Calculating Odds!

Example: One player declares, - I am 11 to 2 favorite to win the pot!


Question #1: How can one quickly calculate of being a favorite or a dog against the other hand(s) played?


Question #2: Where can I find the most comprehensive information on odds concerning holder' and 7 Stud games?


All comments & suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Amix,


I play in a weekly hold 'em (limit, then no limit) tournament with friends. I noticed that people had trouble understanding hand values in heads-up and shorthanded situations so I made a chart of heads-up matches. You can view it at:


<a href=http://www.users.qwest.net/~kscullin/headsup.htm>http://www.users.qwest.net/~kscullin/headsup.htm</a>


Use the email link at the bottom of the page if you have any questions.


KJS (who ironically helps his friends get better at poker)

Thanks for your response.


I found your table very helpful in understanding, just who is the favorite in certain circumstances. I am relatively new to the game and just begining to study in depth and understand the inerworkings of Hold'em. Read 3 books. Recently played in the Mirage, limit game of 3-6. total of 8 hours in 3 sessions . Average pots were $30-$40. Luckily, (I feel) won a total sum of $467.00.


Still a bit confused! :-) I keep hearing about winning 1 big bet per hour is a great acomplishment. That should have given me a total of $48.00 of winnings. Could you comment on this please.


Again, many thanks.


Amix1

The standard deviation in hold'em is high, so someone winning 1 big bet an hour will have some sessions with a very large win and some sessions with big losses, it is just that on average, s/he will win 1 big bet per hour.

Heads-up with one card to go in Holdem its easy. From the available cards unaccounted for, count the number that give player A the winning hand and compare it to the number that give B the winning hand. So if A has 16 cards and B 26 (totaling 42 unseen cards), then A is a 16:26 dog; customarily said "B is 26:16 or 13:8 favorite".


With more than one card to come. With 43 unseen cards there would be 43*42/2 such combinations.


Someone who is about an 11:2 favorite has about 33 good cards compared to the opponents 6 good cards.


In stud it gets much harder much faster, since with only 1 card to go you need to consider 43*42 combinations, since you must consider each player getting his card.


With more cards and more players its downright impossible. Use a simulator instead, and run 1,000,000 hands or so.


- Louie

It makes you 10 times as good as a very good player.


But really these questions belong in the beginner forum.


Good Luck

it's called luck (or variance). A very bad holdem player can win 100 BB in 8 hours. So can a good one.


After say 3000 hours of play your results will have more meaning.


Good Luck