Poker Odds

Probability is a titanic factor in Texas Holds 'em. Players use odds to decide their actions. The chances of finishing a flush or a straight, the prospect of getting an overcard, the percentage of times you are going to flop a set to match your pocket pair are all vital factors in poker. Knowledge of these statistics is the solution to winning. In online games especially with very few tells, statistical knowledge becomes the major factor when choosing whether to bet, call, or fold.

Whenever you're talking about poker odds, here are some terms that you'll hear. Outs - The number of cards left in the deck which will improve your hand. For example, "I had four hearts on the turn, so I had only 9 outs left to finish that flush."

Pot Odds
The odds you get when assessing the current size of the pot vs. your next call. For instance, "There's $200 already in the pot, and only another $10 bet coming at me, so my pot odds are good if I hit that flush."

Bet Odds
These are the odds you get as a result of evaluating the number of callers to a raise. An example is "With a 1 in 5 chance of hitting it, and knowing all six of these guys are gonna call my bet, my bet odds are good too."

Implied Odds
The implied odds are ones you are getting after the assumed result of betting for the remainder of the hand. An example is "Since I think these guys are going to call on the turn and river, my implied odds are excellent.

In the game of Texas Hold 'Em, you commonly use outs and pot odds the most. This is also the preliminary point for those who want to learn about poker odds. To those out there who "ain't good at countin' much", you better get good since that is how it's done. At this point it's only easy division - the numerator will be the number of outs you have. The denominator is the number of cards remaining that we haven't seen. The outcome will be the percentage chance of making one of those outs. Hence, the most math you'll be doing will be dividing small numbers by 50 (pre-flop), 47 (after the flop), or 46 (after the turn).