Texas holdem odds
Though Texas Hold’em is a very simple the odds theory seems to be much more complicated. First of all because you have to calculate. I guess that not all gamblers are mathematicians. But don’t think it’s too complicated. I believe you’ll manage.
The best thing I can do is to give you an example. Of course, we’re talking about Texas Hold’em. Let’s say your hole cards are:
5s Ts
Nothing special. Ugly hand. But you don’t fold and here comes the flop:
8s Js 7h
Let’s ratiocinate. You now see only 5 cards. There 47 unseen cards. How many cards can help you? What is the best hand you can make? A flush. We have four spade. There are 9 more spades in the deck.
But there are also cards that will not help. And there are 38 of them. It’s simple. Look: 38/9 = 4,22(2). Your odds are: 4,22-to-1.
David Sklansky gave the following example: $50 in the pot and you need just $10 to call. To call or not to call? Another calculation: 50/10=5. The pot odds are – 5-to-1. The main rule of the odds theory claims that… you can call.
Now, an explanation: 4,22-to-1is bigger than 5-to-1. With the result like 7-to-1 against 5-to-1 pot odds the right option is not call, but fold. So the main idea is that if you odds are bigger than the pot odds you can call. Otherwise you should fold.
But we shouldn’t forget about the implied odds. These are not the odds that you have at that very moment. But the odds you expect to have. I will not give you any complicated definitions. One golden rule by David Sklansky will be enough:
”The larger the difference between future bets and the present bet you have to call the greater you implied odds”