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What's the luckiest hand in poker?

2-7 offsuit The 2-7 offsuit is considered the worst hand in Texas Hold'em and the worst poker hand to play pre-flop. You cannot make a straight with both cards and if you hit a flush you will have a very low flush. The 2-7 offsuit is the lowest two cards you can have with very few good options available to you.

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While it is true that anyone can win on any given hand or during any given session of Texas Holdem poker, that does not mean everyone has the same likelihood of success at the tables. For example, most poker players know that a pair of Aces is a good hand and a 2-7 off suit or unsuited is a bad hand. In poker, "Don't feel like you have to play every hand". If you are dealt a poor hand, don't stick with it hoping to improve it. Be willing to fold more often, no matter how good it was when it was dealt, or how much money you have put into the pot. Below is a list of the 10 Worst Starting Hands in Texas Hold'em Poker. When you are dealt any combination of poker hands listed below, just play it safe and FOLD.

Worst Starting Hands in Texas Hold'em Poker

Worst Hold'em Hands

1. 2-7 offsuit The 2-7 offsuit is considered the worst hand in Texas Hold'em and the worst poker hand to play pre-flop. You cannot make a straight with both cards and if you hit a flush you will have a very low flush. The 2-7 offsuit is the lowest two cards you can have with very few good options available to you. The ideal way to play this hand in Texas Holdem is to fold. 2. 2-8 offsuit The 2-8 offsuit is the second worst hand in Texas Holdem. Just like the 2-7 offsuit, you will have the same problems, only this time you have an 8 instead of a 7. With the 2-7 or 2-8 offsuit, you can neither make a straight nor a flush with this poker hand. The only time you will be in front pre-flop with a 2-8 offsuit is if you are playing against someone with a 2-7 offsuit. The 2-8 offsuit is typically a fold 'em hand.

3. 3-8 and 3-7

Although better than having a 2-8 and a 2-7, the 3-8 and 3-7 is still a bad starting hand for Texas Hold 'Em poker. With the 3-8, you cannot make a straight, and the probability of a 3-7 straight occurring is pretty low.

4. 2-6

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Don't even bother with a 2-6 (offsuit). You cannot make a straight, flush, or winning pair. Of the 169 possible starting hands in Texas Hold 'Em poker, the 2-6 ranks 165th. This starting hand has BAD written all over it. Against only four players, the 2-6 (offsuit) hand will win only around 10% of the time.

5. 2-9, 3-9, and 4-9

If you a draw a 2, 3, or 4 paired with a 9, the only positive thing about these hands is the 9. Generally each of these are bad starting hand with a win percentage between 4.50 - 4.70 percent. In the unlikely event you pair your 9 on the flop, you will have a middle pair that could still be beaten by anyone holding pocket 10s, jacks, queens, kings, or aces. No straights can fill the gap between these cards either.

6. 2-10

Yes, poker pro Doyle Brunson captured two World Series of Poker Bracelets drawing a 2 and 10 hand. But don't let that fool you. The 2-10 is NOT a good hand. Do not play this hand unless you like to lose money.

7. 9-5

Also known as the "Dolly Parton", the 9-5 hand is another hand people play because it's named for her 1980s popular song and movie. However if you are a serious poker player, it is not a good idea to play hands just because they have special names, or are your “favorite” hands. You should be selecting your starting hands based on the strength of your cards and your table position.

8. 4-7, 4-8, 5-8, 3-6

Here's the bottom line, any two low unpaired unsuited cards rarely wins. If you pull a 4-7, 4-8, 5-8, 3-6, just fold these hands. These are not very strong hands to play.

9. Face card (K, Q, J) Plus Low Card, Unsuited

Do not fall for one of the common beginners mistake of playing every face card. Remember, picture cards by themselves are not worth anything. But put them with another card of the same rank and then you’ve got yourself a playable hand. For example these hands, Jack and 3, Queen and 2, King and 4, etc. are losers and will rarely win a few pots. More often than not, these hands will cost you some cash when you find the other player has a higher hand.

10. Ace Plus Low Card, Unsuited

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This is another common beginner mistake. Playing an ace with a low kicker. You simply do not play any Ace. An Ace is good however combined with a low unsuited card then you have yourself weak hand. It may win occasionally, but this will not happen often enough to make it profitable to play. If someone is raising pre-flop in front of you, then your best strategy is to fold.

Did you know....

As valuable as Pocket Kings and Aces are, they’re not unbeatable.

In Poker always be aware of how many players enter the pot. The more opponents who do, the higher the likelihood of someone beating your pocket Aces or Kings. Consider raising pre-flop to narrow the field.

Top 10 Texas Holdem Starting Hands

The 10 Best Starting Hands in Texas Hold 'em Poker Hand Rank Hand Name Nickname Odds vs. Random Hand 1 AA Pocket Aces Bullets / Pocket rockets 85.20% 2 KK Pocket Kings Cowboys / King Kong 82.40% 3 QQ Pocket Queens Cowgirls / Ladies 79.90% 4 JJ Pocket Jacks Hooks / Fishhooks 77.50% 5 10-10 Pocket Tens Dimes 75.00% 6 AK Ace King Suited Big Slick 67.00% 7 AQ Ace Queen Suited Big Chick / Little slick 66.20% 8 AJ Ace Jack Suited Blackjack / Ajax 65.40% 9 AK Ace King Offsuit Big slick 65.30% 10 KQ King Queen Suited Royal Couple 63.40%

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