Zakary Hughes 
The optimal poker hands are those that statistically have the best chance of securing victory at showdown, making them essential in assessing an opponent’s range. Understanding this concept allows you to accurately judge their range from hand to hand.
Pocket queens are a strong starting hand that should be played aggressively preflop. However, should an ace hit on the flop they will lose their advantage and end up losing outright.
Ace King
Ace King is the strongest drawing hand in poker and stands a good chance of becoming either a top pair, two pairs or even a straight or flush on the flop. Furthermore, it largely dominates other paired hands – being particularly effective against aces, kings and queens but vulnerable against higher premium pocket pairs such as KK, QQ or JJ.
When playing AK, always raise it against tight 3-bet ranges preflop and all positions. Avoid limping with it or passively playing against big maniacs who may play passively against it.
Queens and Jacks
Queens and Jacks poker hand can be an extremely powerful starting hand, however it can become vulnerable over time as straights and flushes become possible against your opponent if he/she holds King-Queen pair.
If two hands with equal ranks contain equal ranks, the one with a higher fifth card usually wins; for instance A-4-4-4-2 will outwit 4-4-4-4-3 since lower third cards do not matter.
Like good poker players, good players recognize there is an element of chance when playing and do not focus on complaints of poor runs. Complaining will only make you look like an arrogant loser and may give opponents something to focus on against you.
Aces
Strong poker hands can provide long-term profits in games like No-Limit Hold’em and Pot-Limit Omaha, but can also prove costly if played incorrectly.
Play this hand as a drawing hand and push it heavily pre-flop to maximize bluffing opportunities on the flop, giving yourself an edge by forcing other players into battles over time.
Kings
Pocket queens can be an extremely effective starting poker hand to collect an enormous pot pre-flop and collect more money in the pot than ever before, but at showdown they won’t hold up as strongly against superior holdings such as Straight Flush or Four of a Kind.
Pocket Kings are another excellent poker starting hand. Tough to beat without being suited, pocket Kings perform better than other ace-x poker hands in draw hands; they may still fall prey to an AK on the flop and lose significant sums of money.
Tens
Although pocket tens may not be considered one of the premier poker hands, they remain an effective ace-king draw against rags and can outdraw many starting hands. Unfortunately, true premium pairs such as AA, KK, QQ or JJ may destroy them quickly. Ace-King hands also tend to play poorly against pocket tens.
Pre-flop, the Frigid Bitch can be played against heavy betting action; however, post-flop it is best to fold. Due to its distinctive look, this hand has earned itself nicknames such as Frigid Bitch, Snowmen, and Piano Keys.
Eights
The Eights is generally the strongest poker hand available to you in any given situation, beating most other unpaired hands as well as strong top pairs such as pocket aces and kings. When facing aggressive opponents however, be wary when using this hand as it could result in them creating a flopped nut flush against you.
As it does not perform well against straights, this hand should only be played against opponents who play passively and late position. Furthermore, its strength lies in being able to dominate other holdings in preflop situations.
Fives
Poker hands that consist of four cards of equal rank and value (e.g. four 8s and a 5) will generally determine who the victor will be when compared with each other; typically the hand with the highest card wins out.
Pocket queens and pocket jacks are very strong starting hands, yet can quickly be overshadowed by premium pairs like AA, KK, QQ and JJ. Therefore it is wise to play these hands carefully.
Suited connectors are useful poker hands to include in your starting hand range as they add depth and make you harder to read by opponents. Unfortunately, however, they’re weak against suited aces and kings which would likely put an end to them being effective against.
