The two pocket cards in Texas Hold'em or the first three cards in 7-Card stud.
Refers to a players cards in such games as Texas Hold'em, Omaha, or 7 Card Stud.
The cards you hold before the first betting round. In hold’em your starting hand is your pocket cards and in 7-stud you starting hand is your holecards plus your doorcard.
In poker, the starting hand is the initial set of cards dealt to each player before any voluntary betting takes place. For example, in Seven-card stud this is two downcards and one upcard; in Texas hold'em it is two downcards; in Five-card draw it is five cards.