Texas Hold’em poker is a game of strategy and skill with an element of chance. There’s no knowing what cards you’ll be dealt, nor what the flop, turn, and river will reveal. Experienced players exploit every scrap of information they can get, from their opponents’ preflop leaks to their reactions to the board’s texture. Beginner players, on the other hand, often struggle to understand exactly what they are doing when they play online poker.

The frustration of being crushed round after round without knowing why can be so intense that some players are tempted to give up. But with some basic strategy, beginners can improve to the point where they’re regularly winning poker bets — or not losing them as often. Every complete guide to Texas Hold’em typically begins with your starting hand. Some hands you should always play, others you should fold. Knowing which hand you have can make all the difference to your play. Let’s take a closer look at the best and worst starting hands in Texas Hold’em.

The Worst Texas Hold’em Hands

Let’s get the bad part over with and focus on the worst starting hands in poker. The characteristic of a truly junk hand is that the cards offer very little value because they are unsuited and they’re too far apart in sequence to have any valuable drawing potential.

Seven-Deuce (7-2)

Ask any experienced player what the worst Texas Hold’em hand is, and the answer will come back, “2 and 7.” Any straight this hand makes can’t use both cards, so an opponent’s straight can dominate it. Its card value is low, so if the board has two pairs (say jack-jack, king-king) and a 4, you’re stuck with a 7-kicker. Chances are that one of your opponents’ kickers will be higher.

The problems with 2-7 don’t stop there. The pairs that a 2-7 hand can make are all low, with a strong likelihood of overcards to your paired card. And even if both cards pair with the board, the board pairing will often counterfeit one of them. Say the flop comes jack-7-2. Great — now you have a pair of 7s and a pair of 2s with a jack-kicker. Then, a jack comes on the turn. Now you have a pair of jacks and a pair of 7s with a 2-kicker.

Bottom line: If you get a 2 and a 7, your cards are at the bottom of the Texas hold’em hand rankings, and it’s a good idea just to fold.

Low Hands (8-2, 8-3, 7-3)

These combinations have just about the same basic problems as 2-7. Two and 8 are slightly better, but 8 is still a pretty lousy high card, and 2s and 8s are still low pairs. But 3-8 and 3-7 are just barely better. You still can’t make a straight with 3 and 8 still can’t make a straight, and the probability of making a straight with 3 and 7 is low. On top of that, higher flushes on the river can often dominate any flushes these hands make. Absent extraordinary circumstances, there just isn’t any compelling reason to play these hands.

Ten-Deuce (10-2)

One lousy poker hand that deserves a special mention is 2-10. Not only is the so-called “Doyle Brunson” considered the ninth worst in the ranking of hands in Texas Hold’em for pretty much the same reasons as the previous eight, but it’s also one of the most controversial hands in poker history.

It’s named after Doyle Brunson, the legendary poker pro known as ‘Texas Dolly’ or ‘The Godfather of Poker.’ Back in 1976, Brunson was heads up with Jesse Alto at the final table of the WSOP Main Event. Alto opened with ace-jack, and Brunson called with 10-2 suited. The flop came ace-jack-10, giving Alto two pairs. Brunson goes all in, Alto calls, but the turn comes 2, the river comes 2, and Brunson wins with a full house against all the odds. And to rub salt into the wound, Brunson pulled exactly the same stunt against Gary ‘Bones’ Berland the following year.

The Worst Hand for Heads-Up Poker Bets

The worst Texas Hold’em hand to lead a heads-up poker bet with is 3-2 off suit. This is because heads-up battles turn into showdowns much more frequently than multiplayer games, so pairs and high cards become much more valuable. A 3-2 has the lowest poker hand strength in this context because it contains the lowest two cards and thus has the lowest pair and high card value.

The Best Texas Hold’Em Hands

Now for the other side of the coin. What defines the top starting hands in poker? They have cards that can create a high-ranking straight or flush or repeat cards with the potential to connect with a double, triple or full house. Strong hands also typically contain matching cards, such as pairs or high-ranking suited cards that are close together.

Based on these criteria, the best starting Texas Hold’em hands to be dealt at the start of a round are premium pocket aces, ace-king suited, ace-queen suited and jack-jack.

Pocket Aces, Kings, and Queens

Ace-ace is universally acknowledged as the strongest starting hand in Texas Hold’em. But that doesn’t mean it’s invincible. The more players enter the pot, the more vulnerable your aces become. Any two-pairs will beat your pocket rockets, so keep an eye on the flop.

King-king and queen-queen are also strongly favored but lose their strength if the flop reveals an ace or (for queens) a king.

Ace-King, Ace-Queen

Ace-king is an equivocal hand that looks good (“Big Slick”) but really has nothing unless you connect with a pair or flop a flush or straight draw. One advantage that ace-king enjoys over the premium pocket pairs is the potential to draw a nut flush (the ace is the high card) or even a royal flush.

Similarly, ace-queen (“Little Slick”) has the potential to make a nut flush, royal flush, straight or high pair, but if you don’t hit your draw, you have exactly nothing.

Jack-Jack

Coming in sixth on the list of best starting hands in Texas Hold’em is jack-jack. Also known as “fish hooks,” this hand has all the advantages of the top three pairs — unless the flop reveals an ace, king, or queen.

Maximizing Value, Minimizing Risk

It’s often said that a bad hand (such as 7-2) can actually be valuable because it won’t lose you any money — provided that you junk it as you should. Paradoxically, beginner players often lose money because they have an unfounded belief in the strength of their starting hand. The point is that a starting hand is just the start. Two low-pairs will crush pocket rockets every time, so if Big Slick doesn’t connect with the board, all you’ve got is a high ace. That said, these starting hands demand to be played, so play them. If you don’t, you’ll lose value outright and won’t even understand why. Play them, but if your plays don’t win, make a point of finding out why. 

At the same time, broaden your horizons and learn additional poker variants. You’ll find that the best and worst starting hands in Omaha are quite different, and understanding the reasons why will improve your skills overall. At the end of the day, it takes dedication and training to improve at poker. It’s much more than the luck of the draw.

Play Online Poker at BetMGM

Keen to test your strengths, work on your weaknesses, and raise your game? Register to play online poker at BetMGM and take every opportunity to get in the hands you need to improve. There are cash games and poker tournaments for every skill level, from novice to pro. Better still, you can get started with a generous online poker welcome bonus.