LEARN TEXAS HOLD EM

Starting Hands Tables

Phil Hellmuth’s How to play Poker like the Pros starting table

Tier

Hands

Category

Our advice

1	AA, KK, QQ, AKs, AK	Top 12 Hands	Raise/re-raise(never call)
2	JJ, TT, 99	Top 12 hands	Raise(or call if raised)
3	AQs, 88, 77	Top 12 Hands	Raise(or call if raised)
4	AJs, ATs, A9s, A8s	Majority Play Hands	A? J? 6? 4? 2?
5	A7s, A6s, A5s, A4s, A3s, A2s, KQs, KQ	Majority Play Hands	Call if raised, fold if re-reraised
6	QJs, JTs, T9s, 98s, 87s, 76s, 65s	Suited Connectors	Call, fold if raised/re-reraised

Sklansky’s groups

Tier

Hands

Our advice

1	AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AKs	Raise/re-raise(never call)
2	TT, AQs, AJs, AK, KQs	Raise(or call if raised)
3	ATs, KJs, AQ, 99, QJs, KTs	Raise(or call if raised)
4	88, QTs, A9s, AJ, JTs, KQ, A8s, AT	Call if raised, fold is reraised
5	K9s, A7s, KJ, A5s, Q9s, T9s	Call, fold if raised/re-raised
6	77, J9s, A6s, QJ, A4s, KT	Call, fold if raised/re-raised
7	QT, A3s, K8s, JT, A2s, Q8s	Fold if beginner. Otherwise…call, fold if raised/re-raised
8	T8s, K7s, 98s, 66, J8sT	Fold if beginner. Otherwise…call, fold if raised/re-raised