Calculate Your Way To Victory

What Are Pot Odds?
How To Calculate Them?

So you are a Beginning player and want to learn something more about your odds? Well, let us congratulate you on making the smartest decision you made in your poker playing days.

That's so because most of the amateur players completely neglect the importance of knowing how to act accordingly to the pot size. It is this that will separate you from the rest, making you a total winner but only if you begin to implement the strategy as soon as you've read this.

Pot – the total amount of money that is at the center of the table, consisting in all the bets made during the current betting round (including the Big and Small Blinds).

Outs – the number of cards that are currently in the deck (including the other players cards, because you have no way of knowing what they are) that can give you the winning hand.

Lets Look At The Example Below:

Your Hole Cards Are:

The Flop Comes Up:

So how many outs do you have now?

Well if you hit either a queen or a Jack you would have a top pair, also if you hit a King or an 8 you would make it a straight and that could easily make the winning hand.

Lets add them together – 4 Kings + 4 Eights + 3 Queens + 3 Jacks that sums up to a total of 14 outs. So after considering that you have 47 cards left in the deck that makes your chances of getting your winning hand about 3.4 – 1.

We found that by dividing the total number of cards in the deck with the number of outs you've got. Or 47/14 = approximately 3.4, if you are not good at mathematics that's OK, just think of how many times does the number 14 fit in 47. Also during a game you wouldn't be able to calculate your odds on a piece of paper so get used to making the calculations in your mind only.

What does the odd 3.4:1 tell us? It tells us that in this situation we should only call or bet if the pot size is 3.4 times bigger than the bet or call we are making.

So if you are playing 1$/2$ limit Hold'em, the pot is 9$ and the amount you have to call is 1$ that makes it 9$:1$ in favor of the pot size so you should probably call or even raise.

OK so you've just called:

The Turn Brings:

What just happened is that you got also a queen high flush draw with that 3 of Diamonds which increased the number of the outs you got. Lets add them up again.

4 Kings + 4 Eights + 3 Queens + 3 Jacks + 7 Diamonds for a flush (exluding the King and Eight Of Diamonds because they have already been added) = 21 outs. That makes your chances 2.2 – 1 which means that you can call or bet as long as the pot size is more than 2.2 times the size of the call or bet you make.

By now you may be asking yourself the question 'Why should I consider the pot size when I make a bet?'. This is done with the purpose to maximize your wins and minimize your losses. See, the riskier the bet or call you make, the bigger the reward should be when you hit a winning hand in order to make up for the times when you don't.

There is much logic in this. If your winning odds are, say – 10:1 and you call a 4$ bet when the pot is 20$, that bet is just one fifth of the pot size, or 5:1 considering that your chances to win are 10:1. There is too much to lose opposed to the reward and winning chances. In this case you should most probably fold.

Remember, the golden rule is – the smaller your number of outs is, the bigger should the pot size be in order for you to participate in the hand.

Poker Etiquette - Act Nicely Please!

POKER ETIQUETTE

TRUTH OR MYTH ?

There are two separate types of poker etiquette as there are two separate ways of playing the game – at a Live Table or at an Online Table.

We will go in to both subjects as they have much in common (after all they both concern the game of poker). What you should know from the beginning is that the main difference is that Online Poker Etiquette is rather simplified in terms that most of your in-game actions will be controlled by the program software the poker room uses, hence reducing the possibility of immoral behaviour.

Lets discuss the most frequently allowed mistakes occuring during a poker match.

At the Live Table:

1. “Slowrolling”. To “Slowroll” means for a player to show his winning hand during a “Show down” waiting for all other players to reveal their loosing hands first. This allows a false sense of security in the other players that might assume that they themselves hold the winning hand therefore resulting in awkwardness and frustration when the winning players flops his cards. This is considered improper because it can slow down the flow of the game and lead to discontent with the other players at the table.

2. Never address or discuss the cards that either you have folded or are still in play while in midst of a hand. This could and most probably will change the course of action of the players that are still in the hand. Also it can be used as an advantage by some as well as being an unfair disadvantage to others at the table. It is thought to be greatly ill-mannered and can lead you to a warning and a later suspension off the poker table.

