One of the biggest problems that I encountered when I first got into Texas Holdem’ was figuring out what cards to play in what Position. Often I would get burned on a hand that I thought was a good starting hand. Come to find out they were good hands, just not in the position I was playing them from. Here is a pretty basic list of what type of hands to play and what position it is suitable to play them in. Keep in mind this chart does not factor in raises or suits.

Play From Any Position

AA KK QQ JJ TT 99 88 AK AQ AJ AT KQ KJ

Play Mid to Late Position

66 55 KT QJ QT JT

Play in Late Position Only

A9 A8 A7 K9 K8 Q9 J9 J8 T9 T8 98 97

If you are just beginning to play poker, playing these hands at the recommended positions will help you always be in a safe position before the flop. As your game progresses, you will be able to add more hands to this list and know how to play them in specific situations. If you are just beginning to play cards, I would suggest playing for nickels and dimes at home or for free at an online poker site. Poker websites are nice because you get to see many more hands per hour than you do at home.Some goods sites to play for free are UltimateBet and PartyPoker.com. Remember, the more you practice at anything, the better you get.

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