The basic play of Texas Hold Em Poker hands forms the essential foundation for any successful poker player.

Whenever you are playing Texas Hold Em Poker the hands you play can often depict whether you are one round away from being a massive winner or one round away from losing absolutely everything because in No Limit Texas Hold Em Poker, all your chips are at risk every single time you play a hand. The only exception to this is if your opponent has less chips then you of course.

In ever poker game you play your goal is to win the most chips possible. Your secondary goal is to lose the least amount of chips possible. You need to remember these goals when you are playing. You should always play good starting hands if you can. Since you usually aren't dealt very good starting hands that often you should probably be folding most of the hands you get before seeing the flop. Generally speaking, the hands you want to stay in for are pockets of high pairs; so aces, kings and queens, or two premium cards like ace-king or king-queen, suited or unsuited. Depending on your position at the table you may be able to play a few different other hands.

The hands you can play and which ones you can't will be greatly affected by your position in the betting sequence for that round. You will need progressively better hands the closer you get to the big blind. So in last position you will be able to get away with a much worse starting hand then if you were under the gun.

With all other things being equal, if you are in first or second position you only ever want to play exceptionally great hands, like a premium pair. If you are in one of the middle positions you can probably play any good pair and or two high cards headed by an ace or a king. When you are sitting on the button you can play practically any pair and also suited connectors. Remember though, you must be very careful and particular about what hands you play when you are the small or big blind.

So when you are playing any of the Texas Hold Em Poker hands you need to remember your primary goal. You are trying to win the most chips possible. Keep in mind your secondary goal; to lose the least chips possible. If you are playing very weak hands you may not be able to reach these goals. Generally you want to be playing only good starting hands. If you are on the button you can play slightly weaker hands and get away with it. The fact of the matter is, you just have to fold alot of cards waiting for the good hands.