A simple guide to which Texas Hold’em hands to play and from where. Tighter from early position, wider from late — and when in doubt, fold.
The best hands. Raise to build the pot; happy to play a big pot.
Very playable. Open-raise; be a little more careful out of position.
Open in middle/late position; fold most of these from early seats.
Play cheaply in position for their upside (sets, straights, flushes).
Notation: pairs are written like QQ; two different cards add s for suited or o for offsuit, e.g. AKs. Start tight — raise premium and strong hands, play speculative hands cheaply and in position, and let go of weak offsuit holdings. As you improve, widen thoughtfully. To see how any two hands actually run, use the odds calculator.
The premium Texas Hold’em starting hands are pocket aces (AA), kings (KK), queens (QQ), jacks (JJ), and ace-king (AK). These are strong from any position and worth raising with to build the pot.
Beginners do well playing tight: raise premium and strong hands, play speculative hands only cheaply and in late position, and fold weak offsuit hands. Position matters — the later you act, the wider you can play.
“Suited” (s) means both cards share a suit, which adds flush potential and makes a hand a bit stronger. “Offsuit” (o) means different suits. AKs (ace-king suited) plays better than AKo (offsuit).
Acting later means you see what opponents do before deciding, so you can play more hands profitably. From early position you play tighter because more players act after you.
A starting framework, not a solved range. Optimal hand selection shifts with game type, stakes, and how opponents play. Provided for reference and education. Rules and conventions can vary by game and venue. Rebuy Labs is software for organizing and studying poker; it does not accept wagers or handle player funds. If gambling stops being fun, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.
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