Beginner Hold’em Hand Selection Strategy
This article is based on a 10 handed table and that poker table can be divided into three areas. They are Early position, Middle position and Late Position. In Late position you have seen most of the players act in front of you and have the most information to act upon. That is why as you move closer to the button, your hand selection opens up more.
Early Position (first five positions)
Pairs: J/J – A/A
Unsuited: A/10 – A/K, K/Q
Suited: A/J - A/K, K/Q
Middle Position (next three positions)
Pairs: 8/8 – A/A
Unsuited: A/J, A/10, K/Q, A/Q
Suited: A/T - A/K, K/T - K/Q, Q/J, Q/T, J/T, J/9, T/9, 9/8
Late Position (last two positions)
Pairs: 2/2 – A/A
Unsuited: A/10 – A/K, K/9 – K/Q, Q/J, Q/T, J/T
Suited: Ace/2 – Ace/K, K/9 – K/Q, Q/9 – Q/J, J/T, J/9, T/9, T/8, 9/8, 9/7, 8/7, 8/6, 7/6, 6/5
These are general guidelines and playing these hands in these positions would make the player a tight player. However, it also makes a player predictable if they were to only play these hands in these positions. It would be very easy to see that if this person raised in Early position that they must be holding a premium hand and the opponent can either fold, knowing they are beat or play a hand like 8/7 suited and if they hit the flop can extract a lot of chips out of the tight player. That is why this is considered a good selection of starting hands to get a novice started. After becoming comfortable with the game, it would be a good idea to mix up your game by adding some extra hands. So in Early Position, you might want to play the odd Middle Position Hand to mix up your play.
Following these hands selections should get the new player on the right road to winning.
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