Texas Hold'em Starting Hands Chart

This chart is a starting point for which two cards are worth playing before the flop in Texas Hold'em. The grid below shows all 169 starting hands: pairs run down the diagonal, suited hands sit above it, and offsuit hands below. It's a simplified guide, not a law, and the section underneath explains how to actually use it.

How to read the chart

Each square is a starting hand. "AKs" means ace-king suited, "AKo" means ace-king offsuit, and "77" is a pair of sevens. Green hands are strong enough to raise with from most seats. Amber hands are situational, fine to play in late position or as a steal attempt when the table has folded to you, but easy to get into trouble with early. Grey hands should hit the muck most of the time, especially as a beginner.

The tiers in words

• Premium: AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK. Raise these every time and be happy to play a big pot.
• Strong: TT, 99, AQ, AJs, KQs. Raise from most positions, but slow down against heavy resistance.
• Playable: smaller pairs, suited aces, suited connectors like T9s and 98s, and the better suited broadways. These want good position and cheap entry.
• Marginal: weak offsuit broadways and the looser suited hands. Late position only, and fold them without a thought when someone's already raised.

Position changes everything

The single biggest thing a chart can't fully capture is position. A hand you'd happily fold from the first seat can be a clear raise on the button, where you act last on every later street. Acting last is a real, lasting edge, so the later you are, the more hands you can open. When in doubt, play tighter early and looser late.

Don't play it like a robot

A chart gets you past the most common beginner leak, which is playing far too many weak hands. But poker isn't solved by memorising a grid. Who's at the table, how they play, your stack depth, and what's happened in the hand all matter once you're past the first decision. Treat this as training wheels, then read our Texas Hold'em strategy guide for the reasoning behind the ranges.

One more thing

Tight starting hands protect your bankroll, but variance is real and even great players have losing stretches. Play within your means. Our poker bankroll guide covers how much you actually need, and if the game stops being fun, the responsible gambling page has support.