2 handed vs. 10 handed

[nickey009]

My friend and I have been having a discussion concerning odds and probibility. It's a strange little discussion and I'll try to artiulate it as best as I can. Here we go....

I read a post on here about a guy playing .01/.02 NL hold 'em. The guy made a raise of .16 and the guy after him raised him all in for all his chips. 2 dollars. It was a full table and the other 8 guys folded and he agonized and called with 1010.

The hand ended up being a heads up situation where the hero had to decide if his 1010 was the best hand. Now, let's change the scenario and make it a heads up match where you have 1010 and raise and the guy moves all in on you.

Are the odds the same of you having the best hand at the time in the 2 handed situation the same as the 10 handed?

[TomCollins]

No.

[Reef]

I 2nd

[Snoogins47]

[ QUOTE ]
My friend and I have been having a discussion concerning odds and probibility. It's a strange little discussion and I'll try to artiulate it as best as I can. Here we go....

I read a post on here about a guy playing .01/.02 NL hold 'em. The guy made a raise of .16 and the guy after him raised him all in for all his chips. 2 dollars. It was a full table and the other 8 guys folded and he agonized and called with 1010.

The hand ended up being a heads up situation where the hero had to decide if his 1010 was the best hand. Now, let's change the scenario and make it a heads up match where you have 1010 and raise and the guy moves all in on you.

Are the odds the same of you having the best hand at the time in the 2 handed situation the same as the 10 handed?

[/ QUOTE ]

I believe that from a purely mathematical point of view, it wouldn't change. However, quite obviously, your odds of having the best hand are in general, much lower, since the opponent will generally be pushing a much higher range of hands in a full handed situation than he will heads up.

Some weird reads might even make you MORE likely to have the best hand. But regardless: the range of hands an opponent will push preflop with are different 10 handed than 2 handed, therefore, your equity will differ as well.

In other words, the two above me were right, and I was bored enough to elaborate

[Eratosthenes]

The probablity that you have the better hand 2 handed and against one random opponent 10 handed are the same. Your friend is not going up against a random opponent here--he's against an opponent who thinks he can win the pot by pushing all-in (with 8 yet to act!!).