Tournament Starting Hand Selection: What To Play in Early Stages of Texas Hold’em Tourneys URL has been copied successfully! Surviving the early game with a solid stack and minimal risk is often the best setup for later success In the early stages of a Texas Hold’em tournament, smart starting hand selection can set the tone for your entire run. With deep stacks and relatively low blinds, there’s no need to take unnecessary risks. Instead, patience and discipline are key as you navigate this phase. Strong starting hands like high pocket pairs (A-A, K-K, Q-Q) and big suited connectors (A-K suited, A-Q suited) should be your main focus. These hands give you solid preflop equity and are easier to play post-flop, especially when facing multiple opponents. In early position, you want to be even more selective. Opening with anything less than premium hands can get you into tricky situations, particularly if you’re out of position after the flop. Middle and late positions offer more flexibility, but that doesn’t mean you should play loose. Medium pairs (like 8-8 or 9-9), suited aces, and broadway hands (K-Q, Q-J) are reasonable to open with in these spots, especially if the table is playing tight. However, avoid speculative hands like suited one-gappers or weak aces unless you’re confident in your post-flop skills and the table dynamics support more creative play. It’s also important to factor in your table image and the tendencies of your opponents. If you’re at a table where players are calling wide, even a decent hand like A-J offsuit can get you in trouble. On the flip side, a tight table might reward slightly more aggressive opening ranges from middle position and beyond. In early levels, it’s not about accumulating a massive chip lead. The real goal is to avoid bad spots and chip away when the time is right. Play your strong hands, fold the marginal ones, and let the looser players knock each other out.