These hands are the hold'em kiss of death(credit: inkycircus)
You hear a lot about what hands you should play in No Limit Hold'em, but less about what hands to steer clear. Here, you’re going to get a list of the worst possible starting hands in No-Limit Texas Holdem. These hands are the holdem kiss of death. If you take them out of your game, you’ll improve it right away.
Below you'll see the hand and discover why it's considered to be such a bad starting hand:
2,7 These are the lowest two cards in the deck that, when combined, will NOT make a straight. Even if they’re suited, it’s hardly worth the price of the blind. Any flush you’d make with it would probably be beat. This stinker of a hand is often referred to as “the hammer.”
Q,7 This is called the computer hand because a computer program which analyzed the potential profitability of all Texas Holdem hands identified this as the least profitable from an expected value standpoint.
2,10 Sure, sure, this is called the Doyle Brunson hand. He won two WSOP Main Event championships with it. Unfortunately, there is very little good that can come of this hand. A low flush? A small straight? An idiot-end of one? Leave this one to the pros like Doyle to play.
3,9 and 4,9 You’ll miss the high end of the straight with the low card and not complete the bigger end in most cases. Chuck it.
Two and three gap hands These are hands like 6,9 and 7,J in which you’d need two or three cards in between on the board to fill your straight. Don’t tempt the poker gods. They’ll smite you down faster than you can say “suck out!”
Any Ace Don’t get in the habit of playing an Ace with any card, especially if they’re unsuited. You’re almost assuredly going to be out-kicked if you do this.