Starting hand selection is the first and most important decision you will make in any hand. This is where you decide whether you’re going to play the hand or not.

When playing Texas Hold’em, the starting hand choices depend on your level of skill and the environment of the table at which you’re playing. Novice players should stick to good starting hands. A good rule is to only play with pocket pairs and two cards that add up to 20 or 21. This will limit the number of hands you play, but it will increase your winning percentage.

Once your game develops, you can start to add other types of hands like suited-connectors and Ace-suited. Even smaller connecting cards become a good choice when your position is right and you can get into the hand for a small price. But be careful not to play too many hands; that behaviour is rarely a profitable practice.