Starting hand Grouping

A good player is disciplined, and waits to play good cards. Playing smart poker is frequently boring. A good player typically sees the flop less than 25% of the time, the rest of the time they are studying their opponents and observing what sorts of cards they typically play.

Sklansky and Malmuth have published (in Hold'em Poker for Advanced Players, a must-have book) one of the most widely regarded groupings of starting hands.

Group 1: AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AKs
Group 2: TT, AQs, AJs, KQs, AK
Group 3: 99, JTs, QJs, KJs, ATs, AQ
Group 4: T9s, KQ, 88, QTs, 98s, J9s, AJ, KTs
Group 5: 77, 87s, Q9s, T8s, KJ, QJ, JT, 76s, 97s, AXs, 65s
Group 6: 66, AT, 55, 86s, KT, QT, 54s, K9s, J8s, 75s
Group 7: 44, J9, 64s, T9, 53s, 33, 98, 43s, 22, KXs, T7s, Q8s
Group 8: 87, A9, Q9, 76, 42s, 32s, 96s, 85s, J8, J7s, 65, 54, 74s, K9, T8

A few notes on the above groupings - ATs means Ace Ten suited, AXs means any Ace and "X" card that are suited.

In order to understand when to play any of the above hands, you must be conscious of your position and the other players actions before you. (The position is in reference to where you are relative to the button.)

Probability is a huge factor in texas hold 'em. Players use odds to determine their actions. The chances of finishing a flush or a straight, the probablity of getting an overcard, the percentage of times you're going to flop a set to match your pocket pair are all important factors in poker. Knowledge of these statistics is key to winning. In online games especially with very few (if any) tells, statistical knowledge becomes the main factor when choosing whether to bet, call, or fold.

Terms that you'll hear whenever you're talking about poker odds...

Outs	The number of cards left in the deck that will improve your hand.	"I had four spades on the turn, so I had only 9 outs left to finish that flush."
Pot Odds	The odds you get when analyzing the current size of the pot vs. your next call.	"There's $100 already in the pot, and only another $10 bet coming at me, so my pot odds are good if I hit that flush."
Bet Odds	The odds you get as a result of evaluating the number of callers to a raise.	"With a 1 in 5 chance of hitting it, and knowing all six of these guys are will call my bet, my bet odds are good too."
Implied Odds	The odds you are getting after the assumed result of betting for the remainder of the hand.	"Since I think these guys are going to call on the turn and river, my implied odds are excellent."

The Odds chart below shows the percentage and odds of making your hand based on your number of outs.

Out Chart

You will find that you can easily remember a few of the most common situations for outs such as the four flush or straight draw but there has to be an easier way than memorizing the figures for every number of outs. The good news is that there is a way to get a good estimation of the odds.

The Rule of Four -Two.

The rule of four-two, as I like to call it, is an easier way to figure the odds for any situation where you know your outs. It is not completely accurate but it will give you a quick "ballpark" figure of your chances for making a hand. Here is how it works.

With two cards to come after the flop you multiply your number of outs by four. With one card to come after the turn, you multiply your number of outs by two. This will give you a quick figure to work with. If you have a four-card flush after the flop you have nine outs. With two cards to come, you multiply the nine by four and you get 36 percent chance of making the flush. The chart shows the true odds at 35 percent. With one card to come you multiply nine by two and get 18 percent. The chart shows that the true figure is 19.6. It is not completely accurate but it is pretty close, and it is an easy calculation to do in your head.