Poker Starting Hands? The online card game genre is increasingly loved by many people. In particular, online Texas Hold’em card game versions on mobile phones are growing strongly. However, playing online card games for fun is very different from playing online card games for real money.
The Difference Between Playing Online Card Games for Fun and Playing Online Card Games for Real Money
Many people who play online card games for fun simply think of it as a regular card game, so they often bet all their chips right from the initial dealing round (pre-flop). Those new to online card games often haven’t mastered how to evaluate the strength of their hand. When switching to playing online card games for real money, applying a similar playstyle often leads to a continuous losing streak. If you’re new to playing online card games, you need to clearly understand which starting hands you should participate in a hand with.
So, how do you decide when you should bet, when to call, when to fold, or whether your hand is strong or weak to make a decision for that hand? This article will clarify these issues.
Online Hand Winning Odds Based on the Number of Players at the Table
Playing online card games has some differences compared to playing for real money in person. The number of players in an online card game hand is usually 6 or fewer. Meanwhile, playing real money card games at a casino can have up to 9 people participating in one hand.
So, remember that a good player at a 6-person table theoretically has a 1/6 chance of winning. And they usually only participate in about 30% of the total hands dealt. This makes perfect sense, because at a 6-person table, the chance of you receiving the strongest hand is only about 1/6. Therefore, it’s wise to fold when holding a weak hand and focus on hands with more promising winning potential.
What Kind of Starting Hand is Strong or Weak?
But how do you evaluate the strength of your hand with just two starting cards? Here’s experience learned from playing card games and reading many guidebooks.
How to Play Card Games in the Initial Dealing Round with the Following Starting Hands:
- Hands 2-7, 2-8, 3-8: You should fold these hands immediately! These are considered some of the worst starting hands in Texas Hold’em. If these two cards are of different suits, your chance of losing is up to 98%. What if they are of the same suit? If you’re extremely lucky, you might complete a very small flush, but even in that rare situation, your winning odds are not high. These cards are difficult to combine into a straight and only create pairs with very low value. Fold hands with these two cards.
- Hands 3-7, 2-6: Fold immediately, don’t expect anything from hands like these.
- Hands 3-9, 4-9, 2-9, 5-9: Depends on the situation, but it’s best to fold immediately when they are not of the same suit. They can only create a medium pair (pair of 9s) but the value isn’t high. Only consider playing 5-9 when they are of the same suit, and don’t risk too much in that hand. Otherwise? Fold!
- Hand 2-10: Are you impressed by a card game legend who won 2 world championships with this starting hand? The advice is: this hand is even weaker than 5-9. Don’t try to imitate the legend’s special situations, or you’ll end up broke playing online card games.
- Hands 2-4, 3-6, 3-5, 4-6, 4-7, 5-7…: These hands are very difficult to win with. It’s best to only consider playing them when they are of the same suit, and don’t risk too much with this type of hand.
- Hands with 1 King or 1 Ace and 1 low card (different suits): In card game books, these hands are often denoted as Kx and Ax (when of different suits). Don’t think these are strong hands, because your only hope of winning is if a high-value card appears matching your strong card. Even if you get a strong pair, do you think you can win in a multi-player game? Because they might have the same strong pair as you but their kicker card is stronger than yours. With these types of hands, think carefully about your opponents’ betting odds to deduce their hands.
- Hands with a pair of Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks: This is a great opportunity for you, the chance of winning is very high when holding these hands. You should see it through to the end unless community cards appear that form a stronger hand for your opponent. Depending on your position at the table, you can consider raising more to increase your winnings.
Premium Starting Hands: Aces, Kings, Queens, and Jacks - Hands with 2 strong cards: You should participate, but be cautious. If you don’t complete a pair or a strong set, it’s best not to see it through to the end.
- Hands with 1 weak or medium pair: You should play, there’s a chance you’ll complete a three-of-a-kind, but don’t be too risky. You can refer to the article on how to play small pairs for a better understanding.
- Hands with 2 suited cards: Except for the cases mentioned where you should fold, otherwise, go ahead and participate in the hand, the rest depends on your decisions. However, prioritize playing connected suited hands like 9-10, 9-J, 10-J.
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So, now you can start playing online card games. Start with hands that have small forced bets to practice playing smoothly first. Hopefully, this Jilipark‘s article sharing how to play card games with these starting hands will help you make wise decisions for your hands. Participating in hands with strong cards from the beginning will help you increase your winning odds. This will also help players save money on the amount of bets on the table before the first three community cards and greatly increase the profit rate when playing card games.
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Carlos Vortex is an expert with over 5 years of experience in the field of online casino games. Passionate about exploring game-playing strategies, he has shared many useful tips on slots, poker, blackjack, and sports betting with the player community. With in-depth knowledge of the online entertainment industry, Carlos brings quality articles, helping players optimize their experience at Jilipark Casino. He always updates the latest trends to bring reliable and valuable information to readers.
✅ Current Workplace: Jilipark Casino – Leading online betting game development and operation entity in Southeast Asia
Education:
✅ 2008 – 2012: Bachelor of Arts in Digital Marketing – University of Manchester, United Kingdom
✅ 2013 – 2014: Certificates in Player Behavior Analytics and Risk Management – International iGaming Research Institute, Malta
✅ 2021: Intensive Workshop on Gambling Compliance – UK Training & Compliance Organization
Work and Research Experience:
✅ 2015 – 2019: Strategic Analyst at a betting game software development company in London
✅ 2020 – 2022: Independent Consultant on player experience optimization strategies for betting platforms in Asia
✅ 2023 – Present: Senior Content Specialist at Jilipark Casino, responsible for compiling and evaluating game strategies, user security, and responsible gambling guidance
Areas of Expertise:
✅ Playing strategies and optimization for slots, poker, blackjack
✅ User experience management in online betting platforms
✅ Research on player behavior and iGaming industry trends in Southeast Asia
Teaching and Expertise Sharing Experience:
✅ Speaker at the ASEAN Online Betting Conference in 2022, specializing in “Revolutionizing Player Experience in Emerging Markets”
✅ Author of over 100 in-depth articles published on major casino platforms such as Jilipark Blog, iGaming Hub, and GamblingAsia.com
✅ Instructor for internal training programs at Jilipark Casino on “Game Development Strategies and User Retention”
Professional Commitment:
Carlos Vortex not only brings practical knowledge to players but also commits to ensuring transparent, objective information that adheres to responsible gambling principles. His articles focus on optimizing the player experience while providing a realistic view of risks and safe betting strategies.