2-7 Offsuit Plays The Worst at a Full Table

Q: What Is The Worst Starting Hand in Texas Hold'em?

A: What is the worst starting hand in Texas Hold'em?

In a regular full-table game, the answer is the dreaded 2-7 offsuit. This hand plays the worst at a table full of players.

There are 169 different hand combinations (ignoring the different suits) that you can be dealt in Texas Hold'em.

The very best hand, of course, is pocket Aces (A-A).

On the opposite end of the spectrum, here are the five worst hands to be dealt:

3-9 offsuit
2-9 offsuit
3-8 offsuit
2-8 offsuit
2-7 offsuit

In simulations, the 2-7 offsuit starting hand will only win 4% of the time against nine random hands.

Compare this to pocket aces, which will win over 30% of the time against nine random hands.

Of course, pocket Aces become even stronger in a game where hands are being played properly, as many of the random hands that will end up beating pocket Aces after the flop, turn and river will have already been folded.

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2-7 offsuit is such a bad hand that some games will give bonuses to players who win with the 2-7 offsuit.

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Here is a famous bluff by Tom "durrrr" Dwan when he was dealt 2-7 offsuit:




Winning with the hand is usually done in an attempt to needle the other player, which is why Dwan decided not to just fold.

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It should be noted that if you are playing in a heads-up match, the worst starting hand changes, as 3-5 offsuit plays worse than 2-7 offsuit heads-up.


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