STARTING HANDS
Position Pot

Status

    
Early Unraised  AA, KK, QQ, AKs, [tight] AK, JJ, AQs, KQs [loose] AA, KK, QQ, AKs, AK should be re-raised in raised pot
Raised  AA, KK, QQ, AKs, [tight] JJ, AQs, AJs [loose]  
Reraised  AA, KK, QQ, AKs, AK
Middle Unraised  AA, KK, QQ, AKs, AK, AQs, AJs, KQs, JJ, AQ, ATs, KJs   QJs, JTs, AJ, AT, KQ, KTs, QTs, J9s, T9s, 98s, Pairs 99 down to 22  
Raised  AA, KK, QQ, AKs, AK, JJ, AQs, AQ, AJs  
Reraised  AA, KK, QQ, AKs, AK  
Late Unraised  AA, KK, QQ, AKs, AK, JJ, TT, AQs, AQ, AJs, AJ, ATs, AT, Axs, A9, KQs, KQ, KJs, KJ, KTs, KT, K9s, K8s, K7s, QJs, QJ,QTS, QT, Q9s, Q8s, JTs, JT, J9s, J8s, T9s, T8s, 98s, 87S, 76s, Pairs 99 to 22  Raise Pairs 99  to 77 if first in, only call pairs 66 down to 22 with multiple players
Raised AA, KK, QQ, JJ, TT, 99, AKs, AK, AQs, AQ, AJs, KQs  
Reraised AA, KK, QQ. AKs, AK  
Small Blind Unraised AA,KK, QQ, JJ, TT, Pairs 99 - 22, AKs, AK, AQs, AQ, AJs, ATs, AJ, AT, A9s, A9, A8, Axs, Ax, KQs, KQ, KJs, KJ, KTs, KT, K9s, QJs, QJ, QTs, QT,Q9s, Q8s, JTs, JT, J9s, J8s, T9s, T9, 98s, 87s, 76s In unraised pot hands such as 98, 97s, 87, 86s, 85s, 76, 75s, 65s, 65, 64s, 54s, 54, 53s, 43s, and 32s may be called with multiple players in the pot.
Raised  AA, KK, QQ, JJ, TT, 99, 88, 77, AKs, AK,AQs, AQ. AJs,ATs, AJ, AT  
Big Blind Unraised N/A  
Raised AA, KK, QQ, JJ, TT, 99, AKs, AK, AQs, AQ, AJs, ATs, AJ, AT, A9s, KQs, KQ, KJs, KTs, QJs, QJ, QTs, QT, JTs,  
Reraised AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AKs, AK, AQs, AQ, AJs  
 
It may seem obvious, but deciding which starting hands to play, and which ones to skip playing, is one of the most important Texas Holdem poker decisions you'll make.  Deciding which hand to play begins by accounting for several factors: (1) Starting hand groups; (2) Your table position; (3) Number of players at the table; (4) Chip position.  The later your position at the table (dealer is latest position, small blind is earliest), the more starting hands you should play.  In tournaments, it's always important to keep track of your chips stack size relative to the blinds and everyone else's stacks.  If you're short on chips, then play far fewer hands (tighter), and when you do get a good hand, extract as many chips as you can with it.   If you're the big stack, well, you should avoid unnecessary confrontation, but use your big stack position to push everyone around and steal blinds occasionally, as well - without risking too many chips in the process (the other players will be trying to use you to double-up, so be careful).                                                                                              [excerpted from an Ezine Article by Rick Braddy]