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Question 2: What do you think of the charts that show correct starting hands for Poker Hold’em?

A: The charts that show correct starting hands for poker are usually presumed to substitute for thinking about the game context. But these poker charts can be quite harmful, as you need to think a great deal in poker in order to develop your skills and improve your game. In my opinion, these can be helpful for only beginners and intermediate poker players. They are less helpful for advanced poker players (although when an advanced player hits a losing streak, it can be a good idea to go back and review material like this, as the advanced player may be getting into trouble by playing too many hands). As poker players achieve mastery over the game, they stop thinking of hands in terms of groups of cards and start understanding the unique characteristics of each hand. As an example, I think J-J and A-K suited play very, very differently, and yet they are in the same group in most starting hand charts (and deserve to be, as their VALUE is similar, but the way you should play them, and the kind of pots they do well in, is very different!).