It’s hard to go wrong when playing “rockets,” or “bullets,” as a pair of aces if often called. You can (and should) play other hands preflop, but these might be the most important hands to play preflop. Here are the top 10 starting hands in Texas holdem along with some suggestions for how to best play them. You can’t win at gambling without, well… gambling… You’re going to bet and raise with them.ĭon’t forget that even though poker is a game of skill, it’s still gambling. But most of the time, you’re not going to try to play them cheaply. Yes, you’re only going to play good hands preflop. Even if your play after the flop is only mediocre, if you’re playing right before the flop, you won’t lose any money in the long run.īut some players take being tight preflop to the extreme.Īnd they often confuse being tight with being passive. I’ve read that at most Texas holdem games, you can break even just by having strong play preflop. Once you’ve mastered the basics of playing-how the deal works, how the bets are handled, and so on-you start learning about the strategic concepts behind winning the game on a consistent basis.Īnd the first of these concepts is tight preflop play. For most people, the 2 nd thing you learn is how to play 5 card draw. The first thing you learn in poker is the standard ranking of hands.

Top 10 starting hands in texas holdem