Note: You may have noticed a lack of small pocket pairs and suited connectors on this list. Such hands are 🧾 often worth playing, but because of their more speculative nature, they do not crack the top 20 best starting hands 🧾 in No Limit Texas Hold'em.
Which Poker Starting Hands Should You Play?
If you want to know which hands to play before 🧾 the flop in No Limit Hold'em, and when to play them, download the free preflop guide below.
No Limit Texas Hold'em 🧾 Free Starting Hands Charts
Note: If you want to win at poker, you need a solid preflop strategy. This free Preflop 🧾 Guide includes 8 easy-to-read charts and crucial tips that will help you play like a pro before the flop. Get 🧾 it now!
This guide will show you exactly which hands to raise from each position before the flop. It also includes 🧾 the answers to some preflop questions that many new poker players ask about.
Poker Hand Rankings FAQ
How many poker hands are 🧾 there?
There are 10 possible 5 card poker hands: royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, 🧾 three of a kind, two pair, one pair, high card.
There are 1,326 possible 2 card starting hands in Texas Hold'em. 🧾 The best starting hand is pocket aces, while the worst is seven-two offsuit.
Is three pair a poker hand?
No, three pair 🧾 is not a poker hand. Poker hands consist of 5 cards, not 6.
For example, if you have 7-6 and the 🧾 board runs out 7-6-A-A-2, you do not have three pair. You have two pair, aces and sevens with a six 🧾 kicker.
What's the best hand in poker?
Poker's best hand is a royal flush, which consists of an Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 🧾 and Ten of the same suit.
Royal flushes are unbeatable and extremely rare.
What are the odds of getting a royal flush?
The 🧾 odds of flopping a royal flush in Texas Hold'em in any given hand is 1 in 649,740 (before cards are 🧾 dealt). That's less than a 0.000002% chance!
If you have a suited hand with two high cards (like Q♠ J♠), you 🧾 have a 1 in 19,600 chance of hitting a royal flush on the flop.
What is a straight flush?
A straight flush 🧾 is five cards in a row of the same suit. For example, 9♠ 8♠ 7♠ 6♠ 5♠ is a straight 🧾 flush.
What are the odds of getting a straight flush?
The odds of flopping a straight flush in any given hand is 🧾 1 in 72,193 (before cards are dealt). That comes out to 0.000013%.
If you get dealt a specific type of hand, 🧾 those odds get a fair bit better. But it's still quite a long shot!
Suited connectors with no gaps like 54s 🧾 and JTs have a 1 in 4,900 chance of hitting a straight flush on the flop. Those sound like long 🧾 odds, but they'll seem a bit shorter when you read that suited connectors with gaps (like 84s) have just a 🧾 1 in 19,600 chance.
What are the odds of getting four-of-a-kind?
The odds of flopping four-of-a-kind in any given hand is 1 🧾 in 4,165 (before cards are dealt). That comes out to 0.02401%.
If you get dealt a pocket pair, those odds get 🧾 a fair bit better.
Pocket pairs like A♠ A♣ have a 1 in 407 chance of hitting four-of-a-kind on the flop.
What 🧾 are the odds of getting a full house?
The odds of flopping a full house in any given hand is 1 🧾 in 694.1 (before cards are dealt). That comes out to 0.1441%.
What are the odds of getting a flush?
The odds of 🧾 flopping a flush in any given hand is 1 in 508.8 (before cards are dealt). That comes out to 0.1965%.
If 🧾 you get dealt two suited cards, those odds get a fair bit better.
Suited cards like A♠ K♠ have a 1 🧾 in 118 chance of hitting a flush on the flop.
What are the odds of getting a straight?
The odds of flopping 🧾 a straight in any given hand is 1 in 254.8 (before cards are dealt). That comes out to 0.3925%.
If you 🧾 get dealt two connected cards, those odds get a fair bit better.
Connected cards like 9♠ 8♣ have a 1 in 🧾 77.5 chance of hitting a straight on the flop.
What are the odds of getting three-of-a-kind?
The odds of flopping three-of-a-kind in 🧾 any given hand is 1 in 47.3 (before cards are dealt). That comes out to 2.1128%.
If you get dealt a 🧾 pocket pair, those odds get a fair bit better.
Pocket pairs like K♣ K♠ have a 1 in 7.5 chance of 🧾 hitting three-of-a-kind on the flop.
What are the odds of getting two-pair?
The odds of flopping two pair in any given hand 🧾 is 1 in 21 (before cards are dealt). That comes out to 4.7539%.
What are the odds of getting one-pair?
The odds 🧾 of flopping a pair in any given hand is 1 in 2.37 (before cards are dealt). That comes out to 🧾 42.27%.
With an unpaired hand like J9, you have a 32.43% chance of hitting a one-pair hand on the flop.
What are 🧾 the odds of getting no pair / high card?
The odds of flopping a no pair / high card in any 🧾 given hand is 1 in 1.995 (before cards are dealt). That comes out to 50.1177%.
What beats what in poker?
The poker 🧾 hand rankings are as follows. One pair beats no pair. Two pair beats one pair. Three of a kind beats 🧾 two pair. A straight beats three of a kind. A flush beats a straight. A full house beats a flush. 🧾 Four of a kind beats a full house. A straight flush beats four of a kind. A royal flush beats 🧾 a straight flush.
What suit is the highest in poker?
No suit is "higher" or better than any other suit in most 🧾 poker games, including Texas Hold'em.
That said, some other poker games do rank suits. The most common ranking of suits goes 🧾 in the following order (from best to worst): spades ♠, hearts ♥, diamonds ♦, clubs ♣.
What is a straight / 🧾 flush / full house in poker?
A straight is five cards in a row. For example, 9♠ 8♥ 7♣ 6♦ 5♠ 🧾 is a straight.
A flush is five cards of the same suit. For example, K♠ J♠ 8♠ 6♠ 4♠ is a 🧾 flush.
A full house is when you hold both three-of-a-kind and a pair. For example, A♠ A♣ A♥ 7♦ 7♣ is 🧾 a full house.
When it's a flush vs straight, who wins?
A flush wins versus a straight.
Flushes consist of 5 cards of 🧾 the same suit, such as A♠ J♠ 9♠ 7♠ 4♠. Straights consist of 5 cards in a row, such as 🧾 7♥ 6♣ 5♥ 4♦ 3♠.
Why does a flush beat a straight? Because you have a lower probability of hitting a 🧾 flush than a straight.
When it's 3 of a kind vs a straight, who wins?
A straight wins versus 3 of a 🧾 kind.
3 of a kind only beats two pair, one pair, and high card hands.
What if two people have two pair?
When 🧾 multiple players have two pair, the player with the better high pair wins the pot. For example, aces and twos 🧾 would beat kings and queens.
If multiple players have the same highest pair, the player with the better low pair wins 🧾 the pot. For example, aces and sevens would beat aces and twos.
If multiple players have the exact same two pair, 🧾 the player with the better kicker wins the pot.
Note: Want to learn more about the procedures of the game? Learn 🧾 poker rules here.
Final Thoughts
Before you go, here's that poker hand rankings cheat sheet one more time:
