Texas holdem odds
In the online version of Texas Hold’em, knowledge of statistics is extremely important and basically a fundamental requirement. However, amateur players should not be frightened off by the thought of making complicated calculations on the fly – it’s really not that difficult. So don’t worry, even if you don’t know a binomial coefficiency from a hole in the ground, just by reading this section will help you be on your way utilizing the information and becoming a better player.
Starting Hands
It is possible to calculate the odds for each of the various starting hand combinations in Texas Hold’em. Here are some of the more significant combos, along with their odds:
| Hand | Odds |
| AK Suited | 331 : 1 |
| AA | 220 : 1 |
| AA, KK, or QQ | 72.7 : 1 |
| Suited cards, jacks or better | 54.3 : 1 |
| Suited connectors | 24.5 : 1 |
Using Pot Odds
You will often hear this term ‘pot odds’ bandied about by pros and amateurs alike. This is because it’s one of the most crucial aspects in developing a strong poker game. In fact, without a solid understanding of the concept of pot odds, you are really limiting the chances you have of becoming a successful and well-rounded player. Now, a few important terms to learn before we talk about pot odds:
Your outs are the unseen cards that will complete or improve your hand to make it a winner. For example, if, after you’ve seen the flop, you have a pair of nines and little else, you might believe that the only card that may help you on the turn and the river is another nine, which would give you a strong set of trips. So, there are two remaining nines in the deck and therefore 2 outs. By determining the number of outs in relation to your pot odds, you can decide if it is worthwhile continuoing.
So, once you have determined how many outs you have, you must now determine your pot odds. To put it as simple as possible, pot odds are the relationship between the size of the pot and the money you must place on your next bet, in order to stay in the hand.
For example, if there is $20 in the pot and your next call is $4, your pot odds are 5:1. More often than not the numbers will not be so easy to calculate, but keep in mind that absolute precision here is not the intention. You just want to have a rough idea of the amount of your next bet in relation to the size of the pot.
Once you have determined your pot odds ratio, you must compare it to your approximate ratio for getting the card needed to improve your hand (and hopefully win you the hand). This ratio is determined by the number of unseen cards left in the deck and the number of outs you have.
Let’s look at an example which will clarify this a bit more. You are in a $3/$6 game and it’s your turn to bet after you have just seen the turn. You are holding 7♠ 10♥ and the board is showing 2♦ 5♥ 8♠ 9♥ So, you’ve got an outside straight draw, which means you have 8 outs (there are two numbers of any suit which will give you the nut straight - 6♥, 6♣, 6♦, 6♠, J♥, J♣, J♦, J♠). ould you risk it and call the bet, hoping to see your card and probably win the hand, or should you fold? This is where analyzing your pot odds can help you decide.
You know there are 52 cards in a deck and apart from your two hole cards and the four shared cards on the board (the flop and the turn), the rest are unknown, which means there are still 46 cards left. You have just established that you have 8 outs, so 46 divided by 8 gives you roughly 6/1 odds (5.75 to be exact). Now you must look at the pot and calculate what kind of odds you are getting if you win. Let’s say there is nearly $80 in there and to call you need to put in another $10. This means that your pot odds are 8/1 ($80/$10). If your chance of winning the hand is greater than the pot odds, it means you should call. Of course in this case, you are not guaranteed to see that 6 or Jack, but evetually you will win more cash than you will lose when you adhere to the rules of pot odds calling.
The most important thing about pot odds is understanding the concept and why staying in with certain hands loses money and staying in with others makes money. To understand the concept, consider this simple sentence: “If the odds of you getting the card which you need to make your hand are less than the pot odds then, you should bet”.
One thing that many amateurs should remember is that money already entered into the pot cannot be factored into your decision. Just because you have already contributed to the pot, it doesn’t mean you should still consider this money when making your decision whether or not to call the next bet. (That money is no longer yours, and, while it might be difficult to accept, it has no bearing on how you should proceed.)
Implied Odds
In the above example, it was possible to calculate your pot odds by considering your outs in comparison to the size of the pot. But what about when you anticipate the size of the pot to increase in the upcoming rounds of betting? Shouldn’t you also try to factor this into your decision-making, especially if you end up hitting your card? Yes, you should, and this is where implied odds comes into play. You have probably heard this term being used and, yes, it’s a bit more complicated than determining pot odds but really it is just a logical continuation of the same concept.
Have a look at the following example. You’re holding a pair of tens in the late betting position in an 8-handed game of Texas Hold’em and the first guy to play raises. You have calculated that if you end up flopping another ten, you stand a good chance of being the favourite to win a nice-sized pot (especially if you manage to trap a few callers in between the early-raiser and your next bet). Now, the odds you’re getting here don’t exactly reflect what would happen if you spike a ten. These are your implied odds which naturally require a few assumptions but can greatly help you make a decision under a particular set of circumstances, like the one mentioned above. The more you dabble with pot odds, the easier it will become to start reading the situation and predicting what will happen in subsequent rounds of betting.
