TheHoldemPirate

Sean Moronse asked:


Poker calculators: don’t knock ‘em ’til you’ve tried them.

If you are a novice player, online poker calculators are one of the best tools on how to calculate Texas Holdem odds easily. This is actually a great way of understanding why stakes go very high quickly, and why very often, even the most notorious players fold at the peak of their rounds. Obviously, the pros know more about odds; otherwise, they won’t be sitting at the high stakes table with that huge stash of chips before them. You know with all certainty that you cannot bring poker calculators at the playing table, but you can use these as a way of gauging when you need to fold or go for speculative hands during practice runs.

Your main objective when it comes to knowing how to calculate Texas Holdem odds revolves mainly on speculative hands. I mean, if you have a Royal Flush in your hands, you can certainly jump the gun and go for the pot. The opposite is true if you have a high card, but there are still so many remaining players and so many remaining cards. You need to fold (and fold early) when your chances of winning or even just breaking are low to nil.

Computing the Pot Odds

As you know, speculative hands are quite tricky. A 2 Pair hand in the middle of the round is an example of a speculative hand. You need to know how to calculate Texas Holdem odds with that against the other players at the table. Say you already have a 2 Pair, and the current pot is already at $100. Your next bet is a solid $20, just so you can see the next card; then your odds at this time is 100:20, or 10:2, or 5:1 (choose whatever works for you.)

Computing the Unseen and the Potentials

The next step on how to calculate Texas Holdem odds is to calculate your chances of improving your lot. A 2 Pair is not so bad, but the hand is not exactly great either. A flush is better, and a royal flush is best. So, you need to consider the number of outs that you already have versus the unseen cards still on the deck. Say, that there are already 4 outs plus your 2 hole cards. That’s 6 cards to your name and 46 unseen cards (standard deck contains 52 cards, remember?) Of the remaining 46 cards, only 9 will most likely give you a royal flush. You can improve your chances if your hole cards and outs already have a few cards that show a flush potential.

In any case, this is how to calculate Texas Holdem odds when the board still has 46 unseen cards. You have to minus the 9 potentials from the 46 unseen, which gives you 37. You pair that with the 9 potentials. So you have a 37:9 or 4:1 chances of making a desirable hand.

Comparing the Odds

Now, you need to compare the pot odds versus the unseen / potential odds. If the pot odds is far greater then the unseen / potential odds, then you can make the call and still come out on top during this play. If latter is greater, then it would be best to fold, since this will only lead to major losses. If both odds are almost even, or even to a point, then your chances of winning the pot is actually very low. This too should be an indication of you folding before the game peaks.

So with the example above, your pot odds is 5:1 while your unseen / potential odds is 4:1. Then you can comfortably continue with your game. If the reverse becomes true with the unseen / potential odds becoming greater, then it would be best to fold.



Poker Tournament Strategy

Mikl333 asked:

Get a FREE poker calculator: http://www.superpokeraffiliates.com/_page?data=513205_43_6_409_NiQ4RDhKSTlRSFZpdw%3D%3D

Poker Software

GSNVideos asked:

HSP greats join the table for their first appearance in season 4 — Elezra, Harman, Gold, and Farha. And Daniel “Kid Poker” Negreanu returns to take on Mike Baxter who has been cleaning up and proving that amateurs can take on the pros. But when Baxter takes on Jamie Gold, he’s in for trouble. And Poker Brat Phil Hellmuth takes Baxter for a ride in a pot worth more than 200k.

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GSNVideos asked:

The big pots continue as Samhi Farha continues to get into the action with nearly ever hand dealt…he also gets in a great bluff on this episode. In the early play, Hellmuth and Farha go at it with a pot that tops 200k. Both holding Ace Queen, the Poker Brat and Samhi are ready to do battle in a big way. And amateurs Safai and Baxter get into the deep in a pot worth more than 170k. Joined by Jamie Gold, Negreanu, and Harman, this is an incredible group of players assembled at this all cash …

Poker Tracker

equitina asked:

http://www.pokerstrategy.com Biggest pot from High stakes poker season 4 episode 12. Patrick Antonius vs Jamie Gold

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GSNVideos asked:

The first episode of High Stakes Poker! Negreanu pushes the table to a pot of over one million - will he watch the others fold in his wake? Legendary players Doyle Brunson and Greenstein join Kid Poker in this series opener.

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Marty Smith asked:


If you are like me, I have my poker calculator running on every single table I play whether cash or tournament game. Many players have multiple games going at the same time and even multiple sites running. Given that situation it might be hard to get a read on your opponent if your poker calculator doesn’t provide the required statistics.

Multi-tabling is surely for the advanced players, and something you would consider only after your bankroll is built using other players’ money. However, for most tight-aggressive players, multi-tabling is almost imperative as your - sometimes small, albeit consistent edge in games needs to be exploited so as to make the most of your hourly rate.

That is especially true for cash and limit ring games, but so can it be for poker tournaments as there is absolutely a reasonable percentage of times that tight-aggressive play will build you a healthy stack in the early and middle stages.

The benefit of having a poker calculator running in either of these situations is that when a contentious, strong hand comes around and you need quick information on your opponent – it’s displayed there for you instantly. Sure you need to develop skills in extrapolating that data, but most poker calculators will have built a profile of your opponent as well, even showing an icon representing his style of play. These icons are usually based on a mathematical formula taken from voluntarily putting money in the pot (VPIP), went to showdown percentage (WSD%), and aggression factor (AF). Those indicators are strategy keys in terms of monitoring your opponents. The same type of indicators you would use in a live game, but of course with much more accuracy.

So if it’s all done for you, and if you are a tight aggressive (TAG) player, it’s really a no-brainer to be using poker calculators. I find too that as a TAG player, it helps reinforce that style of play because when multi-tabling you are actually less inclined to get involved in contentious or marginal situations. This goes to the premise of you deciding to play a hand just for the sake of fighting boredom.



Poker Software

Marty Smith asked:


A poker calculator can help keep your strategy in check by constantly reminding you of hands and pots that you really shouldn’t be involved in. Normally a poker calculator is going to keep you on the tight-aggressive corner of the profile grid, and that’s never usually a bad thing be it tournament or ring games.

Most poker calculators have some basic functions that refer to your pot odds and strength of your hole cards. These factors alone can help remind you of how bad a hand like J9os or A7os can really be, especially when confronted with aggression. Any mathematical poker calculator will offer up this kind of information but an empirical poker calculator like Holdem Indicator or Tournament Indicator give you so much more.

While building your bankroll there will invariably be times when you can’t play straight up or have to put a read on an opponent that isn’t necessarily base on your hole card strength. You need some intuitive assistance here, and as you likely don’t have much of that at a bankroll building stage you can absolutely use the features the two tools offer up profiling information as well.

Even as a beginner player you need to start profiling your opponents or you will certainly be leaving money on the table. Some players say this is the hardest aspect of poker but by having a poker calculator on every table monitoring your opponents you are soon going to be able to recognize which players you can makes moves on, which you should call down with marginal hands and which should simply be avoided most of the time.

Now as far as bankroll building goes, your poker calculator will offer up the very best situations to be in a hand. This usually relates to pot sizes and hole card strength but combine those features with profiling and tournament structure decisions you are going to be on the right end of most decisions by taking your time and making good decisions.

Does it always work out? No of course not, but by making good decisions with all of the information in front you, you will invariably be nudge ahead of your opponents by building your bankroll and your skill set at the same time. Using “empirical” poker calculator software is the key to progressing your knowledge, decisions making and online bankroll.



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