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Best Starting Hands In Texas Holdem

Ranking Of Best Starting Hands In Texas Holdem

Best Starting Hands In Texas Hold'em Poker

Best Hands For Texas Holdem

Best And Worst Starting Hands In Texas Holdem

Texas Hold Em Starting Hands

To many, heads up is the purest form of poker. Playing heads up forces players to utilize many different skills in order to be successful. Some of the many skills include the ability to read hands, bluff (in correct situations), adjust constantly to your opponents playing styles, and value bet thin.

Another important skill that heads up players must develop is hand selection. When first starting out, some players will play nearly every hand (even out of position). They seem to think that they need to over compensate for heads up play. Other players will not play nearly enough hands causing them to lose money due to the blinds and/or their opponent's steals.

But just like anything else in poker (some will say life too), balance is important. In regards to heads up poker hand selection, you must find a middle ground between playing too many hands and not playing enough. And to help with that, I have created a basic starting hand guide below.

Also known as “Pocket Rockets”, “Bullets” or sometimes “American Airlines”) is the best starting hand for Texas Holdem. Pocket aces are a strong pre-flop favourite over any other two cards, and they are 4:1 favourite over almost any hand in poker. You will be dealt pocket aces once every 221 hands. A pair of aces, also known as 'pocket rockets' (and sometimes 'American Airlines') is the best starting hand for Texas Hold 'em. Be wary of how many other players enter the pot, as more players increase the likelihood of someone beating your aces. Below, I have charted the best Texas Hold em starting hands and the best positions to be in to play-or not to play-a given hand. Texas Hold'em Starting Hands. A = Ace, K = King, Q = Queen, J = Jack, T =.

HU Poker Starting Hands - On the Button (In Position)

The button in heads up poker is no different then the button in a 6-max or full ring game - you will have position throughout the entire hand.

Because of the positional advantage, the button is where you should have the widest hand range. Many players will start by opening 100% of their hands and slowly shave their range back to adjust to how often they're being played back at by their opponent.

At the bare minimum, I will open up every suited connector, 1 and 2-gapper, broadways and pairs. I will also open any ace, king and most of my queen and jack hands with a kicker of 5 and above (all queens and jacks if suited). Any suited ten-x hand is good enough for me to open as well. If you were to look at all of these hands in Poker Stove, my range would be in the neighborhood of 70% at minimum.

Keep in mind that your range should fluctuate somewhat depending mostly on your opponent, game flow and at times even your image. If your opponent is 3-betting you relentlessly, you should open less, folding out hands you can't defend to 3-bets with. A majority of the hands you open you should be able to defend or 4-bet. On the other hand, if your opponent folds a lot pre or plays fit or fold on the flop, you can widen your hand range, sometimes playing as much as 100% of hands dealt.

When facing a 3-bet, I will have a slightly smaller range. I will generally defend versus 3-bets with any pair, any broadway, any suited ace and about half of my suited kings and queens (like K9/Q8 suited and above). I also defend with some suited connectors and one gappers like J8s or T9s. It's really villain dependent, but this should give you an idea of where I start at least.

HU Poker Starting Hands - In the Big Blind (Out of Position)

When playing heads up poker, the player in the big blind will be the player who is out of position for the entire hand. This is a huge disadvantage and because of this, you should tighten up the range of hands that you defend with.

Ranking Of Best Starting Hands In Texas Holdem

As a rule of thumb, I will defend any pair, any suited ace, A9 off-suit and up, almost all of my broadways and suited connectors/1-gappers like J8s and maybe T9s. Looking at Poker Stove, my hand range will be close to 35% or 40% out of position. About 10% of these hands (suited connectors, suited kings, some suited queens) I will 3-bet with preflop.

Again, it's important to realize that this is more or less a default hand range. You should be adjusting the hands you're defending with according to how tight/loose your opponent is. The tighter your opponent, the tighter the hand range you should be defending with. The looser your opponent, the wider you can defend.

