www.poker.com – Percentages of Poker
Category: Poker
poker.com – To a large degree, percentages hold the key to playing poker and winning. We can never say that one hand will definately win over another by the time all the board cards have been dealt out, but we can always calculate the odds of each hand winning at set points in the hand. It is of course possible for a hand to have 0% chance of winning a pot after seeing some of the board cards, but in most cases there will be a favourite to win, and an underdog.
Most percentages are considered and calculated by players relating to preflop hands, but sometimes there is cause to consider your percentages on or after the flop too.
You should not be overly concerned if your mathematics skills are not great, most of the key percentages can be memorised. There will always be likely scenarios you will find yourself involved in more often than others, such as small pocket pairs against two overcards pre flop, or making a draw which has materialised on the flop.
Many hands are concluded by a pair against two over cards in poker, which equates to around 50% each to win the pot, but most players like to get their chips in with better odds than that. Odds of making a flush with one card left to come and four to a suit, is around 20%.
For this reason most players will not chase such draws with one card left to hit the board, but on the flop, it can be worth pursuing the hand with two chances to hit it. Many online poker sites display percentages to win the pot as hands progress after a showdown, as a player, you should familiarise yourself with these in terms of all the likely situations you will most often find yourself in.