How to calculate whether or not you have a premium starting hand.

Introducing a simple numerical system you can use to easily check whether or not you have a premium starting hand in Texas Hold'em poker.

The All The Aces desk27 December 2005Odds & Edge

18+ onlyWritten, edited and fact-checked by the All The Aces desk in Britain — how we work and how we correct mistakes. Some links out are paid placements; they are not reviews, and nobody pays for coverage. Gambling in the UK is licensed by the Gambling Commission, and nothing here is advice to bet.

How YOU Can Make A
Six-Figure Income
Playing Online Poker!

A KEY TO SUCCESS
One of the keys to success at Texas Hold’em is knowing how to calculate whether or not you have a premium starting hand.
Here is a simple numerical system you can use to figure out the real value of your hole cards. Add together the value of your two hole cards using the following points table. Ace-16pts King-14pts Queen 13 pts Jack-12 pts ten-11pts. Every other card is worth its face value. E.g. a three is 3pts and a seven is 7pts. Okay. If your two hole cards are same suited add 4pts to their combined total, if your two cards are paired, add 10 pts to their combined value. If your hole cards are connected E.g. jack-queen or ten-jack etc, add 3pts.
If your hole cards have a one card “gap” E.g. ten-queen or jack-king, add two points and if they have a two card gap, add just 1pt to their combined value.

HERE’S THE RESULT
If having followed the above simple calculations your “start hand” totals 30 pts or more it is definitely a premium hand and may be played from all positions if you are not facing a raise.

OTHER OPTIONS
From mid-position you could play unraised hands with 27pts and in late position you can go with hands at 25pts or above. If you are considering a raise or calling a raise you should ideally have 34 pts from early position, 31 pts in mid-position and 29 pts from late position.

STAT FACTS
Various simulations have proved that by using the 30 pt system detailed above a player in a normal ten handed game will win in just under 20% of games. In other words your chances are DOUBLED!

ALL THE ACES £3.99
You can buy the 148 page pocket-size Daily Star guide to insider strategies for fast track poker mastery from Woolworths, Forbuoys, Martins, Mercury News, Roadchef, Stars, Mills, Snax 24 and all good newsagents. It’s a mini marvel. Get it while stocks last. Available online here!

ALL THE ACES poker column:
Tuesday December 27, 2005:
How to calculate whether or not you have a premium starting hand

Game	Bet or rule	House edge
Craps	Odds Bet (behind the line)	0%
Blackjack	3:2, dealer stands soft 17, basic strategy	~0.5%
Video poker	Jacks or Better 9/6, perfect play	~0.5%
Baccarat	Banker (5% commission)	~1.06%
Baccarat	Player	~1.24%
Craps	Don’t Pass / Don’t Come	~1.36%
Craps	Pass Line / Come	~1.41%
Pai gow poker	Effective, with pushes counted	~1.5–2.5%
Craps	Place 6 or 8	~1.52%
Blackjack	Blackjack pays 6:5	~1.8–2.0%
Roulette	European, single zero	2.70%
Sic bo	Big / Small	~2.8%
Slots	Low volatility (varies by game)	~3–6%
Slots	High volatility (varies by game)	~4–8%
Roulette	American, double zero	5.26%
Craps	Proposition bets	~9–16%+
Baccarat	Tie at 8:1	~14.3%
Sic bo	Triples	up to 33%

Rule or setting	Good for you?	Why it matters
Blackjack pays 3:2	yes	Higher payout on naturals lowers house edge. Prefer this over 6:5.
Blackjack pays 6:5	no	You get less for the same hand. Avoid when you can.
Dealer stands on soft 17 (S17)	yes	Dealer takes fewer extra cards; edge is a bit lower for you.
Dealer hits soft 17 (H17)	no	Dealer improves weak hands more often; edge rises.
Double after split (DAS)	yes	More chances to add money when you have a strong split hand.
Resplit aces	yes	More value from aces. Not all games allow it.
Fewer decks	often	In general, fewer decks can be slightly better if other rules are equal.

Read next in Odds & Edge