EZ method to learn how to Calculate your odds
I know this site is dedicated to mac software, but sometimes you need to start with the basics to build a solid foundation. I am going to write a few articles on poker strategy to help keep you guys on your toes, and on the right track. I even made a few easy to follow charts to help you on your way. With my version of Mac Poker Pro unusable at the moment, I have had to rely more on my old skills of calculating the odds. If you don't know how to calculate your odds, now is a great time to start. This is need to know information, and the quickest and best way to improve your poker game online or in the casino, bar none. Learning how to properly count your outs and calculate poker odds is a fundamental
requirement of Texas Hold'em.(Period!) While the math used to calculate odds might seem difficult at first, it really isn't as hard as it looks. You don't have to implement everything at once either, take it a step at a time and really watch your play improve. I have it broken down in the easiest possible way to get the beginners started. This can be an extremely complex task with many nuances. Please read one of the many books on the subject to really hone your skills after you pick up the basics. The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky and Harrington on Hold'em Vol. 1 by Dan Harrington are great places to start. Start Now, you will be amazed how quickly you will pick this up with a little practice.
The first thing you need to learn is counting your number of outs.
Calculating Outs:
Learning to calculate outs is a simple concept, and with a little practice it will become second nature. An "out" is a term used to describe how many cards are left in the deck that can improve your hand. For example, let’s say you hold two hearts in your hand, and the board also contains two hearts. At this point you have four cards to a flush. Assuming you have no pair and your opponent does, you will need to make your flush on the turn or the river to win the hand. All the remaining spades in the deck will give you a flush and will win the hand for you. Thus, those spades are considered your "outs". There are 13 hearts in the deck, 2 of which are in your hand, and 2 of which are on the board. Therefore, there are 9 hearts left in the deck, leaving you with 9 outs. Or... let's say you're holding Q-J and the board reads K-10-5. Leaving you with an open-ended straight draw. Either an Ace or a nine will complete your straight. Since there are four nines and four Aces in the deck, you have 8 outs. Now that you understand this, practice as you play, and you will see how quickly you pick this up. You are now ready for the next step.
Calculating Hand Odds:
Now that you know your number of outs, we can now determine the odds of improving your hand. The simplest way to start doing this is using the rule of 4.
1. After the flop determine the number of outs you have.
2. Multiply that number by 4
3. This is your percentage of catching one of your outs.
4. After the turn you multiply your outs by 2.
Calculating Pot Odds:
Most players can figure out their
odds of winning fairly easily. It won't take long to figure out the
odds to drawing for a flush, hitting trips with your pocket pair, or
even the odds that your pair will hold up. But, does this mean that you
should always bet when you’re in
the lead or fold when you’re behind? Absolutely not. This is where Pot
odds begin to have an affect on how you should be playing your cards.
Pot odds will help you determine when
you should go for the draw, and when you should just fold your hand,
i.e. telling you whether there is enough money in the pot to justify
chasing
the big hand or not. So here we go.
Pot odds are simply the ratio of the amount of money in the pot to how much money
it costs to call. If there is $100 in the pot and it takes $10 to call, your pot
odds are 100:10, or 10:1. If there is $50 in the pot and it takes $10 to call, then
your pot odds are 50:10 or 5:1. The higher the ratio, the better your pot odds are. The relationship of your hands odds and pot odds becomes very apparent when you start comparing
the two. As we now know, in a flush draw, your odds for making your flush are
1.9 to 1. Let's say you're in a hand with a nut flush draw and it's $5 to you on the
flop to call. Do you call? Your answer should be: What are my pot odds? If there is $15 in the pot plus a $5 bet from an opponent, then you are getting 20:5
or 4:1 pot odds. This means that, in order to break even, you must win 1 out of every
5 times. However, with your flush draw, your odds of winning are 1 out of every 3 times!
You should quickly realize that not only are you breaking even, but you're making a nice
profit on this in the long run. Your ability to memorize or calculate your hand odds and pot odds will lead you to
make many of the right decisions in the future, just be sure to remember that
fundamental principle of profitably playing drawing hands requires that your pot
odds are greater than your hand odds. I'm going to leave it here for now, as this is a lot to take in. Don't stop now, keep practicing. I promise the more you practice the better and faster you will become. I've made a couple of EZ charts to reference as you play. Enjoy!
The first thing you need to learn is counting your number of outs.
Calculating Outs:
Learning to calculate outs is a simple concept, and with a little practice it will become second nature. An "out" is a term used to describe how many cards are left in the deck that can improve your hand. For example, let’s say you hold two hearts in your hand, and the board also contains two hearts. At this point you have four cards to a flush. Assuming you have no pair and your opponent does, you will need to make your flush on the turn or the river to win the hand. All the remaining spades in the deck will give you a flush and will win the hand for you. Thus, those spades are considered your "outs". There are 13 hearts in the deck, 2 of which are in your hand, and 2 of which are on the board. Therefore, there are 9 hearts left in the deck, leaving you with 9 outs. Or... let's say you're holding Q-J and the board reads K-10-5. Leaving you with an open-ended straight draw. Either an Ace or a nine will complete your straight. Since there are four nines and four Aces in the deck, you have 8 outs. Now that you understand this, practice as you play, and you will see how quickly you pick this up. You are now ready for the next step.
Calculating Hand Odds:
Now that you know your number of outs, we can now determine the odds of improving your hand. The simplest way to start doing this is using the rule of 4.
1. After the flop determine the number of outs you have.
2. Multiply that number by 4
3. This is your percentage of catching one of your outs.
4. After the turn you multiply your outs by 2.
Calculating Pot Odds:
Most players can figure out their
odds of winning fairly easily. It won't take long to figure out the
odds to drawing for a flush, hitting trips with your pocket pair, or
even the odds that your pair will hold up. But, does this mean that you
should always bet when you’re in
the lead or fold when you’re behind? Absolutely not. This is where Pot
odds begin to have an affect on how you should be playing your cards.
Pot odds will help you determine when
you should go for the draw, and when you should just fold your hand,
i.e. telling you whether there is enough money in the pot to justify
chasing
the big hand or not. So here we go.
Pot odds are simply the ratio of the amount of money in the pot to how much money
it costs to call. If there is $100 in the pot and it takes $10 to call, your pot
odds are 100:10, or 10:1. If there is $50 in the pot and it takes $10 to call, then
your pot odds are 50:10 or 5:1. The higher the ratio, the better your pot odds are. The relationship of your hands odds and pot odds becomes very apparent when you start comparing
the two. As we now know, in a flush draw, your odds for making your flush are
1.9 to 1. Let's say you're in a hand with a nut flush draw and it's $5 to you on the
flop to call. Do you call? Your answer should be: What are my pot odds? If there is $15 in the pot plus a $5 bet from an opponent, then you are getting 20:5
or 4:1 pot odds. This means that, in order to break even, you must win 1 out of every
5 times. However, with your flush draw, your odds of winning are 1 out of every 3 times!
You should quickly realize that not only are you breaking even, but you're making a nice
profit on this in the long run. Your ability to memorize or calculate your hand odds and pot odds will lead you to
make many of the right decisions in the future, just be sure to remember that
fundamental principle of profitably playing drawing hands requires that your pot
odds are greater than your hand odds. I'm going to leave it here for now, as this is a lot to take in. Don't stop now, keep practicing. I promise the more you practice the better and faster you will become. I've made a couple of EZ charts to reference as you play. Enjoy!
Comments