Poker Odds Before The Flop
Betting before the flop can sometimes be a blind bet, because when the flop comes things can change drastically. What can seem like a clear advantage can turn into a trap when the Turn or River or Flop cards hit the poker games.
- Poker Odds Before The Flop Game
- Poker Odds Before The Flop Show
- Poker Odds Before The Flop Dance
- Poker Odds Before The Flop Game
- Poker Odds Before The Flop Odds
- Poker Odds Before The Flop End
To calculate with which hand you have better chance against other hands, we have assembled the most common grouping of hands against other hands along with their chances of winning (all the way to the River).
Same Hand – ex. QJ vs. QJ
Playing poker is about playing the odds. The following list gives the odds for outcomes in Texas Hold’em hands. When you realize how heavily the odds are stacked against you, you may want to rethink going all-in before the flop with two suited cards. Use the odds to your advantage: 1 percent (1-in-100): Percentage of. Limit Texas Hold'em Poker - Play After the Flop. As we mentioned earlier, your starting hand decision in Texas hold ’em, though very important, is not the dominating factor that it is in seven-card stud. To be a winner at hold ’em, you must play well not only before the flop, but also on the flop and beyond. However, most of the time you will have to read the board and analyze the odds, before you can determine if you have the winning combination. In the examples as follows we will examine different flop combinations, in order to help you understand how best to play your hand. An over-pair on the flop.
Can you guess the odds? That's right, 50%-50%. If it's suited vs. offsuit, the suited has the edge of course, a 2.5% advantage.
Pocket Pair vs. Two Overcards – ex. 99 vs. KQ
This is a close call. The pocket pair has a small advantage with 55 % to the two overcards' 45%. In the case of having a hand like QJ-suited the advantage is with this hand over a hand with a small pocket pair (55 or lower), because with the QJ you can still form a Straight without having the pair lower your chances of achieving it.
Pocket Pair vs. Smaller Pocket Pair – ex. AA vs. 88
The bigger pair has the advantage here, of course, with 80% to the lower pair's 20%.
Pocket Pair vs. Two Undercards – ex. KK vs. J9
The pair is the favorite with 80% to 20%. The two undercards have a chance of between 23% and 14%, depending on if they are suited and if the pocket interferes with their straight making ability or not.
Pocket Pair vs. Same Card & One Undercard – ex. KK vs. KQ
This can be a shifty situation. The Pocket Pair has the upper hand here (no pun intended) with about 85% to 15%, while in case the other pair is suited the odds change to 80% to 20% at best.
Pocket Pair vs. Same Card & One Overcard – ex. QQ vs. AQ
The advantage here is on the side of the pair with between 70% to 30% and 65% to 35%.
Pocket Pair vs. One Undercard & One Overcard – ex. JJ vs. KT
The odds here are similar to those of the hands above, with 70% to 30% in favor of the pair.
Two Undercards vs. Two Overcards – ex. AK vs. QJ
While the advantage here is clearly with the overcards – 65% to 35%, the odds change when the undercards are far enough from the overcards and suited without matching the overcards' suit, to around 60% to 40%.
Two Middle Cards vs. Undercard & Overcard – ex. KT vs. QJ
In this case, the edge is with the over/under cards. 60% to 40% which can be reduced to around 52% to 48% if it involves middle-suited connectors that are not of the same suit as the over/under cards and if there is no straight making interference.
Dominated with the Same High Card – ex. QJ vs. QT
The hand with the higher card has a big advantage with around 66.6% to 33.3%. This advantage starts to diminish as the kickers get lower due to split pot possibilities.
Dominated with the Same Low Card – ex. AQ vs. KQ
The hand with the higher card has a 66% advantage, while if it's a suited connector against unsuited cards that has a small chance of making a straight the higher kicker hand has a maximum advantage of 40%.
Are you good at math? Hmm, thought so. Neither am I.
For many poker players, doing math calculations is the last thing on their mind when they sit down at the felt. They're there to play and have fun!
Poker Odds Before The Flop Game
Still, poker is more fun when you win, and it helps to know the winning potential of starting cards. Remember, there's a reason for the saying, 'Never draw to an inside straight.'
Because figuring percentages in your head would slow down the game, should you bring a pocket calculator to the table? No way!
Fortunately, some situations repeat quite often in Texas hold 'em, and it's easy to memorize the math involved. Once that's done, you can concentrate on everything else going on at the table.
Poker Odds Before The Flop Show
Today, let's re-examine the math of some common hold 'em situations originally listed in a 2006 LuckyDog Poker column:
— Being dealt any pocket pair in the hole — 6 percent (one in 17) chance. Getting A-A, K-K, Q-Q, or J-J as your starting hole cards — 1.8 percent (one in 56).
— Improving any pocket pair to trips on the flop — 12 percent (one in eight). If you don't make trips on the flop, there's a 9 percent (one in 11) chance of doing so on the turn and river cards.
— A no-pair starting hand improving to a pair on the flop (either card) — 32 percent (one in three).
— Completing an open-ended straight after the flop — 34 percent (one in three). For instance, you hold 10-9, the flop is J-8-2, and the last two cards are 4-7.
— Being dealt suited hole cards (two spades of any rank, for example) — 24 percent (one in four). Being dealt suited connectors such as Q-J of hearts — 4 percent (one in 25).
— Hitting two cards of your suit on the flop — 11 percent (one in nine). Completing a flush after two cards of your suit come on the flop — 39 percent (one in 2.6).
Poker Odds Before The Flop Dance
— Being dealt A-K to start — 1.2 percent (one in 83). With A-K in the pocket, hitting an ace or king by the river — 50 percent (one in two).
These numbers identify your chances of receiving certain starting cards and hitting specific hands, but that's not the whole story. Knowing these percentages allows you to calculate 'pot odds,' which gives you a mathematical reason for staying or folding.
For example, let's say after the flop you have an open-ended straight draw with a 34 percent (one in three) chance of making the straight by the end of the hand — 17 percent (one in six) chance of hitting on the turn card, plus 17 percent again to hit on the river.
Poker Odds Before The Flop Game
In this case, as long as there is five times as much in the pot as the amount you must put in on a single bet, you're getting sufficient pot odds to stay in. In low-stakes limit games, calling usually is automatic. In no-limit, however, an opponent's big bet often negates your odds and you should fold.
Now, about those inside straight draws: Is it true you should 'never draw to an inside straight?' Actually, no!
Poker Odds Before The Flop Odds
Sure, most of the time you should fold because the chances of hitting your straight on the next card are slim (11 to one against). But on rare occasions, you'll have the proper pot odds to make the draw. Do the math!
Poker Odds Before The Flop End
E-mail your poker questions and comments to [email protected] for use in future columns. To find out more about Russ Scott and read previous LuckyDog Poker columns, visit creators.com or luckydogpoker.com.