3. “String betting”. To string bet means to reach back and forth from your stack of chips when placing a bet. This form of placing a bet is considered improper because in many cases it might mislead the player that acts after you to make a move after you have put the first part of your chips as a bet. Doing so it may influence badly their course of play. For example – the player that is in turn after you might think that it is justified for him/her to call the first amount of chips but might not thinks so when you add up the rest of your bet.

4. Acting when out of turn. Try not to rush your game because you can make one of the biggest mistakes concerning poker etiquette – acting out of turn. Please pay attention to the action and follow correctly the turn sequence on the table. No matter how uninterested you are in a certain hand, wait until it's your turn to fold your cards.

5. Not acting when in turn. While you are still in a hand you have to concentrate, because getting carried away with your thoughts can easily result in, being reminded to act constantly by the others at the table. This will lead to the frustration of the rest of the players sooner or later. Also be certain to follow responsibly the actions of your opponents so that you don't have to ask too many times questions like “How much is the raise?” and “Is it my turn to act?”.

6. Being rude and offensive. No matter how frustrated you are with the outcome of the game or the actions of another player, you most certainly should not make rude and offensive remarks about the style of play of others or even worse remarks of personal nature. You should realize that everybody has the right of choice – after all it's their money that they are playing with. A violation like this will surely result in you being removed from the table.

7. Splashing the pot. Many new players make this simple mistake. To splash the pot is to just throw your chips chaotically on the table. This could cause quite a headache for the dealer especially when playing in a pot sized bet poker game, because this would make it a lot harder for the dealer to calculate the pot size. This results in slowing up the game pace and in general discontent. It is greatly less troublesome to collect a well organized pot consisting of a few stacks of chips.

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Online Poker Table:

As was said before online poker etiquette has been significantly simplified due to the boundaries the computer software sets. Here we will display just two mistakes that aren't identical to the live table game ones and which are solely identified with playing on the net.

1. Having a bad connection. This could be as frustrating to you as to the other players on the online poker table because it will notably decrease the game speed causing discomfort to you and your opponents. Try and optimize your connection by closing all other software applications that may interfere use large portions of your internet traffic. The poker software program for most of the online gaming sites will give you a generous amount of time to reconnect, but using this privilege too often will be treated as bad poker etiquette.

2. Do not misuse the purpose of the chat box. The chat box is designed for light unengaging conversations – after all you are there to play poker not distract yourself and the others with irritating insinuations about the qualities of yours or your opponents' poker play. Most certainly you should not discuss your folded hand while the duration of a certain hand. You should know that the ability to chat whilst in a online poker is not unconditionally given to you. There are moderators and administrators that will take your permission to chat if you abuse the system and the game.

The Importance Of Table Position

Important Hold'Em Poker Position - Is it Really?

OK, today we will be dealing with the importance of Position in Poker. It could be very confusing if you are a new player to the game to understand all the talk about “how important your positions is” and having to act “accordingly to your position in the game”... Believe me, I should know because I was very neglectful of the relevance of position in my early stages of poker playing.

Let's cut to the chase – first some basic definitions:

"Having position" or “To have position” on another player. This means that you have the advantage over that player because he acts before you.

"First position" – this is when you are the one who acts first. If you're dealt-in in third position for example, but the Big and Small blinds have folded that leaves you in first position (until you fold). Being third to act is also called being an UTG player ("Under The Gun", first to speak after the blinds).

"Last position"- this should be the position you want to be most of the times. This position gives you an advantage over all the other players still in the hand. Even if you're not dealt in on the “button”, you're still in last position if no one will act after you (meaning the players after you folded).

Position and Expected Value

To tell the truth – Position is of Great importance, because it will alter the expected value of any given hand you have. Still there are situations where it is better for you to be in first position, but as a general rule of thumb in poker, most hands achieve their highest potential value in being last to act.

