TEXAS HOLDEM ONLINE POKER

Generally speaking, one should try to set the highest two-card hand that you can legally set (that is, the best two-card hand that still leaves a higher five-card hand behind). More specifically, one should expect and "average" hand to be something like a medium-to-high pair behind in the five-card hand and an ace-high in front.

A close approximation can be done with only a few rules of thumb. If you are playing in a casino, you can always ask that your hand be set "house way" if you are in doubt; most house strategies are quite reasonable (though they are generally conservative, leading to more pushes).

If you have no pair, no straights, and no flushes, set the second and third-higest cards in your two-card hand. For example, with K-Q-J-9-7-4-3, play Q-J and K-9-7-4-3. There are a few minor exceptions to this (for example, with A-Q-10-9-5-4-2 it is slightly better to play Q-9 and A-10-5-4-2), but these are rare and don't affect your win rate much.

If you have nothing a single pair, set it in your five-card hand and put the two highest remaining cards in your two-card hand. For example, with A-Q-Q-9-6-5-3, play A-9 and Q-Q-6-5-3. There are no exceptions to this rule. This rule and the rule above will cover 90% of the hands you play.

Two pair is the most common case where strategy isn't obvious. You can either play the high pair behind and small pair in front, or else two pair behind and high cards in front. The smaller your high pair and higher your remaining cards, the more you should be inclined to play two pair behind.

If your side cards are small, or your larger pair is large, split the pairs. You should always split pairs if your high pair is aces, and almost always split if your high pair is kings or queens; they are high enough by themselves. With something like J-J-4-4-A-Q-5 you can consider playing A-Q and J-J-4-4-5-, since A-Q in front is not much worse than 4-4, but two pair behind is much better than a single pair of jacks.

Jacks and tens might be more inclined to split, because tens in front is much better than A-Q. With pairs as small as 7s and 8s, you might consider playing two pair behind if you can play a king-high or better in front. With 2s and 3s, you might even play as little as a queen-high in front. If you have no side cards higher than a jack, always split pairs, even 2s and 3s.

Three pair is a very good hand. Always play the highest pair in front, no exceptions. For example, with K-K-7-7-4-4-A, play K-K and 7-7-4-4-A.

If you have three of a kind and nothing else, play three of a kind behind and remaining high cards in front, unless they are aces--always split three aces, playing a pair of aces behind and ace-high in front. Occasionally, you can even split three kings if your remaining side cards are not queen-high (for example, with K-K-K-J-9-7-6, it is slightly better to play K-J and K-K-9-7-6 than to play J-9 and K-K-K-7-6).

If you can play a straight or a flush or both, play whichever straight-or-better five-card hand makes the best two-card hand. For example, with K?-9?-8?-7?-6?-5?-4?, playing the flush would put 8-6 in front, playing the 9-high straight would put K-4 up front, but the correct play is K-9 and 8-7-6-5-4. Occasionally, you will have a straight or flush with two pair; in that case, play as if it were two pair and ignore the straight or flush. This rule applies even if you can play a straight flush: if a straight or flush makes a better hand in front, play it that way.

With a full house, generally play trips behind and the pair in front. The exception is if the pair is very small and your side cards are very high, for example, with 5-5-5-3-3-A-Q, it might be better to play A-Q with the full house behind. These are rare, though, and you will never be making a big mistake if you never play a full house behind.

With two sets of trips, play the higher as a pair in front, and the smaller trips behind. For example, with Q-Q-Q-7-7-7-A, play Q-Q and 7-7-7-A-Q. No exceptions.

With four of a kind, play as if it were two pair, but be slightly less inclined to split. For example, with 10-10-10-10-J-5-4, play 10-10 and 10-10-J-5-4; with 3-3-3-3-K-Q-7, play K-Q and 3-3-3-3-7.

With three pair and a straight or flush (only possible with the joker), play as three pair (aces in front).

The cases below will probably never happen to you, but just in case

With four of a kind and a pair, play the pair in front unless it is very small and the four of a kind is very large. For example, with 9-9-9-9-7-7-K, play 7-7 and 9-9-9-9-K, but with Q-Q-Q-Q-3-3-9, you might play Q-Q and Q-Q-3-3-9.

With a full house and a pair, play the higher pair in front and a full house in back.

With four of a kind and trips, split the four to play a pair in front and full house behind.

With all four aces and the joker, play a pair of aces in front and three aces (or a full house) behind.