Poker Starting Hands Chart: Which Hands to Play by Position

Premium pairs (AA-QQ)

Always open, usually re-raise when facing a raise (3-bet). These hands rarely want to call — building a larger pot preflop extracts maximum value.

Medium pairs (TT-77)

Open from most positions, call a raise to set-mine. With 10BB behind or fewer, shove rather than call. Position significantly affects post-flop playability.

Small pairs (66-22)

Call to set-mine when pot odds and implied odds allow. Need roughly 10-15x the call in effective stacks remaining to justify set-mining profitably.

Strong broadway hands (AK, AQs, AJs)

High card strength plus flush potential. AK is always open/3-bet; AJs is position-dependent, typically from MP onwards.

Suited connectors (JTs, T9s)

Call or open from late position for flush and straight equity. These hands are speculative — profitable through implied odds and equity realization, not raw high-card strength.

What hands should beginners play?

Start with just premium pairs (TT+) and strong ace hands (AK, AQs). This represents roughly 8-10% of hands. Once comfortable, expand to medium pairs, suited connectors, and broadway hands from later positions. Playing too many hands is one of the top beginner mistakes.

How many hands should I play?

GTO suggests 20% from UTG, up to 45% from BTN. Average across all positions: roughly 25-30% of hands. In practice, loose-passive players play 40%+ (too many); tight-passive players play under 15% (too few, missing value from late position).

What are premium hands in poker?

Premium hands are those strong enough to raise or re-raise from any position: AA, KK, QQ, and usually AK. JJ and sometimes AQs are near-premium. These hands have high preflop equity vs any range and do not require post-flop skill to play profitably.

What is the difference between suited and offsuit hands?

Suited hands (same suit) can make flushes — this adds 2-4% equity in most situations. Suited connectors (76s, JTs) have both flush and straight potential. In general, suited versions of hands are 2-5% stronger and open from 1-2 positions earlier than their offsuit equivalents.

Should I always raise, or can I just call?

GTO strongly favors raising over calling. Calling (limping) lets you see cheap flops but does not build the pot with your strong hands, does not fold out opponents, and does not represent strength. In position, raise or fold almost always. From BB, calling (defending) is sometimes correct with pot odds.

What does range mean in poker starting hands?

Your range is all the hands you would take a certain action with in a given spot. Opening from UTG might be a range of 20% of hands. Your opponents are trying to read your range, not your specific hand. GTO starting hand charts define optimal ranges for each position.

How do stack sizes affect starting hand selection?

With shorter stacks (under 30BB), push/fold charts replace normal range play — even JTs might be a shove/fold vs a call decision. With deep stacks (100BB+), speculative hands (small pairs, suited connectors) gain value through implied odds. Position remains the dominant factor across all stack sizes.