Joined: Nov '12
Location: Canada
Age: 63 (F)
Posts: 589
What is the most dangerously deceiving starting hand for an amateur player in Texas Hold'em?
Many poker stars would argue that A-Q suited is among the top 10 best poker hands. The first thing to accept is that A-Q suited is not a top 10 hand, but does make it into the top 20. If you played ABC poker by following a chart of hands, A-Q suited (A-Qs) is one you would never play in early position, and would only play in an unraised or unopened pot in middle to late. That explains why it is called as the worst best hand a player can start with.
Personally, I follow the straight-forward poker strategy: Call with a draw hand only when you have the pot odds to justify it. And I learned my lesson from some resources that a tie such as AQ, KQ, and QJ. Those are death hands to be avoided at all costs, especially if your opponent has made any aggressive move pre-flop.
At this point in poker's life, many top players believed that J-T suited was the best starting hand in poker. It was the highest suited connector possible with full straight potential. It doesn't "dead end" on the top end as Q-J would.
After all, every person has his own criteria on how to judge a hand as good or bad. Either you follow the golden poker rules, which is how people do at the table most of times, or you can do things your own way. Nothing is impossible and nothing has extremes. Just be yourself.
Joined: May '11
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 58 (M)
Posts: 1372
I'd say Q,K. I'm always very wary playing this one. It's so often dominated by A,Q and A,K that it's difficult to know where you are when you hit. If the flop brings an A and a Q even though you've made two pair it's going to bring in straight draws for J,A 10,A etc.
Joined: Nov '11
Location: Poland
Age: 37 (M)
Posts: 1088
AQ and QT is the best cards of me... the biggest winning and boost ups are from that hands... I don't like to play with the AK cards - Anna Kournikova is the most treacherous hand for me I don't know if I win more than 20% hands with this hand...
Joined: May '11
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 58 (M)
Posts: 1372
Posted by shokaku: The most important thing here: A starting hand is just that, a start. Don't get carried away just because you had a good looking hand before the flop.
Yes exactly and that's why I really dislike QK, even if it turns into a good looking hand after the flop there's a high likely-hood that it's already in a world of trouble.
Joined: May '08
Location: Germany
Age: 59 (M)
Posts: 6786
KQ is really tricky. Easily dominated even if one is hitting top pair with it. Behind pre flop against any ace, even A2. But we can't have AA all the time.
Joined: Jun '10
Location: Belgium
Age: 51 (M)
Posts: 1457
Every starting hand can get tricky after the flop
Even with pocket AA's , if the flop gets 8 9 10 or Q Q K , risky to continu
Just be aware that a good post-flop game is more important than knowledge of good/bad starting hands. Of course it is important not to play with trash , but folding good starting hands when you did not hit on the flop is one of the keys to succes
Joined: Apr '09
Location: Portugal
Age: 44 (M)
Posts: 4827
I once lost a poker tourney with AQ and I finished 26th still winning a big pile of money. I always thought I haven’t played that bad going all-in with it, until I read your thread. I never read about that before, don’t know where did you support yourself to write this, and I already read a few books, so if you please can tell me where can I find more official info about that I would appreciate. Just for you to see how important is for me to find more about AQ, let me tell you that if I haven’t played that hand on that tourney I could be here talking about my first time reaching a four digit prize.
Joined: Mar '12
Location: Netherlands
Age: 51 (M)
Posts: 617
utg1+,utg2+ , A-Q should be folded in a 9 player table according to all pokerbooks i've read..
however some do play it very aggresive by raising 4-5 big blinds, if they get called ,ok
if they get raised ,,fold...but in the long term i would always fold it...don't look for trouble,,you will find it, and bust out any tournament early..
we all know some donks play this hand no mather what situation/position they are..
Joined: May '08
Location: Lithuania
Age: 39 (M)
Posts: 10090
usually most dangerous starting hands are those that keeps you in the hand after the flop, but you end up losing cash by not folding them: usually these are middle hands qj, kq, kj, even aj, aq can be added to the list- very often you hit something on the flop with these hands & are unwilling to fold them, which costs you money in the long run....but then again there are no bad hands- there are just bad players
Joined: Jun '10
Location: Belgium
Age: 51 (M)
Posts: 1457
the main reason the "dangerous starting hands"cost you money is the fact that you have to keep in mind that with hands like KQ,QJ, etc, you do not wanne play for highest pair after the flop.
You hope to hit 2 pairs or a str or flush draw.
Then it s profitable to play and if you hit you make money.
Joined: Feb '11
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 59 (M)
Posts: 5712
Hm. The most dangerous starting hand in my hunble opinion is AA mid to late position when someone before you has gone all in or at any stage when someone behind you reraises you all in. Do you put your tourney on the line and go all in too, or do you thropw your hand away. So many people just go all in (beacuse they think "I have AA, therefore I am invincible" and lose following a lottery!
Joined: Jan '11
Location: United States
Age: 60 (M)
Posts: 3361
I guesss that's why I sit back and never raise preflop with some of those combinations A,Q or K,Q, etc. I'm just afraid that these are starting hands, but that's all. It's easier for me to play safe by not raising preflop with these hands and possibly get less out of the hand if I hit on the flop. You learn after a few hundred times that it's better to gain a little then lose a lot.
Joined: Nov '12
Location: Canada
Age: 55 (M)
Posts: 4675
G'day mate
Well I personal Hate getting King Jack, or Queen 10. Both of them seem to always hit my hand several times every tournament. I can not tell you how many times I have seen people go all in with this garbage because they was short stack and get busted out. Yes it has happened to me as well. I always expect to lose whenever I am forced to play them hands and I am very rarely surprised by a positive outcome.
Posted by Greenmohave: I guesss that's why I sit back and never raise preflop with some of those combinations A,Q or K,Q, etc. I'm just afraid that these are starting hands, but that's all. It's easier for me to play safe by not raising preflop with these hands and possibly get less out of the hand if I hit on the flop. You learn after a few hundred times that it's better to gain a little then lose a lot.
That is terrible play, and a huge leak chnage that.
Joined: Oct '09
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 57 (M)
Posts: 667
Posted by pochui: usually most dangerous starting hands are those that keeps you in the hand after the flop, but you end up losing cash by not folding them: usually these are middle hands qj, kq, kj, even aj, aq can be added to the list- very often you hit something on the flop with these hands & are unwilling to fold them, which costs you money in the long run....but then again there are no bad hands- there are just bad players
Well said Pochui. I don't think any starting hand bothers me, I feel it is how you play them and what you do after the flop. Surely this should be part of your own personal strategy.............
Joined: Nov '12
Location: Canada
Age: 55 (M)
Posts: 4675
G'day mate
well you are absolutely correct post flop play is the most important part of winning a hand. It is sometimes more important to cut ones loses in a hand and fold instead of throwing more good money after bad.
That was one major bad habit I picked up last year. I read a couple poker book and changed my playing style and after careful examination discovered I was making to many continuation bets after the flop when I had complete missed everything on the board. I have now changed that problem. If you completely miss the flop seriously think about folding and NOT bluffing.
I don't know if I win more than 20% hands with this hand...
and lose following a lottery!
