Texas Hold’em has grown dramatically over the last 10 years mainly due to the internet and the presence of online gambling. The World Poker Tour has grown in popularity as well with the jackpot rising to $3 million from $5 million 10 years ago. Winning a Texas Hold’em Tournament has a lot to do with luck. Luck is what happens when preparation and opportunity collide.
In order to present yourself with the best opportunities at the poker table you need to be able to calculate your odds and measure your odds against the deck. First, you need to know how many outs you have or how many opportunities there are for you to hit the cards that you are looking for. There are 4 suits, Spades, Hearts, Clubs, and Diamond’s. Each suit has 13 cards from 2- Ace, making up a 52 card deck. After you are dealt your first to cards you will begin to think about what opportunities that are available given the cards that are in your hand. The point here is to think about your own cards and not to worry about the cards of the other players. If you can do this you are already ahead of 60% of the players out there.
Let’s assume that you are dealt an Ace and a King of spades, a very strong hand. There are many possible opportunities available. You can hit a flush, a straight, straight flush, a pair, 2 pairs. You want to make sure that you are in this hand without overpaying to see the flop. Once, the ante’s are made and you are in to see the flop you are in a position to begin calculating your odds. Let’s assume the flop lands 10 Spades, Jack of Diamond, 4 of heart. At this point you have the same opportunities as you did prior to the flop. So let’s count your outs:
To Hit the Flush: (need 2 more spade cards)
There are 10 possible cards that can land to make you hit your flush.
Total Outs = 10
To hit the straight: (need a queen)
4 Queens are still available
Total Outs = 4
A Pair of Aces or Kings (another Ace or King)
3 Aces and 3 Kings are still available making 6 possible cards
Total Outs = 6
Right now you have a total of 20 possible outs. This is one of the strongest hands you will ever see. Right now you have a 42% chance of hitting a card that you need to have a possible winning hand. The way to calculate these odds is to take the total number of outs (20)x the amount of cards that will be shown(2) + the amount of cards that will be shown (2). So 20 X 2 + 2= 42%. When you are at this point 42% is a very high percentage in terms of Texas Hold’em. As a note anything over 22% is a strong hand.
Let’s assume the next card (4th street) is shown and it is an 7 of Diamonds. This card does nothing for you and it will change your odds dramatically. Your outs are as follows:
To Hit the Flush:
No Longer an option
To Hit the Straight:
You need a Queen
Total Outs= 4
To hit a Pair:
Need a King or an Ace
Total Outs= 6
Your odds to hit a winning hand at this point are 12%. Again, we calculated Total Number of Outs(10)X the number of cards the dealer will throw down (1) + the number of cards the dealer will throw down (1)= 12%. At this point, anything from 11% and up is a decent hand. If you can check to stay in or pay a small % of the total pot to see the next card you should stay in. However, if another player comes on strong with a large % of the pot bet it is probably best to jump ship.
This short lesson in playing Texas Hold’em is only a part of the game. There are many other aspects to consider. Some of these aspects include the other player’s style, bluffs, the mount of your stack vs. your competition, and most importantly the size of the pot and the bets that are being made. Also, as a quick note, you should practice calculating your odds when watching poker tournaments on television or in an online poker room. If you try this for the first time at the poker table, the cards will be moving toO fast and none of this will make any sense. Remember, focus on your cards and your odds and you will likely be in a better position than most players.
Spend some time practicing online and while watching television. Then you can book your cheap flight to vegas with CheapOair. CheapOair is an online travel agency with the cheapest hotel and flights!
So let’s count your outs:
