Worst Possible Hand In Texas Holdem

In Texas Hold ‘Em, the worst starting hand you can be dealt is a 7-2 off suit. These are the lowest numbers you can have that cannot make a straight. In online games, it is known as “the hammer,” and sometimes players will play it for fun because, being the worst possible hand, it is a novelty. Apr 06, 2020 It is possible that your king or queen could be paired up and you win the hand. It’s also possible those shiny face cards lull you into a false sense of security and you lose. Jack/Ten Off-Suit. If you think king/queen off-suit is bad, imagine how much worse this texas holdem starting hand is. Still, it’s one I’ve kept and lost with. I know the answer, this is a trivia question. Disregard suits, i never play with one suit having more value than another.

The Situation:

You’re playing heads-up $5/$10 No-Limit Texas Hold’em cash with full 100bb stacks. Your opponent is a player who will call a shove with any two cards.

The Question:

What’s the worst possible hand you could jam with in this situation?

• (a) 7-2 offsuit

• (b) Q-2 offsuit

• (c) 3-2 offsuit

• (d) Other

Please leave your answer in the comments below before scrolling down and reading the analysis and answer.

Done that? Great. Now read on for the analysis and answer…

The Analysis:

Conventional wisdom in poker is that an offsuit 7-2 is the worst possible hand you can open with before the flop. In fact, many popular side bets in poker center around winning with the so-called 7-2 “beer hand.” Against a top 20% hand, for instance, 7-2 is in fact the W.H.I.P., or Worst Hand In Poker….

Texas Holdem Odds Chart

…ah, but in the specific situation of this quiz, in which your opponent will call a shove with any two cards, regardless of their strength, offsuit 3-2 is actually a slightly worse hand.

To see this, we can run an equity calculator (such as the awesome Poker Cruncher app) and compare the three quiz answer hands against a range comprised of ATC, or Any Two Cards.

7-2o Against ATC:

The Answer:

(c) 3-2 offsuit is the WHIP—in this specific scenario.

The Discussion:

There are a few things worth adding to the discussion:

• Close Equities. The respective equities of 7-2 and 3-2 against ATC are not very different; they’re both in the low 30% range. And these values actually aren’t terrible. If you were facing an all-in situation with your last $32 and there was $100 in the pot, you’d be justified in making the call with an offsuit trey-deuce.

• Calling Ranges Matter. Against a top 20% hand range, 7-2 offsuit slips below 3-2 offsuit in strength, with just 27.7% equity against 29.2%, respectively.

• The (Not So) Mighty Q-2. The Q-2 offsuit hand is nearly a coin-flip against an ATC calling range. But against a top 20% hand range, the equity drops significantly to just 31.3%. I.e., against someone who calls with ATC, Q-2 is a fairly strong hand, but against someone more discerning with their calling range, Q-2 ain’t great.

• Equity Calculator. If you don’t already have one, I highly recommend getting an equity calculator and learning to use it. For Mac users (like me) and iOS and Android users, I highly recommend Poker Cruncher. And if you’re on a Windows machine, the industry standard is Flopzilla. Both programs are powerful and easy use.

• Other WHIPs. Finally, what was amusing to me when I first posted this question was the number of non-standard responses I received from readers, including AQ, AK, KK, and JJ. The question these folks were actually answering was not “What is the worst preflop starting hand heads-up against ATC,” but rather “What hands do they lose the most money with and/or have the most trouble with?” These are very different kettles of fish altogether…

The Bottom Line:

Always carefully read a hand situation closely before jumping in with the answer/decision to make. Like everything in poker, the answer usually depends. Against a heads-up opponent who will call with any two cards, 3-2 offsuit is the WHIP. But against a stronger calling range, 7-2 offsuit is the WHIP. And if you move beyond the flop… well, all bets are off. Pocket Kings just may in fact be your own personal worst hand in poker!

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This article will discuss a very important topic in texas hold’em, which is starting hand requirements, and more specifically, which kinds of hands you should avoid playing.

It is an incredibly crucial concept to get your head around as novice players can easily be mistaken for thinking they can play a super wide range of hands because they’ve seen some high stakes pro take down a huge pot after playing a very mediocre holding like one discussed below.

But this is playing poker dangerously even the worst starting hands in Texas Hold’em can give professional players headaches and even though poker pros play a lot of hands, doesn’t mean the novice player is capable of doing the same, as they lack post flop abilities.

When you’re dealt one of the worst starting hands, however, there is no reason to play like a donkey. The key is playing a solid game and having the discipline to muck mediocre hands that you know can get you into trouble.

1. 7-2 7-2 off suit is undoubtedly the worst starting hand in Texas Hold’em. These two are the lowest possible cards that cannot make a straight. After all, there are four cards between 2 and 7. In fact, even when they are suited, they make a very low flush or, in the event that either becomes a pair, a horribly low hand. Because 7-2 is the worst starting hand, many players ham it up and play it for fun.

2. 8-2 8-2 earns a place among the worst starting hands in Texas Hold’em for precisely the same reason that 7-2 does. Suited or not, you’d do well to hold or fold this hand.

3. Tie: 8-3 and 7-3 While these are slightly better than the first two, they’re some of the worst starting hands known to man. These two can beat no other hands except for the first two.

4. 6-2 Against four players, this hand is expected to lose 90% of the time. These are terrible odds, and this is precisely why 6-2 is one of the worst starting hands a player could ever get.

5. Tie: 9-2, 9-3, and 9-4 Here’s one reason why these three qualify under worst starting hands: the only thing going for them is the 9. But even if the 9 pairs, you’ll still be left with a middle pair that could be beaten by pocket 10s, jacks, queens, kings, or aces.

6. 10-2 This hand has been conferred an almost mythical sheen because ferocious poker player Doyle Brunson used it to capture two World Series of Poker Bracelets. But think wisely. You are not Doyle Brunson, who is widely considered one of the best at the game. Unless you are Doyle Brunson or someone better than Doyle Brunson, please do not convince yourself this is a good hand.

Worst Poker Hand In Texas Holdem

7. 9-5 People call the 9-5 the Dolly Parton and despite it being one of the worst starting hands in Hold’em, many play it because it’s fun. Unfortunately, a funny name doesn’t guarantee a sure win, and 9-5 is a statistically proven loser.

8. Tie: 7-4, 5-4, 5-3, 6-3… Do not even contemplate holding onto these starting hands. Toss ‘em. Please just toss ‘em. Even when suited, these rarely win, and you can be up against better flush combinations.

9. Face card + low card, unsuited Here’s a common mistake that beginners make. Once they see any paint (such as jacks, queens, or kings), they play it. While this may not be the worst starting hand one could get, it could fool you into thinking you have a winning hand with top pair, when you don’t.

Worst Possible Hand In Texas Holdem Real Money

10. Ace + low card, unsuited. Also known as playing ace rags. This is another mistake that you see lots of beginners make. They play the ace plus a low card. While heads-up, this is a good hand, it seldom wins at a full ring table since there is a good chance you will be dominated.

Now that you know what the ten worst starting hands are to play in no limit texas hold’em, you can hopefully find a way to work your play around them by having the patience and discipline to avoid playing these junk hands that have little chance of being the winner at showdown. After all, no general should have to lose the war just because of a few rotten soldiers.

Worst Possible Hand In Texas Holdem Game

The problem with playing these garbage hands is that because you will rarely flop a big hand with them, when you decide to play them, you’ll often be tempted to bluff more often when it’s the wrong time and the wrong opponent to try and bluff, simply because you can’t win at showdown. You can avoid all of this if you simply decide to just fold the worst starting hands before the flop.