|
Poker is a game based on the passing of money from one unlucky player (or players) to one lucky player. Generally speaking, the lucky player gets lucky not through luck at all, but by shrewdly calculating the odds of winning a hand. Poker odds are essential to the good player if he wants to remain on top at the end of the round and to the end of the game.
It’s harder to calculate poker odds than you might think. Most instruction books on the subject make it seem simple; however, the reality is that you must calculate these odds in the heat of the moment and can’ dawdle too long. If you do you’ll reveal your hand as weak and see yourself parted from your money in no time. Calculating these odds gets even worse when you’re playing on multiple tables at one time.
One way of getting around this is to memorize common odds. Plays that pop up often should be taken into account and calculated with little more than a glance. You should know without much thought at all whether to raise or fold. Your mind should be working in a flurry, keeping up with all the mathematics with ease. If you can’t then it’s definitely not recommended that you take poker as a serious source of income.
One way to help you get used to statistics counting is to use a poker calculator when you first start out. Playing against computers you have the luxury of time – you’ll never get complaints about being slow, after all – and can figure out the chances of your hand winning rather swiftly. By doing so you can then transfer what you’ve learned to playing against real people and will be able to calculate percentages without having to bring in a calculator to help you. If you want to get good you’ll have to turn your head into the calculator and let it make all the decisions for you.
Bear in mind, too, that you need to know when to fold. Knowing odds is useless if you’re unwilling to back down.
|