Although at “Showdown” (when the final players that have reached the “river” show their cards to determine the winning combination), all positions are the same - being in last position signifies that you'll have greater control of the pot size, hence you are able to extract the maximum value out of your “monsters”, while keeping your loss to a minimum when you expect your hand to be beat.

Lets clarify the whole concept with some examples:

Lets suggest that you are sitting at a 2$/4$ limit Hold'em table. You are in third position. The pocket cards are dealt and you get T9 suited. You decide that with your hand, it is worth 2$ to see the flop, so you call. The next three players fold, the following player raises and the next one re-raises. Now you have to choose whether to call and pay 6$ more. You decide that it isn't really worth $6 to see the flop, and you wish you had never placed a bet in the first place because you just lost your 2$.

That's one example how table position makes a whole lot of difference especially in the long run. Had you been in last position and known someone was going to raise, you would've saved your 2 dollars by simply folding. Knowing the actions of your opponents before you have to choose your own makes great difference.

Another example:

You have:
Q♣ T♣

and are in last position. You get to the “River” and the board is:
7♥ A♣ 8♥ 9 6♠

You have drawn a “straight” - holding what is most likely to be the best hand.

If you were to be in first position to act would you bet or call? What if he raises?

Could he have a J,T and make a higher “straight”? You're pretty sure that he has a strong hand because he has been active during the previous betting rounds so you figure that he/she has at least a pair of aces, maybe two pair, maybe even a set. If you were to act before him, you would have a tough decision to make.

But if you are in last position you don't have to worry about it - it's his problem. He has to brainstorm the situation to take the right decision of whether or not to bet his strong hand or not, knowing that if you have a “10”, you'll raise it and he will have lost an extra bet. He also has to think of the situation that if he checks, he risks missing an extra bet to a worse hand who would just check behind him.

Do you see how important and crucial can table position be in poker? You will bet if he checks, and raise/call if he bets. You will always adjust your decisions responsively to your opponent's actions and in fact will always make the right choice, but he/she won't.

OK let's see another example where you have a strong hand but that can be beat.

You have a pair:
A♥ A♠

and are last to act. The “River” shows:
A♦ Q♦ 7♠ 6♥10♦

The scenario is this – there has been action during the hand, mostly between you and the first player to act, but there are two players that have simply been calling all throughout the flop and the “Turn” all the way to the river. It's time for the first player to act and he bets, the next one raises, and the third player - bets! When that “10♦” came up on the “River” what hands did it create? Probably a straight, a flush, even a straight flush. It's true that you have a great hand but that was just until the “River” but now you should probably fold. It turns out that your position saved you a lot of money in that scenario.

Now lets examine the Hold'em Table Positions Grouping.

A full ten player poker table is divided into three parts (See the picture).

1. The first three players are considered to be in Early Position. They act before the two other groups of players and are thought to be the worst position group – of course there are exceptions. This leads to the conclusion that players in early position should play only the strongest hands considering the fact that there can be up to 9 more hands at the table which all can be a potentially winning hand.

2. The second group are the Middle Position players. They are able to see some of the actions of their opponents but should still have some reserves about the hands they play. Although the shouldn't limit their plays to only premium starting hands they should take into consideration the play of the Early Positioned players and have in mind that there is still one more group of players to act.

3. The last third part of the table is said to be in Late Position. These players have the priority to observe most of their opponents actions before they have to choose for themselves. The very last player is considered to have the biggest advantage on the table and should they choose to call a bet then there is almost no chance that anyone would raise (unless they are a complete beginner). Being in Late Position enables more looser play and a wider range of starting hands because they know their odds and the opponents they are facing.

The importance of position may be obvious, but lets generalize the whole picture: Statistically everyone in the long run,should be dealt the same amount of good and band hands, the difference in the end between winners and losers adds up to the amount you win when you win, and the amount you save when you lose.

Bluffing - Should You Do It?

How, When and Why To Use Bluffing in Poker..

Lets face it... If you want to play poker you want to learn how to bluff!

