2 · MAKE YOUR FIRST DECISIONS · LESSON 7 OF 29 · 5 min
Texas Hold’em starting hands: read a poker chart
Poker charts shorten hands to two ranks and a letter: AKs means ace-king of the same suit; AKo means different suits. A pair is written twice, such as QQ. These are families of hands, not single card combinations.
A♠ K♠ and A♥ K♥ are both AKs. A♠ K♥ is AKo. The suited versions can make a flush together, but they still need good decisions after the flop.
How to read a Texas Hold’em starting-hand chart
Before the flop you know only your two private cards, your seat, the stacks, and the action so far. A starting-hand chart compresses many possible two-card deals into simple labels. It is a map for a particular situation, not a command to play every listed hand the same way against every opponent.
| Label | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| AA, TT, 55 | A pair of the same rank. | A♠ A♦ is AA. |
| AKs | Ace and king of the same suit. | A♠ K♠ is AKs. |
| AKo | Ace and king of different suits. | A♠ K♥ is AKo. |
| 76s | Seven and six suited; also connected ranks. | 7♦ 6♦ is 76s. |
The letter s means suited, not spades. AKs includes all four suits, so it describes four exact card combinations. AKo describes twelve exact combinations. A pocket pair has six. That is why a chart cell represents a family of deals rather than one hand.
What makes a starting hand playable?
High pairs such as AA and KK start with made strength. High unpaired cards such as A-K can make top pair with a strong kicker. Suited cards can make a flush together, and connected cards can make a straight. Those possibilities help, but they do not guarantee a profitable call. A small suited hand can make a flush and still lose to a higher flush. A weak ace can make top pair and still lose to an ace with a better kicker.
Use the chart for the action you actually face. If everyone folds to you on the button, you are deciding whether to open. If another player has already raised, you are deciding whether to fold, call, or re-raise against a stronger range. The first chart cannot answer the second question. Our six-player trainer uses tighter opening ranges from early seats and wider ones from the cutoff and button.
A practical first-hand routine
- Read your two cards and translate them into chart notation.
- Find the button and your seat. Count who can still act.
- Check whether the pot is unopened, limped, or raised.
- Compare the hand with the matching chart, then consider stack depth and any unusual action.
For example, A♠ Q♠ is AQs. If action folds to you on the button at a 1/2 practice table, the trainer's baseline opens to 5 chips. If a player has already re-raised, stop and use a facing-a-raise decision instead. Try the linked trainer spot, then continue with how to open the pot.
A hand chart describes a default situation. Stack size, prior raises, and opponents can change the best action.
MAKE THE CALL
What does KQs mean?
Start with a prepared decision, then play the rest of the hand with practice chips. Turn on guidance to see the trainer's reasoning.