HU Poker Starting Hands - Summary

It should be painfully obvious that your opening hand range in a heads up game is much wider than what it would be in a 6-max or full ring game. If your preflop hand range isn't this wide (or close), you're too tight and you should widen up as it is likely costing you money.

At the same time, I hope that you noticed that none of my preflop ranges outlined above are set in stone. Starting hand ranges in any poker game shouldn't be. You should be basing your preflop hand ranges based on your opponents, game flow and image. Your exact hand range will always be fluctuating.

So while a guide like the one I posted above will definitely help you in becoming a better heads up player, knowing how to adjust for the different in-game variables will help you in becoming not only a profitable heads up player, but a profitable poker player overall.

A pair of aces is the best pre-flop hand in Texas Hold'em Poker

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 the best 5-card poker hand available from his two hole cards and the five community cards. Unless otherwise specified, here the term hand applies to the player's two hole cards, or starting hand.

Essentials(edit)

There are 1326 distinct possible combinations of two hole cards from a standard 52-card deck in hold 'em, but since suits have no relative value in this poker variant, many of these hands are identical in value before the flop. For example, A♥J♥ and A♠J♠ are identical in value, because each is a hand consisting of an ace and a jack of the same suit.

Therefore, there are 169 non-equivalent starting hands in hold 'em, which is the sum total of : 13 pocket pairs, 13 × 12 / 2 = 78 suited hands and 78 unsuited hands (13 + 78 + 78 = 169).

These 169 hands are not equally likely. Hold 'em hands are sometimes classified as having one of three 'shapes':

Pairs, (or 'pocket pairs'), which consist of two cards of the same rank (e.g. 9♠9♣). One hand in 17 will be a pair, each occurring with individual probability 1/221 (P(pair) = 3/51 = 1/17).

Alternative means of making this calculation

First Step

As confirmed above.

There are 1326 possible combination of opening hand.

Second Step

There are 6 different combos of each pair. 9h9c, 9h9s, 9h9d, 9c9s, 9c9d, 9d9s. Therefore, there are 78 possible combinations of pocket pairs (6 multiplied by 13 i.e. 22-AA)

To calculate the odds of being dealt a pair

78 (the number of any particular pair being dealt. As above) divided by 1326 (possible opening hands)

78/1326 = 0.058 or 5.8%

Suited hands, which contain two cards of the same suit (e.g. A♣6♣). 23.5% of all starting hands are suited.

Probability of first card is 1.0 (any of the 52 cards)Probability of second hand suit matching the first:There are 13 cards per suit, and one is in your hand leaving 12 remaining of the 51 cards remaining in the deck. 12/51=.2353 or 23.5%

Offsuit hands, which contain two cards of a different suit and rank (e.g. K♠J♥). 70.6% of all hands are offsuit hands

Offsuit pairs = 78Other offsuit hands = 936

It is typical to abbreviate suited hands in hold 'em by affixing an 's' to the hand, as well as to abbreviate non-suited hands with an 'o' (for offsuit). That is,

QQ represents any pair of queens,

KQ represents any king and queen,

AKo represents any ace and king of different suits, and

JTs represents any jack and ten of the same suit.

Limit hand rankings(edit)

Some notable theorists and players have created systems to rank the value of starting hands in limit Texas hold'em. These rankings do not apply to no limit play.

Sklansky hand groups(edit)

David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth(1) assigned in 1999 each hand to a group, and proposed all hands in the group could normally be played similarly. Stronger starting hands are identified by a lower number. Hands without a number are the weakest starting hands. As a general rule, books on Texas hold'em present hand strengths starting with the assumption of a nine or ten person table. The table below illustrates the concept:

Chen formula(edit)

The 'Chen Formula' is a way to compute the 'power ratings' of starting hands that was originally developed by Bill Chen.(2)

Highest Card

Based on the highest card, assign points as follows:

Ace = 10 points, K = 8 points, Q = 7 points, J = 6 points.

10 through 2, half of face value (10 = 5 points, 9 = 4.5 points, etc.)

