Everyone has a favorite starting poker hand. Obviously, we all want to start with AA or KK, but I’m talking about a hand that isn’t necessarily a strong one, but one with which you have had success with over the years.
The most famous such example is 10-2, the hand Doyle Brunson made famous (and the hand that is named after him) because we won two straight world Series of Poker main events in 1976 and 77 with the seemingly nondescript hand. Brunson once said that later that the notoriety he made with the hand ended up hurting him for several years after that, as he would routinely play the not-so-strong starting hand because of his history with it.
And that is a valuable lesson for those who would fall in love with a favorite starting hand. I know someone who once hit a straight flush with a 6-7 of spades starting hand; now for the rest of his poker playing days he’ll always play that hand when dealt it.
Now, it’s not such a bad starting hand, it’s not great either, but for every one time he wins with the hand there are 9 times he loses, especially when foolishly chasing a flush or straight with it.
My personal favorite starting hand is K-8. There have been several hands throughout my poker playing career where I have won spectacular, improbable pots with it. But there’s even more times, times I don’t remember, that I’ve lost with it.
So while it is great to have a favorite, lucky poker hand, it’s more important to know when to throw it away.
