-AQo, KQsCall: TT-88, ATs, KJs, QJs, AJo, KQo | Raise: AA-QQ, AKs-AQs, AKoCall: JJ-TT, AJs, KQs (You can also reraise with these hands) | Raise: AA-KKCall or Reraise: QQ and AKs |
| Middle Position | Raise: AA-99, AKs-ATs, KQs-KJs, AKo-AJo, KQoCall: 88-77, KTs, QJs-T9s, ATo, KJo | Raise: Same as aboveCall: Same as above | Raise: AA-KKCall or Reraise: QQ and AKs |
| Late Position | Raise: AA-99, AKs-ATs, KQs-KJs, QJs, AKo-AJo, KQoCall: 88-55, A9s-A5s, KTs, QTs, JTs-76s, J9s, ATo, KJo, QJo | Raise: Same of aboveCall: Same as above | Raise: AA-KKCall or Reraise: QQ and AKs |
| Small Blind | Raise: AA-JJ, AKs-AJs, KQs, AKo-AQoCall: All late-position hands, plus any suited Ace and any pocket pair. | Raise: Same of aboveCall: Same as above | Raise: AA-KKCall or Reraise: QQ and AKs |
| Big Blind | Raise: Same hands as small blind.Check: Everything else. | Raise: Same of aboveCall: Same as above, plus 99-77, ATs-A8s, KJs, QJs-JTs, AQo | Raise: AA-KKCall or Reraise: QQ and AKs |
| Aggressive Game: Many pots raised before the flop. Aggressive games can be loose or tight. | |||
ActionBefore You | No Raise | One Raise | Raise &Re-raise |
| Early Position | Raise: AA-JJ, AKs-AJs, KQs, AKo-AQoCall: TT-99, ATs, KJs, QJs | Raise: AA-QQ, AKs, AKoCall: JJ-TT, AQs-AJs, KQs (You can also reraise with these hands) | Raise: AA-KKCall or Reraise: QQ and AKs |
| Middle Position | Raise: AA-TT, AKs-AJs, KQs, AKo-AJoCall: 99-88, ATs, KJs, QJs-JTs, ATo, KQo | Raise: Same as aboveCall: Same as above | Raise: AA-KKCall or Reraise: QQ and AKs |
| Late Position | Raise: AA-99, AKs-AJs, KQs-KJs, AKo-AJoCall: 88-77, ATs-A8s, KTs, QJs-98s, ATo, KQo-KJo | Raise: Same of aboveCall: Same as above | Raise: AA-KKCall or Reraise: QQ and AKs |
| Small Blind | Raise: AA-99, AKs-AJs, KQs, AKo-AQoCall: All late-position hands + any pocket pair if 2 or more players have limped in | Raise: Same of aboveCall: Same as above | Raise: AA-KKCall or Reraise: QQ and AKs |
| Big Blind | Raise: Same hands as small blind.Check: Everything else. | Raise: Same of aboveCall: Same as above, plus 99-88, ATs-A8s, KJs, QJs, AQo. | Raise: AA-KKCall or Reraise: QQ and AKs |
| Soft Games:: At least 3-5 players seeing the flop on average. Very little pre-flop raising | |||
ActionBefore You | No Raise | One Raise | Raise &Re-raise |
| Early Position | Raise: AA-TT, AKs-AJs, KQs, AKo-AQoCall: 99-77, ATs-A8s, KJs-KTs, QJs-T9s, AJo, KQo | Raise: AA-TT, AKs-AQs, AKoCall: AJs, KQs (You can also reraise with these hands) | Raise: AA-QQ, AKs |
| Middle Position | Raise: AA-99, AKs-ATs, KQs-KJs AKo-AJo, KQoCall: 88-22, A9s-A2s, KTs, QJs-76s, ATo, KJo | Raise: Same as aboveCall: Same as above | Raise: AA-QQ, AKs |
| Late Position | Raise: AA-88, AKs-A8s, KQs-KJs, QJs, AKo-ATo, KQoCall: 77-22, A7s-A2s, KTs-K9s, QTs-Q8s, JTs-54s, J9s-97s, KJo, QJo | Raise: Same of aboveCall: Same as above | Raise: AA-QQ, AKs |
| Small Blind | Raise: AA-99, AKs-ATs, KQs, AKo-AQoCall: All late-position hands. | Raise: Same of aboveCall: Same as above | Raise: AA-QQ, AKs |
| Big Blind | Raise: Same hands as small blind.Check: Everything else. | Raise: Same hands as above.Call: Same as above, plus 99-22, ATs-A2s, QJs-98s, KJs-KTs, AQo | Raise: AA-QQ, AKs |
Limit Holdem Starting Hand Chart
More on the Preflop Recommendations
If you have already entered the pot and one player behind you raises, you should call the raise. For example, if you have called with KJs and a later player raises, you should call even though the chart says to fold that hand against a raise. This is because the chart assumes you have not already entered the pot. If there is a raise and a re-raise behind you, you should fold everything other than AA-QQ, AKs, and possibly JJ. We have included special calling standards for the small and big blind positions since you have not voluntarily entered the pot. If you are in one of the blinds and there is a raise before you, follow the chart’s recommendations.
Our recommendations are tighter and more passive than is optimal. This is to keep beginning players out of trouble. After you have gained experience and studied Sklansky, Malmuth, and Miller, you can deviate from the chart’s recommendations. Until then, do not stray too far from our advice.
Beginners and experienced players alike are often unsure of what hands should be played preflop. In Six Plus Hold’em where hand equities run close it’s not so obvious if a hand is strong enough to be played or not.
Only playing premium hands is simply not a viable strategy, because the cost of antes per round is high and you’ll often be getting a very good price to see a flop. Conversely playing too loose can be costly too, e.g. seeing too many flops multi-way with hands that are often dominated.
After a lot of work, we have created a set of ranges for deciding to play a hand first-in, meaning no players have entered the pot before you. It covers every position from UTG to CO, on which hands are profitable to Limp / Jam, Limp / Call, Raise / Fold etc. It is meant to be used while playing 100a to 200a deep. In the future, we will release more charts to cover other situations, but having a proper first-in range is fundamental and about 25% of the hands you play is first-in.
The starting hand chart comes in PDF format for $19 and it features:
- First-in ranges for five positions (UTG/UTG+1, MP, HJ, CO)
- A three page guide with valuable strategy content and chart explanations like (balanced ranges, table dynamics, positional play)
Below is an example of how the first-in range would look like, together with the explanation of when to Limp / Call, Limp / Jam, etc.
You can purchase this PDF on sale for a price of $19 or get the bundle (Vol 1+2+3+4) for a discounted price of $219. You can buy and instantly download via PayPal. Use either PayPal Wallet, VISA or Mastercard.
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Holdem Poker Starting Hands Charts
For any questions regarding this hand chart or interest in a deeper understanding in preflop and postflop play, feel free to join our discord study group@Shortdeck Bootcamp