pre flop odds
Hole cards Odds
Defined Pocket Pair, like Ace-Ace 220 to 1
Ace-King suited 331 to 1
Ace-King off-suit 110 to 1
Ace with less than Jack, suited 36 to 1
Ace with less than Jack, off-suit 11 to 1
Any Pair 16 to 1
Any two cards suited 3.25 to 1
Any two cards connected and suited 47 to 1
Any two cards connected and off-suit 15 to 1
holdem draw chart
Flop draw Odds
A set with pocket pair 7.5 to 1
Any pair or more 2.1 to 1
2 or more suited cards with suited hand 7.5 to 1
Turn and River draw Odds
Hit a flush with 4 suited on flop 1.86 to 1
Hit a full house or more with 2 pairs 5 to 1
2 pair or 3 of a kind with pair on flop 11 to 1

strategic moves

* • Lose and learn
* • The check raise trap
* • Play slow, win big
* • The info bet
* • Stealing the blind
* • Defend your blind
* • Paying for free cards
* • Muck, muck, show

Lose and learn

Hey! It’s just play money! Staying in hands just to get a hang of what it takes to win a hand is a smart way to learn. If learning is the purpose. To win, remember, you must learn when to fold.

The check raise trap

If you have a really good hand, and the action is checked to you, try and check also! Hopefully someone behind you will bet and when the action goes back to you, you can then raise! Helps to build bigger pots.

Play slow, win big

In poker, deception is everything. If you have a hand you think is unbeatable, there is no need to raise the pot too early and risk scaring the other players off. Lure them in and then strike them out!

The info bet

The more you know about your opponents hand the better. One way of finding out more about his hand is to make a bet just to see how he reacts. Does he re-raise or call? Does he think before acting?

Stealing the blind

If you are on the button and everyone folds to you, you might consider this move. By raising the pot, both blinds might fold, winning you their blinds. Remember, your strong position give them the willies.

Defend your blind

When posting small and big blinds, once in a while it can be a good idea to call any small raises – despite week cards. You will lose the blind if you fold anyway, so the extra cost can be worth it. Pot odds remember…

Paying for free cards

You flop a good draw in a late position, and want to see the turn and river as cheaply as possible. Since the flop call is cheaper than the turn, raise the flop and hope the others then check the turn believing you will bet it. Naturally, you trick them by checking, and voila! River card for half the cost!

Muck, muck, show

When you win uncalled hands you don’t have to show your hand – leaving opponents to wonder. But sometimes it’s a good idea anyhow, either to upset them (with the bluff), or to show that you didn’t bluff.

strategic tips

* • Finding your game
* • The “nosey bastard”
* • Tilt!
* • It’s all about the odds
* • The rule of pot odds
* • Read your opponent
* • Winner takes all
* • Commit!
* • Analyze the board
* • Make them pay
* • All-in, all the time?
* • Faking your tells
* • Don’t fall in love!
* • Bring enough chips
* • On bluffing

Finding your game

There’s a huge difference in how to play fixed limit, no limit and pot limit poker. Find the game that suits you. You may stink at one, but rule at another.

The “nosey bastard” fallacy

Curiosity is a curse in poker. If you keep paying to stay in pots you will have little chance of winning. Do not stay in a hand just in case a miracle card comes up, or you will go broke faster than a Star Trek fan on a sci-fi convention.

Tilt!

Tilt is the poker equivalent of going bananas and playing like a madman. Poker is an emotional game and you will feel the urge. Fight it, or it will ruin everything. And, if you can, make others tilt.

It’s all about the odds

Don’t play against impossible odds! If there’s just one card in the entire deck that helps your hand, well then you’re screwed 51 out of 52 times.

The rule of pot odds.

When faced with a tricky should-I-call-or-not decision; consider how big the pot is. A really big pot might make the call worth it. Always weigh THE odds of the winning hand against the size of the pot.

Read your opponent

Figure out your opponents hand by noticing his style and his strategy. Is he aggressive? Or is he tight and folds a lot? When he thinks, is he actually hesitating, or does he just want you to think he’s hesitating? Poker is a true game of treachery.

Winner takes all

In poker there is no prize for having the second best hand! Second, in this case, is all about being the biggest loser. Not much strategy really, but one helluva good reminder!

Commit!

The ace, ace (AA) and king, king (KK) are typical starting hands that very seldom should be played passively. They are at their best early in a hand, so don’t hesitate to commit. Be aggressive!

Analyze the board

It is important to consider how the board can affect your opponents cards. If he raises for example, what could he have? Is the board set up for a flush or a straight? Analyze and learn.

Make them pay

If you think your opponent is drawing to a hand be sure to make him pay for the draw! Don’t be scared and wait for him to hit the draw. If you do, he will run you over like a monster truck in a crowded car park!

All-in, all the time?

Every time you go all-in you risk going bust or being eliminated from a tournament. You often don’t have to go all-in to bluff. You may simply scare or counterattack you opponent. A large raise or reraise will do just fine.

Faking your tells

You know by now what your opponents are watching out for. By faking your tells – maybe thinking a while although you have the nuts – you may trick them into making really costly moves – for them.

Don’t fall in love!

Even though two aces is the best hand to start off with, the board may kill them. If you suspect that all the other players now have better cards, you’re probably right. Learn to drop them, or it will cost you.

Bring enough chips

A big stack gives you a psychological advantage over small stacks. Always bring a minimum of 50-100 times the big blind to the table when you buy in. This ought to cover for any bad luck streaks.

On bluffing

As a general rule, don’t try to steal a pot by trying to bluff a poor player, a heavy winner or a heavy loser. They will either figure you out or just get lucky. Either way you lose.