Top 10 Texas Holdem Hands & How to Play Them

The Texas Holdem craze is sweeping the nation. Give yourself the edge against them with these handy tips on how to play the top 10 hands.

1) Pocket Aces

Arguably the easiest hand to play in Holdem, since it is the best possible starting hand, but don't fall into its trap so quickly. Before the flop, do your best to get your aces down to a single opponent, and try to get him all-in. You will win most of the time, but be prepared to lose sometimes, and don't let it disrupt your game. Most hands are at best about 23% to win against you, so one in four times you can expect to be out-drawn. The more people you let stay in the hand, the more chance that someone is going to outdraw you.

Don't be afraid to lay this hand down after the flop if your instincts are telling you that you're beat. Pride is a Texas Holdem player's worst enemy.

2) Pocket Kings

Pocket Kings strategy is very similar to pocket aces pre-flop, as you want to get down to a single opponent before the board comes down. Play them aggressively, but be wary that a single ace can bring your hand down; a weakness pocket aces do not share. Also, if a normally tight player who is sitting on a lot of chips suddenly re-raises you all-in before the flop, there is a chance that he has pocket aces and you will be a 4:1 underdog.

After the flop, if there is an ace out there and you have reason to believe your opponent has it, bet out anyways. If you get raised back, let the hand go. If he simply calls, chances are he doesn't have the ace, but he doesn't believe that you do either. You don't, but you have second best and that is likely enough if he is calling weakly.

3) Pocket Queens

One of the hardest hands in Texas Holdem, due to the fact that it is a very difficult hand to throw away, but has a lot of weakness. Unlike aces and kings, pocket queens now have two over-cards to bust them out, on top of other hands out-drawing them. Again, play them aggressive before the flop, raising strongly, and even a single re-raise against someone in late position would be recommended. If someone in early position raises you, simply call; an early raise usually means strength.

Post-flop, if the board looks good, bet aggressively. You want to get those aces and kings folded out. Make them pay to outdraw you. Aggression pays in Texas Holdem, especially with hands like this. Always be the raiser, never the caller.

4) Ace/King

Another hard hand to master in Texas Holdem because many make the mistake of treating it as a made hand. "Big Slick" is a drawing hand, and thus you are the one chasing cards when you play it, unless you find yourself fortunate enough to be up against another ace/any hand. This is a hand worth going all-in preflop in most situations, but again, knowing your opponents is key here, as you don't want to get stuck against pocket aces or kings.

After the flop, if you made the initial raise, bet again regardless of whether or not you hit your hand. Good players that missed their hand will give you credit for beating them and likely fold; bad players might call while chasing an inferior draw with lower cards. If you bet and get played back at, fold it away if you've missed your hand. Drawing to 6 outs is expensive.

Read my complete article about this particular hand here.

5) Pocket Jacks

Jacks play similar to queens in Holdem, as both are vulnerable pairs to multiple over-cards. Raise with them in late position before the flop; call a single raise before you, but fold to multiple raises.

After the flop, mostly what you'll be hoping for is either hitting a three-of-a-kind, top pair with a straight draw, or a low board with little straight potential. If any over-cards come above your jacks, play cautiously. If you are heads-up, your hand may be safe, but odds are good that your opponent has at least one ace, king, or queen. It's risky to play hard with an overpair above your jacks, so don't do it. Save your money for better odds.

6) Ace/Queen

"Big Chick" as this hand is affectionately named, is an appropriate term due to the fact that this is the little sister hand to "Big Slick", the ace king. This Holdem hand is nice, worth playing strongly before the flop, and possibly worth taking into the fray in a multi-way pot due to the strong kicker with your ace, but you have to be ready to let it go in the face of too much action.

What you're really looking for on the flop is a well-hidden straight draw (king-10) or a queen accompanied by low cards. Pairing your ace puts you in danger of losing to ace king, or another ace hitting two-pair with another card on the board. Keep these dangers in mind, but otherwise, play this similar to ace king.

7) Ace/Jack

One of the most over-valued hands in Texas Holdem, this is still a respectable starting hand. This hand is rarely worth raising pre-flop in a full ring game, but if you are only against 3 or 4 opponents, this can be strong enough to present a raise. Let go of it if too many raises get thrown around.

After the flop, play is nearly identical to Ace Queen. You want to pair your jack or get a start on a straight draw. Pairing your ace is dangerous, but again, it's up to you and your instincts to determine if you are up against another ace, or if your kicker is good.

8) Pocket 10s and under

Pocket 10's, all the way down to pocket 2's, are all roughly equal in initial Holdem strength. The main way to play these hands is one of two ways. One way (most popular in tournaments) is to get heads-up against an opponent who you believe has two high-cards and force them into a coin-flip situation. Any pair, even pocket deuces, is a slight favorite against ace king. The second objective with these lower pocket pairs is to bring them into a multi-way pot and attempt to hit your set, or hope that the board comes up with 3 cards beneath your pair so you can play them like aces.

After the flop, against a single opponent, you can semi-bluff with these if you have put your opponent on two high-cards. You're not betting on the strength of your hand, but rather on the weakness of his. If he calls, be ready to check/fold the next round. In a multi-way pot, if your pair is higher than the board, play it aggressively. Don't let them out-draw you cheaply. If you hit your set, do your best to contain your excitement and slow-play it. The only time you'd want to play your set fast is if there is an obvious straight and/or flush draw present and there are multiple opponents who may be working towards it.

9) King/Queen

This hand appears strong to most players, but its biggest weakness is the fact that it can be beaten by ace/any if it misses its draw. This hand is great in a smaller game, but in a large game, call tightly, and only raise in late position if there were no prior raises.

Your best flop will be hitting four to a straight, or possibly getting two-pair and catching another player with a pair. Play with this hand is fairly straight-forward; if you missed your hand, fold it. Don't bluff with king-high.

10) Jack/10

Many players wouldn't rank this hand in their top 10 Texas Holdem hands, but I thoroughly enjoy this hand for many reasons. One, it's easy to lay down in any circumstance where a draw is missed or if I feel my hand is out-classed by a higher pair. Two, this is the best of the "connector" hands because it can make four straights, all of which will be a "perfect", unbeatable straight.

Playing this hand is relatively simple. If you miss your draw, fold the hand. There's no reason to bluff with a purely drawing hand that missed its draw. If you are 4 cards to a straight, play it as if you have the straight. Betting on your almost-straight gives you two chances to win; one if your opponent folds to your bet, and another if your opponent calls and you make your hand.

The non-pair hands I've listed here are all made more powerful if they are suited. Keep this in mind when playing them, as backdoor flush draws can often tip the odds in your favor where you might have otherwise been the underdog. As with any Texas Holdem game, use your own judgment and expertise. These guidelines are just that; guidelines. If you incorporate them into your game, it will help you to become a better player, but you should still add your own unique style to keep your opponents guessing. You can't always play "perfect poker", because then they'll always know what you're up to.