Lesson 2: Hand Selection
In this lesson, you will learn how to select which hands to play in limit Texas Hold’em. This lesson will introduce you to decision-making at the flop, the turn, and the river.
Lesson Objectives
- To be able to determine the strength of your hand
- To know good hands from bad hands
- To be aware of your position at the table
- To know when to play and when to fold
There will be a multiple-choice quiz at the end of the lesson that will test your understanding of the lesson’s concepts.
Introduction
Texas Hold’em is a game of strategy. Position, patience, and power are the keys to winning. Making good hand selections is the most critical part of the game and determines whether or not you are successful in winning hands.
Most players lose because they play too many hands. There are 169 possible starting card combinations that can be dealt of which only about 50% are playable. The best two card starting hand is A-A. The worst starting hand is 7-2 unsuited.
Being aware of your position at the table in relation to the dealer is also a factor. You need a stronger hand to act from an “early position” because you have more players acting after you who may raise or re-raise the pot. It is important that you wait for a strong starting hand to play if you are in an early position.
The player to the left of the big blind, the third player to the left of the dealer, acts first after the pocket cards are dealt and before the flop. He or she is considered to be in early position. Depending on how many players are at the table, the next player could also be considered to be in early position.
The next player or players are in “middle position”. They are the players after the early position and are usually considered to be the fifth, sixth, and seventh positions to the left of the dealer.
The two players to the right of the dealer are considered to be in “late position” and bet last.
Here are some recommended guidelines for starting hands:
In early position:
- Raise with A-A, K-K, and A-K from any position.
- Call with A-K, A-Q, K-Q, Q-Q, J-J, T-T, and fold everything else.
In middle position:
- Call with 9-9, 8-8, A-J, A-T, Q-J, A-Q, and K-Q.
In late position:
- Call with A-any card, K-T, Q-T, J-T and small pairs.
It takes a stronger hand to call a raise than it does to make one. If there is a raise before it is your turn to act, you should fold. Most players will not raise pre-flop unless they have a good starting hand.
Most players will play any two suited cards from any position, and they will play ace with any small second “kicker” card. These hands are losers in the long run and should be evaluated carefully.
Many players feel they must call all raises if they have put in the small or big blind bets even if they only have a marginal hand. Don’t waste additional money on marginal hands. Don’t automatically call the small blind if you have nothing.
