Preflop Hand Rankings

The preflop hand rankings chart above organizes all 169 unique Texas Hold'em starting hand categories into a visual 13×13 grid. Pocket pairs run along the diagonal (AA, KK, QQ, etc.), suited hands appear above the diagonal, and offsuit hands below. Each cell is color-coded into one of six tiers based on overall hand strength for 9-max cash games.

Tier 1 — Premium hands (AA, KK, QQ, AKs, AQs, AKo) are the strongest starting hands in poker. They should be raised or re-raised from any position at the table. These hands have the highest equity against random holdings and dominate most opponents' ranges.

Tier 2 — Strong hands (JJ, TT, AJs, ATs, KQs, KJs, QJs, AQo, AJo) are profitable open-raises from any position and strong 3-bet candidates against late position opens. They perform well in heads-up pots and have good equity against typical calling ranges.

Tier 3 — Playable hands include medium pairs (99, 88, 77), all remaining suited Aces (A9s-A2s), broadway connectors (KTs, QTs, JTs, T9s), and offsuit hands like ATo, KQo, KJo. Solid from middle position onward but fold to heavy action from early position.

Tier 4 — Speculative hands such as small pairs (66-44), suited Kings (K8s-K2s), suited connectors (98s, 87s, 76s, 65s, 54s), and offsuit broadways (KTo, QJo, JTo) need position and implied odds to profit. Best played from the hijack, cutoff, or button.

Tier 5 — Marginal hands include 33, 22, suited Queens (Q8s-Q2s), weak suited connectors, and a few offsuit hands like A9o and QTo. Open only from the cutoff or button, or defend the big blind against late position steals.

Tier 6 — Fold hands make up the majority of starting hand combinations. These should generally be folded preflop from all positions. Occasionally defend from the big blind at a discount, but avoid voluntarily putting money in with these holdings.

Position is one of the most critical factors in preflop hand selection. The chart above includes seven position filters for a standard 9-max cash game table. Use them to see recommended opening ranges for each seat.

UTG (Under the Gun) — The tightest seat with 8 players left to act. Play only premium and strong hands: pairs AA-99, suited broadways, and AKo-AJo. Roughly 12% of starting hands.

UTG+1 — Slightly wider than UTG. Add 88, A9s, KTs, QTs, and JTs. About 14% of starting hands.

Middle Position (MP) — With fewer players behind you, add 77, A8s, A5s, T9s, ATo, and KQo. Your range widens to about 16% of hands.

Hijack (HJ) — The transition to late position. Add 66, all remaining suited Aces, K9s, Q9s, J9s, suited connectors, KJo, and ATo. About 20% of hands.

Cutoff (CO) — With only two players behind you (button and blinds), open most Tier 1-4 hands plus suited connectors and gappers. About 27% of starting hands.

Button (BTN) — The most profitable seat. Open roughly 40% of hands including all pairs, most suited hands, and many offsuit broadways. You'll always have position postflop.

Small Blind (SB) — Similar width to the cutoff (~30% of hands). Raise to isolate the big blind, or 3-bet against late position opens. You'll be out of position postflop, so stick to hands with good equity.

Suited hands outperform offsuit — Having both cards in the same suit adds roughly 3-4% equity compared to the offsuit version. This is because suited hands can make flushes, giving them an extra way to win. Over thousands of hands, this edge is substantial and is why suited hands are in a higher tier than their offsuit counterparts.

Connectors have more playability — Hands where the ranks are close together (like JTs, T9s, 98s) can make straights, giving them extra postflop value compared to gapped hands. Suited connectors are among the best speculative hands because they can make both straights and flushes.

Avoid dominated hands — Hands like KTo, QTo, and J9o are traps because when you hit a pair, you often have a weaker kicker than your opponent. Being dominated (sharing a card with a better kicker) costs you significant equity.

Tighten up against raises — This chart shows opening ranges (being the first to put in a raise). When facing a raise, especially from early position, tighten your range significantly. Only continue with hands that play well against the raiser's perceived range.

Adjust for table dynamics — These ranges are starting points for a typical 9-handed game. Against tight players, you can open wider. Against aggressive opponents who 3-bet frequently, tighten your opening range and be prepared to either fold or 4-bet.