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Starting Hands for Beginners in No Limit Hold'em |
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Starting out in No-Limit Texas Hold’em poker can be an intimidating proposition. If you’re coming from the limit game, the idea of having all your chips put at risk at any time can make you want to run screaming back to the safety of fixed limit bets. However, if you are a successful limit player, as long as you can make the key adjustments required for no-limit play, you should do okay. If you’re brand new to the game, you should probably read some books, learn the Texas Holdem rules and get some practice in free poker games or low-limit games before you jump in. However, when you are ready for your first no-limit action, you should have an idea of what good starting hands are.
Pairs
A big pocket pair like aces, kings or queens is great to have in No Limit Texas Holdem. The only problem with these hands is that it is tough for them to improve, and if they do, it can be too obvious to get any action. For this reason, many players like to try to end these hands before the flop with a big bet, hoping to get all-in heads up with a single opponent. Open raising all-in is usually not the best approach, as you will be risking a large amount just to win blinds, but a bet large enough to get just one or two callers may do the trick, and if raised, you can move all-in. You can also try a check-raise all-in maneuver. Be careful though. If you raise the blind, are raised and another player re-raises, there is a surprisingly strong chance you are up against kings or aces. If you have queens, it’s okay to lay them down in such a circumstance.
Smaller pairs like 77, 88 or 99 are tough to play in no-limit hold’em, because any over card can easily kill your hand. Conventional wisdom with these hands is to limp and hope to flop a set, although an open raise in late position to try to win the blinds or get heads up with one of these hands can also be an effective strategy.
Big Cards
Two cards in between ace and ten are usually playable, depending on your position. Remember the value of these hands changes radically depending on how big they are and how suited or connected they are. AK and KQ suited are very good starting hands. KJ and AT unsuited can get you in big trouble if you play them out of position.
Suited Connectors
Hands with straight and flush possibilities like 9sTs are very popular among Texas No-Limit Hold’em players, since they are very flexible in the ways that they can win a hand, and are easy to get away from when they miss the flop. These hands often provide the best semi-bluffing and trapping opportunities. It’s important to remember that when you play these hands, especially the small suited connectors, you are looking for flushes or straights, big flush or straight draws, trips or two pair. Committing chips with 4s5s when the flop comes Ah Kd 4h will get you broke fast.
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