When you first begin to play poker online, you may find yourself unsure of the basic hands that you should feel comfortable taking into the first round of betting.  This list is a definitive collection of the five best two-card starting hands for Texas Holdem poker games, along with a bit of advice concerning each one.

Ace-Ace

The absolute best pair of hole cards any poker player can ask for, these can be played strongly on their own and when combined with another Ace on the flop, turn or river, they’re unstoppable. Also known as pocket rockets, American Airlines, and bullets.  (Phil Hellmuth famously complained about his luck at the tables by declaring that he was “dodging bullets” during one event.

King-King

The cowboys are only dominated by aces, which means they’re in the upper echelon of starting hands.  Don’t be afraid to raise on the preflop with these bad boys and hold strong to them through the turn unless you get a bad feeling about that guy’s deck.

Queen-Queen

The “ladies” are a very good, very strong hand.  Aces and Kings will beat you, but you’ve still got a dominating control over the vast majority of the field and jacks are likely to be trounced by you.

Ace-King

This is a very strong but tricky hand.  It’s the strongest of the drawing hands but you really have to work with the board to get a pair of Aces or Kings minimum to make it pay off.  Suited versions of this hand are slightly stronger than unsuited, as you’re more likely to hit a flush that way.

Jack-Jack

More than just the cute kid from The Incredibles, Jack-Jack will win almost 20% of the time on their own.  You’ll want to buckle down and be willing to walk away when you see aces, kings, and queens hitting the flop, though, especially if someone raises after that point.

These are just the top five hands you should think about playing, but there’s other worth your consideration.  Ace-Queen, King-Queen, Ace-Jack, King Jack, Ace-Ten are well worth taking to the flop, but these five are dominant and should be played under most circumstances.

With a basic understanding of what hands are good in a game of Texas Hold’em, it will be easier to figure out what kind of poker strategy will work for you as you become a more experienced player. Will you go for an aggressive approach to the game, or is your style more laid back or cautious? There are a lot of different strategies to choose from, but don’t let that overwhelm you — talk to friends who enjoy playing poker and see what works for them and why, and then think about how you could apply these strategies to your own game. If you try out a new idea and find it doesn’t suit you, no harm done. Just try something else, and always remember to keep in mind these basic pointers about the best hands you can have during a game of Texas Hold’em poker.