Let take a closer look at two concepts that guide preflop play: Equity and Implied Odds.Įquity can be explained as your share of the pot. Why is that?Īnd a hand like 5-5? That will often need a third five on the flop to prove a winner, but that happens very rarely – can you still make money playing it? It’s only ace-high, and you’re unlikely to win the hand unless you actually pair up somewhere down the line – yet the recommendation is to raise with it. What about A-K? That hand is also recommended for a raise in every position – but it’s not a made hand. A large pair like that is a huge favorite against even several opponents.

This makes sense they’re both very strong starting hands, because they can actually win quite a few pots unimproved. Any starting hands chart you’ll find will reinforce this: A-A is listed as a raising hand for all positions, and so is K-K. It doesn’t take a great deal of experience to know that pocket aces are the best starting hand in Texas Hold’em.