Pairs

For pairs, multiply the points by 2 (AA=20, KK=16, etc.), with a minimum of 5 points for any pair. 55 is given an extra point (i.e., 6).

Suited

Add 2 points for suited cards.

Closeness

Subtract 1 point for 1 gappers (AQ, J9)

2 points for 2 gappers (J8, AJ).

4 points for 3 gappers (J7, 73).

5 points for larger gappers, including A2 A3 A4

Add an extra point if connected or 1-gap and your highest card is lower than Q (since you then can make all higher straights)

Phil Hellmuth's: 'Play Poker Like the Pros'(edit)

Phil Hellmuth's 'Play Poker Like the Pros' book published in 2003.

TierHandsCategory1AA, KK, AKs, QQ, AKTop 12 Hands2JJ, TT, 99388, 77, AQs, AQ466, 55, 44, 33, 22, AJs, ATs, A9s, A8sMajority Play Hands5A7s, A6s, A5s, A4s, A3s, A2s, KQs, KQ6QJs, JTs, T9s, 98s, 87s, 76s, 65sSuited Connectors

Statistics based on real online play(edit)

Statistics based on real play with their associated actual value in real bets.(3)

Best Starting Hands In Texas Hold'em Poker

TierHandsExpected Value1AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AKs2.32 - 0.782AQs, TT, AK, AJs, KQs, 990.59 - 0.383ATs, AQ, KJs, 88, KTs, QJs0.32 - 0.204A9s, AJ, QTs, KQ, 77, JTs0.19 - 0.155A8s, K9s, AT, A5s, A7s0.10 - 0.086KJ, 66, T9s, A4s, Q9s0.08 - 0.057J9s, QJ, A6s, 55, A3s, K8s, KT0.04 - 0.01898s, T8s, K7s, A2s0.00987s, QT, Q8s, 44, A9, J8s, 76s, JT(-) 0.02 - 0.03

Nicknames for starting hands(edit)

Best Hands For Texas Holdem

In poker communities, it is common for hole cards to be given nicknames. While most combinations have a nickname, stronger handed nicknames are generally more recognized, the most notable probably being the 'Big Slick' - Ace and King of the same suit, although an Ace-King of any suit combination is less occasionally referred to as an Anna Kournikova, derived from the initials AK and because it 'looks really good but rarely wins.'(4)(5) Hands can be named according to their shapes (e.g., paired aces look like 'rockets', paired jacks look like 'fish hooks'); a historic event (e.g., A's and 8's - dead man's hand, representing the hand held by Wild Bill Hickok when he was fatally shot in the back by Jack McCall in 1876); many other reasons like animal names, alliteration and rhyming are also used in nicknames.

Notes(edit)

^David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth (1999). Hold 'em Poker for Advanced Players. Two Plus Two Publications. ISBN1-880685-22-1

^Hold'em Excellence: From Beginner to Winner by Lou Krieger, Chapter 5, pages 39 - 43, Second Edition

^http://www.pokerroom.com/poker/poker-school/ev-stats/total-stats-by-card/(dead link)

^Aspden, Peter (2007-05-19). 'FT Weekend Magazine - Non-fiction: Stakes and chips Las Vegas and the internet have helped poker become the biggest game in town'. Financial Times. Retrieved 2010-01-10.

^Martain, Tim (2007-07-15). 'A little luck helps out'. Sunday Tasmanian. Retrieved 2010-01-10.

Best And Worst Starting Hands In Texas Holdem

Texas Hold Em Starting Hands

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How To Beat The Casino Roulette Table

Alfastreet Roulette Wheels are a brand of automated roulette wheels. They are beneficial for casinos because the wheel spins more frequently, and players often like them because they have their own private betting terminal. These particular wheels have been around for a while and are among the first automated wheels.

How to Beat Alfastreet Roulette Wheels

I first got to know Alfastreet roulette wheels from one of my roulette computer players, who sent me an hour-long video of recorded spins. He requested that I advise him on what settings to use in order to beat the wheel. So I carefully assessed the countermeasures that were being applied. An example of a countermeasure is that the rotor speeds will change after no more bets is called, which is intended by the manufacturers to make professional methods obsolete.