What is a bluff? Most of us know the answer to that questions. A bluff is to make your opponents believe that you have a strong hand when you do not! It can be a very powerful tool if used correctly, on the other hand bluffing without reason and planning will get you out of the game sooner than later. Many players have lifted bluffing to an art carefully taking into consideration their position in the game along with planing their next move.

Why do poker players avert to bluffing? Can't they just play the game by the rules, fair and square? Well, to tell the truth poker wouldn't be POKER without a good bluff. Without it,the game will become very dull and played only by good mathematicians, calculating their odds of winning a hand. It will just be a simple luck game where bets are placed accordingly to the “win – lose” chance, and the player having the best card combination will win. There isn't anything wrong with that (if you are a very good mathematician), but try doing it non-stop... Most certainly it will become a burden rather than a source of entertainment - winning money along the way.

More than giving variety and excitement during play, there are other significant assets that come from bluffing in poker games. When playing low limit competitions bluffing is often used for the simple reason that there is little to lose if no one among your opponents believes your bluff. But with the stakes being low also the chance of being called is greater. Of course on the bright side, if your bluff proves to be effective, then you could have much to gain and of course - nothing to lose.

Yet, when the stakes are high, a good, planned in advance bluff can be a very effective tool. The higher the bet on your bluff is the more your opponent has to lose if he calls. When this is the case, bluffing becomes easily a big temptation especially if you win a pot or two using this strategy. This is where the good players distinct themselves from the amateurs. Knowing when to stop is key to playing successful poker and avoiding getting broke. Don't think that going “ALL IN” every time you feel like bluffing is going to win you the pot always. If there are any thinking creatures on the table with you, they will sooner or later figure out that you are in fact bluffing your way to riches and will stop your triumphant march to victory!

You should know that before even attempting to play poker you should always put on your "Poker Face" Bellow is an example of a bad and a good poker face:

When Use Bluffing???

If you are interested in employing bluffing as one of your strategies you first need to do a little research on what type of opponents you're up against. This is basically what sets the veteran from the rookie. The amateur will most likely believe each and every bluff that comes his way. The good player on the other hand, will more likely study the occurring events in the game, including other players' behaviour and the pot.

Well, surely bluffing should be used accordingly to your position in the game and the image you create amongst the others of yourself backed up with planning. Do you bet on every hand you get or do you play “by the book” and bet only on good hands?

1. Playing Like A “Maniac" - one of the advantages in being a “maniac” on the table is keeping your opponents alert at all time because no one knows what your next move might be. The looser your game is the easier for you is to “slow play”. Slow play is a bluffing technique that is used when you have a good hand and you want others to think that you don't so that you don't scare them off. This is done by just calling the bets of the other players and trying to make them think that you are considering folding your hand at any moment. Then when you get to the “River” (the final betting round) you would really want to bet or raise in order to get the most out of your hand (also trying not to intimidate the others with a too large bet so that they would call).




2. Playing it “Tight” - a tight player is a player who bets only on “good” hands and folds the “bad” ones. You could tell a tight player if he/she folds more oftenly when being raised than he/she calls. Advertising this type of image for yourself can be very profitable later in the game. When others think that you are betting only on good hands that puts you in a very strong position for bluffing or semi-bluffing. Having the reputation of a straightforward player could easily be used to fool even the more experienced players when betting on a weak hand – just don't overdo it! You want to keep your tight game image so don't let your mask be uncovered.



As I said before no poker is real poker unless you throw some bluffs in.

However! Choosing to use bluffing techniques simply as a way to manage through a particular round will almost certainly be largely ineffective. This is so because your opponents could sniff out the inconsistencies in your play, and sense your desperateness by the way you handle your cards. If they are veteran players, you would most surely have your bluff revealed.

Ultimately the key to successful bluffing is your ability to create a certain state of mind in your opponents. Your primary goal should be to make them feel secure in their game plays. Anyway, it will really always be up to your opponents whether or not they choose to call your bluff. In the end, it's all brought down to a mind game, where only the player with the better mental endurance will eventually come forward as the game's victor.