The rating of starting hands depends on the game of poker under consideration. A better starting hand in Holdem may be of lesser value in Omaha or Omaha HiLow. The same can be said of Stud poker or Seven Card Stud. In this article the discussion will be limited to Holdem and Omaha poker games.
The best Holdem starting hands are pairs of Aces, followed by Kings, followed by Queens, followed by Ace King suited and finally Ace King unsuited. Pairs of smaller denominations while possible winners can be beat with the turn of a card.
Many players like to play suited connectors or an Ace and any other card. These hands are much more of a gamble and will take help from the Board to be a winner. Some starting hands can be made more powerful by aggressive betting. Sometimes a lowly pair of threes can be played like they are a strong pair of Aces. Deceptive betting and bluffing are all part of the Holdem play.
In Omaha the starting hand rank is somewhat different. Aces while powerful are not as strong as they are in Holdem. The reason for this is there are many trips, straights and flushed dealt in Omaha. After all each player has nine cards with which to make the winning hand. Suited high cards and connectors have great value in starting Omaha hands. Double paired starting hands look good to the beginner, but can break your heart more often than not. However Ace King suited twice is a strong starting hand. This would be an exception to the double-paired starting hand rule. The reason for this is there are the possibility of two different flushes and a straight as well as trips and a full house.
Starting hands have an influence on the way the betting is handled in both games. A strong hand should be bet well and raised when the opportunity presents itself. A player should make it very expensive to see the next dealt card. It is very poor play to let a player see the next card for free or a small bet when you have a strong starting hand. You are just setting up the possibility that you will be drawn out on by poor bet management. When you bet your starting hands properly two things can happen if you are called. You can lose or you can win a bigger pot due the losing callers. Any time you have multiple callers and you hold a good starting hand, you should be raising as you are getting odds on your money.
The starting hand sets up the beginning play of the hand and if the Board is helpful will lead to winning the pot at the end of the hand. There are many players who give to much value to a stating hand that is not helped by the Flop and then the final Board. In Holdem this will work more often than it will in Omaha. Omaha hands just have more possibilities than Holdem hands. A player is wise to learn this early in their Omaha-playing career or be willing to lose a great deal of money. Aces are a great starting hand in Holdem and can be a serious trap in Omaha. The player of both games will quickly see the difference between the Omaha and Holdem. This starting hand value and play is critical to being a winning player in both games. The best rule of all about starting hands is that experience and feel for the game will be the deciding factor on when to do what with every kind of starting hand. This can only be learned through playing the games. Reading about what to do will be a good start, but learning to read what other players are about and being courageous in your betting when appropriate will be rewarded in the end by raking in the pots.
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