Stick to the table minimum and play only the outside bets. For example, bet on either red or black for each spin. This type of outside bet pays 1 to 1 and covers 18 of the 38 possible combinations. Place two bets of equal amounts on two outside bets: one bet on an even-money play and the other on a column or dozen that pays 2 to 1. Regular casino chips are not usually used at a roulette table. Instead, when the player places money on the layout and asks for chips, the dealer will give out special roulette chips. Each player gets a different color of chips so the dealer can keep track of which chips belong to which player.

What I did find that the wheel certainly did apply countermeasures, and while some did reduce the possible edge of the player, some had absolutely no effect on the player’s edge at all. This indicated to me that the manufacturers did not properly understand what makes roulette beatable. At best, they have a vague understanding, likely based on consultants that only know about older techniques.

Using the video provided by my player, I tested my roulette computer against the Alfastreet Wheel, and found it to be incredibly easy to beat despite the countermeasures. You can see the actual recording of this test my roulette computers website.

Evolution of Alfastreet Wheels

As these wheels became more popular throughout Europe, my players were consistently beating them. It took about one year for the manufacturers to release a software upgrade that was designed to reduce or eliminate the effectiveness of my devices. Were they successful? Unfortunately to a degree, yes. However, using the software I provide to my players, it is quite easy to determine the settings that are used on the wheel. And this will advise the player whether or not the wheel is worth playing. The settings on each wheel will partly determine if the wheel can be beaten with a roulette computer, and the settings are determined by the casino staff.

But there is also another major factor: every wheel is different, and subject was own minute imperfections that are inevitable. The casino staff may be convinced that particular settings for one Alfastreet wheel are suitable for another. The reality is using the same settings on different wheels can uncover predictable patterns. Usually they can be exploited by my roulette computers, but more often they can be exploited by my automated JAA software, which allows the player to place bets before the ball is released.

Beating Other Automated Wheels

is more all players became aware of the countermeasures from automated wheels, they became distrustful and generally feel the countermeasures are no different to the casino cheating. This loss of trust overall has lost casinos revenue, because the less people that play, the less money the casino earns. Clearly the majority of players are consistent losers, and there are only a small handful of professional players. To deal with this issue, the wheel designers have released a particular design that is spun by a real dealer, but the rotor speed slightly changes after the dealer calls no more bets. This way the casino has the benefit of convincing their players that the wheel is natural and unaltered, while having the advantage of modifying the spin results. As per the legal definitions, this may actually be considered cheating, although it is unlikely that government prosecutors will charge them for something like this.

Either way in most cases, these kind of countermeasures do affect the edge obtained from roulette computers. Sometimes it makes no difference at all depending on how the wheel is designed. However, it is easy to assess a wheel to determine if it’s countermeasures are likely to reduce your edge. You do need particular software for this, which is provided to all my players free of charge.

As awareness of these top of wheels is spreading, the casinos are likely losing revenue because of lost trust from players. So while they may be slightly protecting themselves from professional players, the overall impact of their income may defeat the purpose.

How To Beat The Casino Roulette Table Game

Do these countermeasures affect the JAA software and its accuracy? Almost always no, because its accuracy is not derived from precise measurements of the rotor and ball. Instead, the relies on long-term patterns that occur from the fixed physical properties of the wheel. Alfastreet roulette wheels are no different, and inevitably will generate long-term patterns. There are valid countermeasures that these wheels could apply that would make my system almost completely ineffective, but applying them is likely to make casinos ultimately lose more revenue that it’s worth. Perhaps the casinos know this, which is why their first line of defence against professional players has always been and probably always will be detection and banning of consistent winners.

How To Beat The Casino Roulette Table Play

To get the best free roulette systems that really work, see the top 5 proven roulette systems and the video series below. It's the best 100% free information for winning roulette you'll find. It's written by professionals who are really earning a living from roulette.