Poker Odds

Fact: Winning players understand poker odds.

Therefore, if you want to become a winning poker player, you need to understand the odds of winning a poker hand in most, if not all, of the situations that arise at the table. From the starting hand to the turn to the river, poker odds play an integral role in every facet of the game.

At first, understanding poker odds and statistics as they relate to a starting hand may sound confusing, but after playing a few hands with friends or in the Everest Poker Training Room, figuring out which hands to play and which hands to fold will become second nature.

The first thing to understand about poker odds is that the game is not about luck. Beginners will sometimes win a big pot, but to finish “in the money” on a regular basis, there is a reason poker pros and veteran players are successful. They have an intimate understanding of poker odds and what the best hand is in any situation.

Skilled players also understand that the game of poker is best thought of as continuous experience, and not as a series of short sessions, or games. They are also able to calculate “pot odds” during a game. Pot odds are the ratio of the current pot size to the cost of a call bet. For example, if the pot contains $500, and you must call a $50 bet to remain in the hand, you have 10:1 pot odds.

After pot odds, professionals calculate “implied odds,” basically an estimation of future betting for the hand. These kinds of poker odds involve the player expecting to fold in the following round if they do not make their hand (for example, missing a draw). By understanding implied odds, the player is able to lose no additional bets if a draw is missed, but will gain additional bets if they make their hand in the next round.