How many starting hands are there in Texas Hold'em?

There are 169 strategically distinct starting hands in Texas Hold'em: 13 pocket pairs, 78 suited combinations, and 78 offsuit combinations. The actual number of 2-card combinations is 1,326 (52 choose 2), but most are strategically equivalent — for example, A♥K♥ and A♠K♠ play identically. The 169 distinct types are what every range chart represents.

What hands should I play from under the gun (UTG)?

From UTG in a 9-handed game, a standard tight-aggressive open range is about 9% of hands: 77+, AJs+, KQs, AKo. From UTG in a 6-handed game, the range opens up to about 14%: 55+, ATs+, KJs+, QJs, JTs, AQo+. The exact range depends on table dynamics — open tighter against tight 3-bettors and looser against passive opponents.

What is the best starting hand in poker?

Pocket aces (AA) is the strongest starting hand. AA has 82.4% equity against KK, 88% against AKs, and 84.9% against a random hand. The second-strongest is KK at 82.4% against QQ. AKs is the strongest non-pair hand, with about 67% equity against a random hand and the ability to make the nut flush and the broadway straight.

Should I play suited connectors?

Yes, suited connectors are profitable from late position (CO, BTN) against opponents who will pay you off when you hit. They have around 6 outs to make a straight and 9 outs to make a flush — and unlike most marginal hands, when they connect they make hands that disguise well. From early position they should be folded because position constrains your post-flop maneuvering.

What is the difference between suited and offsuit hands?

A suited hand has both cards of the same suit, giving it about 3-5% more equity than the same offsuit holding. AKs has 67% equity vs a random hand; AKo has 64.5%. The added value comes from making flushes — but the suited version also plays much better on draw-heavy boards. As a rule, suited versions of marginal hands (KJs, QTs, T9s) are playable while their offsuit cousins are not.

Poker Fundamentals· 9 min read · interactive chart· By Dexas· Published 2026-06-01

Poker starting hands chart — all 169 hands, ranked by position

There are 169 strategically distinct starting hands in Texas Hold'em. From under-the-gun, you should open about 9% of them — roughly 15 hands. From the button, you should open about 35% — close to 60 hands. The exact set depends on the seat. This interactive 13×13 chart lets you toggle position and see exactly which hands to open, which to call, and which to fold. Click any cell for the verdict and reasoning.

The 169 hands 13 pocket pairs (the diagonal). 78 suited combinations (upper-right triangle). 78 offsuit combinations (lower-left triangle). Total: 169 distinct starting hands, representing all 1,326 two-card combinations in a 52-card deck.

The interactive chart

Click the position tabs. Click any hand for the open/call/fold verdict and the strategic reasoning. Numbers in each cell are the hand label (e.g. AKs = ace-king suited, AKo = offsuit, AA = pocket aces).

Starting Hands by Position

Interactive · click any hand

Open / raise

Mixed / situational

Fold

Position

UTG

Hands opened

15 / 169 (9%)

Typical opener type

Tight-aggressive

Tap a hand to see the verdict

Each position has a different optimal range. Earlier positions (UTG, MP) require tighter ranges because more players act after you. Late positions (CO, BTN) can open much wider because you have positional advantage on most of the table post-flop.

Why position changes everything

Position — your seat relative to the dealer button — is the single biggest factor in starting-hand selection. The deeper into the hand the action gets, the more your positional advantage compounds. From the button, you act last on every post-flop street, which means:

You see what everyone else does before you decide
You can bluff more efficiently because you've seen weakness
You can pot-control with marginal hands by checking back
You realize more of your hand's equity than out-of-position players

Studies estimate the button is worth about 8–10 bb/100 more than UTG in cash games. That's why a hand like 65s is a snap-open from the button and a snap-fold from UTG — the hand hasn't changed, but the positional value of playing it has.

The four hand categories everyone should know

1. Premium pairs (AA, KK, QQ, JJ)

Always open. Always 3-bet. Always profitable from any position. These four hands win money in every position, every stake, every format. AA wins about 85% against a random hand; QQ wins about 80%.

2. Big broadway (AK, AQ, AJ, KQ)

Open from any position. AKs has a special status — it's the strongest non-pair hand and one of only a handful of hands that benefits from 4-betting. AQ should be opened but folded against tight UTG 3-bets at most stakes.

3. Suited connectors (JTs, T9s, 98s, 87s, 76s, 65s)

The "implied odds" hands. Folded from UTG/MP, opened from CO and later. They make hidden hands (straights and flushes) that win big pots against opponents who don't see them coming. Don't 3-bet them at low stakes — opponents will call too wide and your implied odds will collapse.

4. Suited aces and small pairs (the set-mining hands)

Pocket pairs 22-66 and suited aces A2s-A9s are speculative hands. They want to see flops cheaply and stack opponents when they hit a set or a strong draw. Open them late, call with them deep, fold them when stacks are short.

The position cheat sheet

Position	% open	Number of hands	Looks like
UTG (9-max)	9%	~15 hands	77+, ATs+, KJs+, QJs, AQo+, AKo
MP (9-max)	12%	~20 hands	+ 55, 66, A9s, KTs, QTs, JTs, AJo
CO	22%	~37 hands	+ all pairs, A2s-A8s, K9s-KJs, suited connectors 65s+
BTN	35%	~59 hands	Any pair, any suited ace, broadway, one-gappers, KTo+, QJo, JTo
SB (vs BB)	45%	~76 hands	Most playable hands — wide steal range vs single opponent
BB (defending vs steal)	~55%	~93 hands	Pot odds make defending wide correct — even Q5o vs BTN min-raise

Common starting-hand mistakes

1. Limping

Limping (just calling the big blind) loses money in almost every situation. It invites the BB to see a flop free, doesn't define your hand, and gives no information. Raise or fold. The only exception: limping behind 2+ other limpers in a multi-way pot from late position with a hand that wants to see a flop.

2. Playing too tight from late position

From the BTN, opening only premium hands (8% of hands) means giving up 5+ bb/100 in expectation. Even hands like K7o, 53s, and A4o are profitable opens because you'll win the blinds uncontested most of the time and play in position when called.

3. Playing too loose from early position

Opening KJo from UTG is one of the most common low-stakes mistakes. KJ is dominated by AK, AQ, AJ, KQ, and you're routinely playing big pots out of position. The hand should be open-folded from UTG and only opened from late position.

4. Calling 3-bets out of position with marginal hands

You open AJo from MP. CO 3-bets. Calling is a clear losing play. AJo against CO's 3-bet range has about 38% equity, and you're playing the rest of the hand out of position. Fold or 4-bet, never call.

Build your own ranges visually

The free Range Visualizer lets you toggle individual hands in a 13×13 grid and instantly see the percentage, the hand combos, and the equity against any opposing range. Build the chart above for yourself.

Range visualizer → Preflop equity chart Equity calculator

Where to go from here

Foundations Chapter 3 — Position is Everything (interactive course chapter)
Preflop equity chart — 36 PokerStove-verified matchups
Poker hand rankings — what beats what
Nash push/fold chart — short-stack starting hands
Equity calculator — test any range

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