169 Hold'em Starting Hands
There are 1,326 ways to be dealt two cards, but only 169 distinct hands. Every number here is counted from combinations, not copied from a chart.
Full chart
Above the diagonal is suited, the diagonal itself is pocket pairs, below is offsuit. Darker means a higher Chen score.
By type
- Pocket pair
- 13
- Suited
- 78
- Offsuit
- 78
Two cards of the same rank. Six suit pairings, so the rarest type to be dealt.
Two cards of the same suit. Only four combinations, but the flush door stays open.
Two cards of different suits. Twelve combinations, so the most common type — and no flush to hope for.
By tier
Playable
30Chen 6–7 — for late position or a short table.
Marginal
47Chen 4–5 — only worth it when the conditions line up.
Common questions
Q. Why are there only 169 starting hands?
Two cards can come in 1,326 ways, but hands that differ only by which suit are equally strong. 13 pocket pairs + 78 suited + 78 offsuit = 169.
Q. What is the Chen score?
The Chen formula scores the top card, doubles it for a pair, adds 2 when suited and subtracts for the gap between the cards.
Q. Is suited really that much better?
Suited cards flop a flush draw 10.94% of the time and a made flush 0.84%. It looks small, but offsuit hands have none of it.