Still, that’s a lot of starting hand combinations - too many for most of us humans to keep in our heads - which is one reason hand ranking charts are appealing and even can be useful, since they help players think about certain two-card combos as “strong” or “average” or “weak” as possible starters. The total of 169 combinations represents a square, too - 13 x 13 - another curious symmetry when it comes to hold'em hands.

Notice now the non-paired combinations of hole cards neatly divide into equal groups, both of which are six times as large (78) as the smaller group of pocket pairs (13).

78 non-paired unsuited hands (e.g., with two cards of different suits like A ♠ 7 ♦ or 8 ♣ 7 ♥).

78 non-paired suited hands (e.g., with two cards of the same suit like A ♠ 7 ♠ or 8 ♥ 7 ♥).

So we get rid of all of those redundant hands and say that in Texas hold'em there are 169 “non-equivalent” starting hands, breaking them down as follows: While there are six different ways to get pocket aces - A ♠ A ♥, A ♠ A ♦, A ♠ A ♣, A ♦ A ♥, A ♦ A ♣, A ♥ A ♣ - you're equally happy no matter what suits the cards are. So, too, are the different combinations producing the same pocket pairs all equal before the flop in terms of their relative worth. That is to say, A ♥ K ♥ is of the same value as A ♣ K ♣ when playing preflop, while 8 ♣ 7 ♦ and 8 ♥ 7 ♠ are also of equivalent value. But that total also considers suits as distinct, when in fact before the community cards come the suits are all essentially of equal value. In truth, there are actually a lot more possible combinations of hole cards in hold’em - 1,326 of them, in fact. For those of us who enjoy working with numbers or creating lists with which to organize our lives, there’s something appealing about the idea of ranking all of those hands from 1 to 169, even if we know such a list probably might have only limited value when it comes to actual game play. In hold’em there are 169 different combinations of hands you can be dealt. Even those with many years of experience who have little need to consult such charts still find them interesting as debate-starters. For a certain segment of new hold’em players, starting hand charts can be fascinating.

Nl texas holdem starting hands