A Quick and Easy Lesson in Calculating Outs and Pot Odds

Calculating outs (the number of cards that could improve your hand) and pot odds (ratio of the money in the pot versus the amount required to make your next call) is often used as a basis for a Texas Holdem Poker player on whether to draw and try to make their hand.

However this in my opinion should not be the sole basis of your decision on whether you should draw for another card. You also have to decide on whether the hand that you are trying to hit will win you the pot or not.

How to calculate pot odds:

Example, if the current pot contains $80, and the amount required at the next call is $20, the pot is laying you odds of $80 to $20 or 4 to 1.

As long as your odds of making the best hand are 4 to 1 or better then making the call is the right move.  A hand that is 4 to 1 means that you will hit once in every 5 tries.  You will hit the draw 20 percent of the time.

This next example takes into account calculating pot odds and outs.

Assume that your hole cards are a six and a seven (for this example suits do not matter) and the flop came down 8-9-3.

In order to complete your hand you need a 5 or 10.  You have eight outs   4-5's and 4-10's.  Multiply your outs (8) by 4 and you get 32.  You have a 32 percent chance of making your hand.  If there was only one card left to draw you would multiply by two.

A 32 percent chance of making your hand means you have a 68 percent chance of NOT making your hand.  This is roughly 2 to 1 that you won't make the hand.  So, as long as the pot contains $2 for every $1 that you have to call, it is worth going after your straight.

Doing these quick calculations and interpreting them can be very difficult and confusing for a beginner (and many advanced players as well!).  But I would recommend that you at least be able to quickly calculate your outs to give you an idea of just how likely you are to make your hand. Then decide if that hand will win the pot for you or not.

A Little History on the World Series of Poker

The World Series of Poker is the most anticipated and crowning event in the world of poker.  It's been around for so long and its history has been clouded by its popularity that people tend to forget just how great the WSOP was when it first started. Over the past couple of years, thousands of people have been trying to cash a quick buck off its popularity, and hundreds of web sites have suddenly popped up, but despite all of this the WSOP has been around when poker was considered serious card playing.  It wasn't a fad that was made to be televised into some sort of fashion.  It was quality poker.

 

Back in the day, men smoked cigars and sipped whisky while eyeing up their opponents.  It was a game made for men like Nicolas Dandolos, commonly referred to as Nick the Greek, and Benny Binion. These two were champion gamblers and poker players back during the 1940s. It was no wonder then when Nick the Greek approached Binion to set up a world class match. Nick challenged the supposed champion of all poker players, Johnny Moss.

Binion agreed to the plan and he set up the match between Dandolos and Moss.  There was one exception though, Binion made sure to attract as much attention to the event as possible by holding it in public. It was to be on public display and seen as a marathon.  After five long months of discussion and compromises, all parties agreed to continue with the match. Thus, the World Series of Poker was born in 1949. It was a grueling event where the players only took breaks to catch up on sleep. Moss came out on top and reportedly took home around $2 million in cash, nearly an entire casino's worth in 1949.

Nearly 21 years later, Binion decided to try his hand with the WSOP again. It was 1970, and this time he officially deemed it the WSOP. And once again, Johnny Moss did what he does best and walked away with the pot.

By now Binion knew he had something particularly special in the poker world. He continued the World Series of Poker yearly from then on. By 1982, 104 top poker players signed up for the WSOP. In 2005, 5,619 people entered into the main event. 2006 was the height of the poker craze, everyone believed he or she was the next gift to poker. That year, the numbers were predicted to be over 8,000 entrants.   The size of the WSOP has changed, but the quality has not. The 2014 WSOP consisted of 65 events, with most major poker variants featured.  The WSOP is the biggest, most anticipated poker tournament for any poker player.

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$1 Million Guaranteed Tournament This December

Poker in America is officially back. Americas Cardroom today announced Winning Millions, a $1 million guaranteed poker tournament set to get underway on December 14th, 2014. The historic online poker tournament will feature the single biggest online poker prize pool US players have seen since April 2011. Qualifiers for the $500+$40 buy-in tournament will be available soon.

"We've hosted some big poker tournaments before, but seven figures have been completely foreign to US players for well over three years now," stated Michael Harris, spokesperson for Americas Cardroom. "We're excited to raise the bar and set a new standard for poker in America with a $1 million tournament prize pool that's reminiscent of the glory days."

