Holdem Starting Hands By Position
In Texas hold’em, you need stronger hands from early position than from late position.
- You can find out more about choosing the best starting hands in the starting hand strategy article, which should be your next stop on the strategy tour anyway. General Texas Hold'em table position tips. The big and small blind seats are horrible. Don't be fooled by the blinds!
- Texas Holdem Starting Hand Chart Many poker professionals agree that one of the most important skills of a successful player is knowing which starting hands to play in different positions and situations.
What does that mean?
Position refers to when you get to play your hand. If you’re in “early” position, you play your hand before most of the other players at the table. If you’re in “late” position, you play yourhand after most of the other players at the table.
Before starting to play with any starting hand in Texas Holdem, you should always be aware of your position relative to the dealer (dealer’s position oftentimes called “button”). Below you can find basic poker table position names: Closest positions immediately to the left of the button are called early positions (abbreviated as EP).
Why would that matter?
When you’re playing Texas hold’em, you’re deciding among the following options.
- Betting
- Calling
- Checking
- Folding
- Raising
If you’ve seen what most of the other players are doing with their hands before deciding what to do, you have more information with which to decide. For example, if you have a pair of 7s, and 3players before you have bet, raised, and re-raised, you can be confident that at least one of them—maybe more—have a higher pair than you do. You should fold.
On the other hand, if everyone has called, and you’re the last one to act, you can call, too. After all, you have a chance at hitting another 7 on the flop, turn, or river. If you do, there’slots of money in the pot to be won because of all the players. You will lose with this hand most of the time, but when you do win, you’ll get paid off enough money to make it worthwhile.
Texas Holdem Starting Hands Chart
For purposes of this post, I’ll only look at whether you’re in early position or late position. Poker writers often also look at middle position, but I think that distinction is unnecessary inlow-limit games and with beginners. Since these are just guidelines or “training wheels” anyway, it won’t make much difference. You’ll deviate from these suggestions just because that’s whatyou’re supposed to do anyway.