Odds are really important in poker, especially in Texas Hold'em. In this part, The Poker Monkey will tell you about odds and how to act in certain situations. Study and remember them, and you will be a winner in the long run.

Odds for your starting hand being:

AA: 0,045%

Any pair : 0,6%

AK suited: 0,03%

AK unsuited: 0,09%

Any suited connectors: 0,37%

So: Good starting hands are very rare. You must be patient and wait for good cards. Don't play junk just because you believe in a thing called luck. Poker isn't about luck, it's about skills and patience. Well, okey, it's a little bit about luck. But not in the long run.
You will get different answers depending on who you ask, but my opinion is that you should only play about 10-15 % of your starting hands at a 10-player table (15-20% at a 6-player table). Follow the guides guidelines for starting hands and you will do good. Don't worry. There's gonna be a lot of waiting, but that's something you have to put up with to be a winner.

Playing far to many hands is the number one reason why 95% of all poker players show negative figures. Don't be one of them!

Flop odds

Getting a pair if you have two different cards: 32%

Getting a two pair if you already have a pair: 16%

Getting a three of a kind if you have a pair on your starting hand: 11%

Getting a full house with a pair as a starting hand: 1%

Getting a four of a kind with a pair as a starting hand: 0,02%

Most hands don't improve by the flop. Therefore - the best starting hand has the best chance of winning the pot (well duuuh).

Getting a flush when having two of the same color as a starting hand: 11%

No, that's not a type-o (or whatever it's called on the Internet). You only have an 11% chance getting a flush with that starting hand. Think about that next time you think about calling a super pot with only Q 8 of hearts as a starting hand.

Other odds in Texas Hold'em Poker:

Getting a flush when you have four cards of the same colour on the Turn or the River: 33%

Getting a flush when you have four cards of the same colour on the River:: 19%

Pretty good odds, huh? Yeah, I know. But be sure to have at least two players against you and good pot odds to call a Draw like that, especially if flush is the only thing you're going for. It's really important that you dare to fold if you've calculated the odds to be against you.

Getting a straight with an open ended straight draw on the Turn or the River: 31,5%

Getting a straight with an open ended straight draw on the river: 17%

About the same odds as with the flush draw. Therefore, same rules apply!

Getting a straight with an inside straight draw on the Turn or the River: 16,5%

Getting a straight with an inside straight draw on the River: 9%

The conclusion of all this is that the pot ought to be quite big for you to call an inside straight draw.

Chance of winning

Now we're getting somewhere. If you have a lower pair as starting hand, and going against a higher pair: 18%

Starting hand AA against:
1 player: 88%
2 players: 76%
6 players: 44%
9 players: 34%

Remember these odds when you try to limp in small cash, just to build a big pot. Two Aces are only helpful against few opponents. Bet before the flop to get players with draw chances to fold, that will increase your chances of winning. This goes for KK and QQ as well.

That's all I had to say about odds! Click here to go to the beginning of the guide!

/The Poker Monkey