Winning Millions is a Texas Hold'em tournament featuring a $500+$40 buy-in, scheduled for December 14th, 2014. It features a $1 million guaranteed prize pool, but the final number could grow even bigger given Americas Cardroom's history of eclipsing their guaranteed tournaments.

Thanks to the fastest payouts in the industry, easy deposits, and a tournament schedule that puts players first, Americas Cardroom has continued to attract new players to their community in record numbers. The $1 million tournament announcement is likely to push traffic at Americas Cardroom to new heights, ultimately leading to bigger prize pools in other tournaments as new players join the community.

The first place finisher will take home $200,000 guaranteed, and Americas Cardroom is doing everything they can to push more players into the tournament. While the satellite schedule has yet to be finalized, over 600 satellites will lead to seats in Winning Millions.

More details on Winning Millions will be announced soon. For further information, visit
AmericasCardroom.eu.

A Guide to Gambling on Online Poker Rooms

So, what is your hobby?  Do you like playing cards?  Have you yet discovered the amazing world of online poker rooms?  In truth, there is nothing more wonderful to card players than online poker.  This has become a hobby to many poker players.

Online poker room gambling popularity emanates from the ease and convenience of this type of gambling.  It is way much easier to gamble in an online casino than in an actual brick and mortar one.  The gambling software creates an almost effortless game.  You are assured that you won't even miss your turn.  You would be prompted when you need to place a bet, even suggests the amount that you should bet.  You would even be asked if you want to fold, which you could do so if you feel like your hand is not good enough.  This is why a lot of people are getting addicted to online poker gambling.

The Benefits of Online Poker Gambling

Poker software are being constantly developed and improved to meet customers demand and satisfaction.  You can choose your games and play only those that you love.  You can play with a limit, no limit or pot limit.  If you are confident with your game, you can go for high stakes.  You can even switch from one game to another.  It doesn't even matter when you log on to play, there are games 24/7 and there are seats available.

What Should You Remember When Playing Poker Online?

The hitch on online gambling is that you can't see your opponents; such that it would be difficult to gauge their reactions.  You won't be able to see their body language.  You won't see them fidget, get excited or frown.  This makes winning a little bit difficult.  To ensure your chances of winning, there are 3 points that you have to remember when gambling and playing poker online.

   1. Play free poker games first.   

Before jumping into a poker game, be sure to sit out a few hands to get a feel for the online poker room gambling site.  You would also get used to the game.  This is especially important since online poker is faster than your traditional poker game.

  2. Start with low-staked gambling.  

 Unless you are pretty sure that you'd fare well in a high-staked poker game, do not risk your money in one.  Again, feel your way through online poker and online betting by starting with small bets.

   3. Earmark your funds.   

Before you jump into a game or a tournament, determine first what you can afford to lose.  If at some point in the game you lose that amount of money, do not go any further.

A Gambling System That Works

Since gambling began, there have been people who have strived to find the perfect gambling system - one that puts the odds so much in the gambler's favor that riches are almost certainly guaranteed. In all these thousands of years, has anyone ever really found a gambling system that works?

Although there are people who claim to have found systems to beat the odds at any type of gambling, most of the gambling systems that you hear of are for a particular form of gambling; such as Blackjack, Poker, or Roulette. There are many books about systems for particulars areas of gambling, most written by people who have focused a lot of time and energy on their choice of game. There is no arguing that there are people out there who win more at certain games then they lose; just look at the professional Poker players you see on TV these days who live quite comfortably on their winnings. Many of these professionals have written books on how to win at Poker, and more than likely their advice is sound and potentially profitable.

For the serious gambler, the best thing to do is to choose one game - two at the most - and do as much research as possible. Practicing the game helps, but you may not be the kind of person who can come up with winning strategies easily. More often than not a great deal of math is involved, and for some people math just isn't their strong point. It's best to find systems that have already been established by successful gamblers, and see if they work for you. Systems differ with whomever invented them, and it may be worth the time to try several different systems before you decide on which one works best for you. Keep your wagers small until you feel comfortable that a certain system is going to work well for you.

Although systems do exist that can put odds more in the gambler's favor, one must never forget that gambling means taking risks, and these risks can never really be completely omitted. Sinking your life savings into a gambling system that you believe is foolproof and will put you on the road to riches is a foolish idea, and any reputable professional gambler, no matter how successful, will agree with that. That being said, it certainly doesn't hurt to test gambling systems by starting with small amounts of money that you can comfortably afford to lose, and seeing which system works best for you. If you win, gamble with your winnings, and set aside the amount that you started with. That advice, by far, is probably the gambling system that will always work best.