What Are the Best Poker Hands? Poker for Beginners

When people think of card games, they often immediately picture a group playing poker. This game enjoys a special place in the American imagination. You’ve seen it played in movies; you’ve heard Kenny Rogers sing, “You gotta know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em.”

But, you may not have played the game before. If not, you may wonder what the best poker strategies are. Several blog posts outline poker techniques, but not all focus on poker for beginners.

If that’s what you’re looking for, you’re in luck! We’ll explore the best poker hands for beginners in the guide below. Read on to learn what poker hands can help you win big!

The Best Poker Hands for Beginners: Pairs

When you look up poker tips for beginners, you’ll likely see something about poker pairs. Pairs are two cards of equal value that you can use to top other people’s hands. They come in three kinds:

  • Premium pairs: pairs like QQ, KK, or AA
  • Medium pairs: 77, 88, 99, TT
  • Small pairs: 22, 33, 44, 55, 66

As you might guess, premium pairs are the ones with the highest value. These pairs are more likely to top other people’s hands.

Additional Premium Hands

There are other types of premium hands besides the above pairs. These include hands like:

  • JJ
  • AK
  • AQ
  • AKo

These hands can help you win a round of poker. However, these aren’t attractive as the premium pairs in the previous section.

What makes these cards less helpful? The wrong flop can easily undo these hands. For example, if your opponent lays down an overcard, your JJ hand will suddenly become much weaker.

So, don’t become too attached to these cards. Seasoned players on gambling websites can take advantage of a newcomer’s overreliance on these cards to beat them.

Poker Tips for Aces

Aces have several uses in poker. You can use them as a premium pair or other combos. Alternatively, you can use non-paired/non-premium aces like A2s and AJs.

With a strong kicker, these pairs can help you gain an advantage during a poker match. However, these hands also have a weakness.

Ironically, that weakness is another ace card. Other aces around the table may have a higher kicker, resulting in your hand quickly losing. As such, suited aces have more appeal than these unsuited pairs.

Suited Connectors

Suited connectors include cards connected by rank, such as 34 or 78. These cards must also be the same suit.

Suited connectors’ strength stems from their potential for making a straight or flush. However, you may also use these cards for weaker hands. One example of that would be a gutshot draw.

Try Out These Hands Today

The best way to master poker is by playing a few rounds. So, find some people to play poker with today! You can sit around a table with friends or play through online casinos.

When you start out, make sure you place small bets. As you improve, you can start making more sizeable bets, especially since you know the best poker hands now.

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