Knowledge of the hands in a poker game can be a great advantage to you — both in the card room and online. This section covers the best and worst starting hands to have in a Texas Hold'em game, as well as some information about trap hands and how to play them. Commit this information to memory as soon as you can; you'll definitely need it come game time.

The Best Starting Hands

Following is a list of the universal best starting hands for Limit Texas Hold'em, starting with the very best hands:

• Ace-Ace (A-A)

• King-King (K-K)

• Queen-Queen (Q-Q)

• Ace-King, suited (A-Ks)

• Ace-Queen, suited (A-Qs)

• Jack-Jack (J-J)

• King-Queen, suited (K-Qs)

• Ace-Jack, suited (A-Js)

• King-Jack, suited (K-Js)

• Ace King, off-suit (A-K)

• Ace-Ten, suited (A-10s)

Obviously, the best two cards anyone can hold in their hand are pocket Aces. For a brief moment you cannot be beat and you will win more hands with these two cards than any other combination of two.

The second best hand would be pocket Kings. The only cards that can beat you before the flop are pocket Aces. Pocket Kings are a very strong starting hand. And when no Aces appear on the board, and with no other stronger hands possible — with the exception of someone holding a smaller pocket pair with a matching third card on the board giving them a set, or three of a kind — pocket Kings should win most of the time.

Always be aware of the higher cards that can beat you. When you are playing pocket Queens, there are only two over cards that can beat you: the Ace and the King. But this is a strong starting hand that you will call all the pre-flop raises to see the flop with. Just be very cautious if an Ace or King hits the flop.

An Ace-King, suited (A-Ks), also known as Big Slick, is a tricky but strong starting hand. If you're drawing for the nut flush or straight, then you have the best two cards in the deck pre-flop. However, if you don't get any help on the flop, you will want to see the turn card as inexpensively as possible. But if there is action, and you see no cards in your suit and you did not pair, then consider folding.

Ace-Queen (A-Q) is the second best drawing hand and quite playable pre-flop.

If you hold a Jack-Jack (J-J) in the hole, you are likely to win about 20 percent of the time. But the last thing you would want to see is an over card such as an Ace, King, or Queen on the flop, especially if there are several hands in the pot.

A suited King-Queen (K-Qs) is a great drawing hand, as is AceJack (A-J), for the nut flush or straight. But if the flop doesn't help you with even a pair and there's action, fold this hand unless you're a glutton for punishment.

In the late positions the King-Jack suited (K-Js) is a very playable hand if you're able to see the flop for no more than one raise. This is because when there is a lot of action before the flop, a suited King-Jack (K-Js), or even an off-suit (K-J), can quickly begin to lose its luster.

An off-suit Ace-King (A-K), also known as Big Slick, is a little trickier than a suited Ace-King (A-Ks), because your only hope for the nut flush with off-suited cards is if four cards to your suited Ace or King hit the board by the river. And if the board does nothing to improve your hand, remember that you can always be beat with a measly pair of deuces.

The last of the best Texas Hold'em starting hands is the suited Ace-Ten (A-10s). And if by sheer luck the King-Queen-Jack (K-Q-J) happens to fall on the board, you've got the nuts! You want to play starting cards that can give you the nuts, which is the best possible hand given what is on the board and what you have in your hand. If you have the nuts, you can't be beat.

The Worst Starting Hands

Here is a list of the worst starting hands for Texas Hold'em:

• Two-Seven (2-7)

• Two-Eight (2-8)

• Three-Seven (3-7) and Three-Eight (3-8)

• Two-Six (2-6)

• Two-Nine (2-9), Three-Nine (3-9), and Four-Nine (4-9)

• Two-Ten (2-10)

• Five-Nine (5-9)

• Four-Seven (4-7), Four-Eight (4-8), Five-Eight (5-8), and Three-Six (3-6)

• King, Queen, or Jack with a low, off-suited card (Kd-5h), (Qd-6h), (Jh-4d)

• Any Ace with a low, unsuited card (Ad-3h)

When dealt any of the worst starting cards, you should almost always muck them unless you are in the blinds and able to see the flop without a raise. However, if you choose to play any of these hands, you should be aware of a few things.

The Seven-Two (7-2) did not get its reputation because it's won a lot of tournaments over the years. Instead, these two cards are the worst two you can get — they can't even make a straight. This is because there are four cards between the Seven and the Two, and only the best five cards make a hand, so the best you can hope for is flopping a set, maybe even a full house. Don't bet your bankroll on it!

The Eight-Two (8-2) is the same problematic hand as the Seven Two (7-2) but with a higher straight or flush draw possibility, making this also a definite folding hand.

The Eight-Three (8-3) and Seven-Three (7-3) starting hands are very problematic hands, and even if you do make your straight, you will probably still be beat.

The Six-Two (6-2) will only give you a straight if the Three-FourFive (3-4-5) cards flop. Don't be surprised when someone else shows you down with the Seven-Six (7-6).

When considering playing the Nine-Two (9-2), Nine-Three (9-3), or Nine-Four (9-4), think kicker. If you flop a pair of Nines or worse, two Nines are on the board and you will have kicker problems with the Two, Three, and Four (2, 3, and 4) cards. And if any over cards are on the board, you will probably be beat by a higher pair.

A Ten-Two (10-2) starting hand is another marginal hand. The best thing it has going for it is the Ten (10). So if the Ace-King-QueenJack (A-K-Q-J) are on the board, you, probably along with another player or two, will have the nut straight.

When considering playing a Nine-Five (9-5), know that in the long run it's a loser.

And know that the Seven-Four (7-4), Eight-Four (8-4), Eight-Five (8-5), and Six-Three (6-3) also will rarely win a pot. Only play them if you are in one of the blinds and can see the flop without a raise.

Playing a face card, or paint, with an unsuited card is a common mistake made by many amateur players. Even if a King is on the board, you'll have kicker problems and will only win if your opponent has a worse kicker.

And then there is that prized Ace with any low unsuited card. Do not give much value to an unsuited Ace with a bad kicker. Although it might hold up once in a while, and you see televised tournament players always raising with an Ace-Anything, if there are any raises ahead of you, then at the very least you are probably out-kicked.

Trap Hands and How to Play Them

Sometimes starting hands that initially appear to be very strong can lose their value quickly as you observe the action around the table. These types of hands usually contain two face cards, K-Q-J, or an A-Anything, and most inexperienced players with these cards will call raises before the flop.

You know you're trapped when you have a piece of the board but feel that you're beat with the turn and/or the river card yet to come. And you probably are trapped if you're up against more than one opponent. The most common trap hands are listed here:

• Ace-Ten (A-10)

• Ace-Jack (A-J)

• King-Queen (K-Q)

• King-Jack (K-J)

• King-Ten (K-10)

• Queen-Jack (Q-J)

• Queen-Ten (Q-10)

When you're limping in with a trap hand and someone raises, you can easily find yourself up against one or more of the best Hold'em starting hands. But in late position, preferably the button position, trap hands can be playable, maybe even a raising hand, depending on the action ahead of you.