In poker, choosing the right starting hand to play is very important. Unless you are maintaining a loose playing style, playing every hand you are dealt will simply cost you a lot of money. Good poker starting hands include high pairs and any of the A-x combination. Even with top starting hands such as pocket pair of Aces or same-suited A-K, you still need to approach the game carefully and assess the relative strength of your hand before making your move.

Slow-playing would be the best strategy to use if you want to limit your risks accordingly. To do that, you simply lay low and check or call existing bet. Raising early in the round can help eliminate unwanted opponents with mediocre hands and stop them constructing stronger hands later on in the round, but you will also be exposing the relative strength of your hand in the process.

Let your opponents do all the raising while you carefully observe their betting pattern. You need to be able to determine the relative strength of your hand in order to make the right move. Even when you have pocket pair of Aces in hand, a Three of a Kind can easily beat your top pair hands down.

Project the best possible hand according to dealt table cards and see how well your hand is compared to that strongest possible hand. This way, you can safely raise the bet substantially and win more money knowing that you have what it takes to win the round.