Questionable Starting Hands in Texas Holdem

Questionable starting hands are hands that can cost a lot of money if played. Sometimes they can give you a winning hand if you stay with them long enough and if the other players have much weaker hands than you. Questionable hands are any kind of hand that appears to be good at first but can lead you further and further in trouble and cost you more chips as the hand plays out.

Those players who are new to Poker especially Texas Holdem would be well advised not to play the following questionable hands. For more seasoned players proceed with caution if you do play them and minimize your losses by playing them in the following way:

A pair of Jacks

If you are a new player and are dealt a pair of Jacks it would be better to fold!! For seasoned players call the first round of betting. Don't raise. Keep your cost down so you can see the flop without losing chips. If someone does raise chances are you are beat, so it would be best for you to fold before you see the flop.

Ace and Ten

You could flop a top pair but the other players who are raising and calling through the flop could have better cards than you. Even if you flop a pair of Aces, another player probably has the same pair with a higher kicker than you. Maybe he even has trips.

King and Ten

Seasoned players when faced with this hand fold it. A new player will think a King is great and the possibility of a straight stays in his mind. It would be best to fold before the flop. If you do call and the flop gives you a pair of Kings you face the possibility that another player also flopped a pair of Kings with a higher kicker. Say a Queen and Jack were flopped and left you with an open ended straight draw needing an Ace or nine to complete your straight, you could lose your entire stack of chips waiting for a straight that may never come.

Suited Connectors

When you are dealt two cards of the same suite that have the possibility of obtaining a straight flush, it is really hard not to see the flop. If no one has raised it would be okay to call, but if someone raised, you should fold.

As you see, questionable hands maybe difficult to play, but with experience they may pay off.