What are good hands and bad hands in Texas Hold 'Em?

Answer 1

A bad hand in Poker is a hand that has a low probability of winning. This can vary depending on the specific game and the situation, but generally, a bad hand in poker would be one that has low-value cards or no potential for a strong combination. For example, a hand with no pairs, no high cards, and no suited cards would be considered a bad hand in most poker games. It's important to note that even with a bad hand, skilled players can use strategies such as bluffing to try to win the pot.

Answer 2

Depending on the point in the game a bad hand is one which is the underdog (has little chance of winning) or becomes unplayable on further betting rounds.

The underdog case is clear, if you have cards which have a very low chance of winning then you clearly have a bad hand. This is usually easy to decide. For starting hands a chart can usually be consulted which tells you what hands are good and bad. On furhter betting rounds it becomes an issue of counting outs and calculating pot odds.

The unplayable case is a bit muddier. Say for example in Texas hold'em you have pocket eights on a flop with a queen, a nine, and a two. Unless the other player holds a queen or nine you are the favourite to win. However, the other player can easily bet to represent a pair and then you are in a difficult position. This gets worse should another face card show up on the turn or river. So while 88 is okay preflop, it quickly becomes bad hand. Bad here means not a bad chance of winning, but a good chance of playing it wrong and losing money.