Poker Guide | Your poker guide and tips blog.

How to Use Pot Odds for Strategic Play

Posted By: Admin - On: September 09, 2008
The best winning strategies for playing Poker online is to know the mathematical statistics. It may sound complicated at first, but once you know your odds and percentages it can really make winning much more likely. A lot of the newer generations of Online Poker players use these odds and statistics to know what bets are worth taking regardless of the cards that they have.

Pot Odds One of the main strategies used is known as Pot Odds. These odds are calculated by figuring out the ratio between the amount of the pot in relation to the size of the required bet. Once knowing the Pot Odds, the player must then figure out his odds of winning. If his odds of winning are greater than his pot odds he or she will almost always call. These are two very important equations to be considered in playing.

Implied odds Implied odds is another concept that requires some sort of estimate. Implied odds are what the poker player believes will be in the pot at the end of the hand. This is conjunction with the pot odds, and odds of winning are all taken into consideration. If the player has a draw, and is likely to beat out a player that will call him to the river, he is going to bet.

Some determination is made due to position. The player with the button is said to have position. He or she is the last player to act, and gets to know where every other player is before committing any money to the pot. If you are in early position, one of the first to act in a hand, it can be difficult. Even if you have a decent pair or a good starting hand, if you bet you could be causing your self to be pot committed. You can make a bet that can be raised, or re-raised, even has someone push all-in, causing you to either call or fold. You are not going to let a good pair go easily, but you do not want to risk all of your chips on something mediocre. Early in the hand it is more difficult to use pot odds, unless a player is going all-in. In this case you would not have to worry about implied odds, unless there is another player or players that may be in question. You will know exactly what your odds are as of pot odds, but you need to determine what the other player has in order to figure out your winning odds.

These theorems and formulas will help in a coin flip type situation. If you are unsure what you want to do, try applying these aspects. It is important no matter what to remember that these are not rules or laws. There is no guarantee in poker. Even if the odds are greatly in your favor, there is always a chance that someone may come from behind. Unless, you know you have already have your opponent drawing dead. (meaning there is no other card or cards he can draw to win)

About the Author

Poker
Poker Reviews
Online Poker
Holdem



Bookmark and Share

Poker Texas Holdem a Quick Overview and Tips

Posted By: Admin - On: August 01, 2008
When people speak of poker, there is one name that cuts above the rest of the poker classification, Texas Hold 'em poker. This type of poker is considered to be the most popular type being played in the casinos today, whether online or in real casinos.

Generally, Texas Hold '˜Em Poker starts with a batch of two players situated at the left of the "dealer button". This dealer buttons refers to the round disc being passed on clockwise on each player. It signifies who will be dealer in the event that the deal was move forward from one player to another.

The betting starts on the first part of the game where the money is placed into the pot before dealing the cards. Normally, the first blind is the one that places half of the required minimum stake. The first blind refers to the player situated at the left of the dealer. The second blind, on the other hand, is the one responsible in placing the full minimum required bet.

Since the very object of the game is to win whatever is in the pot, it is best to know some rules or strategies so as to get an edge over the other players. Here's how:

1. The table.

When a player is playing Texas hold 'em poker, the best thing that he or she should consider is selecting the table. This is because players, regardless of their skills in playing the game, will be constrained to give their best shots if the table is too assertive, too rigid or too loose, or if it consists of players that are more skillful.

The bottom line: Even if the essence of winning the game is directly affected by the skills of the player, it is still best to play on a table that has few raisers but many callers.

The logic behind this concept is based on the fact that the more raisers there are in a table, the lesser the chances of winning the game.

2. When a player is in the early position, it is best to raise with K-K, A-K, and A-As, then, with A-Qs, Q-Q, J-J, A-K, T-T, have a call and then fold everything else.

3. For players who already have a remarkable hand starters, especially when he or she has a high pair, say JJ or even higher, it is best not to hesitate raising it before the flop.

Indeed, playing Texas hold'em poker requires skills also. It is not all based on gambling. This just goes to show that games like this requires both luck and skill to win the pot.

About the Author

Geek and Poker Fanatic you can find him online and at the tables over at PurePlay Free Sign Up. Register and find me under the nic TheGeek.



Bookmark and Share

- Next Page