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When playing poker and it comes time to see the flop, you should understand the concept of winning poker odds. There are generally three types of situations you will encounter at the flop:
- Your hand is strong as you hit the flop - you should either bet or raise
[show KdQd in player´s hand, and QhQcTd on the board]
- Your hand misses the flop completely - you should either check or fold.
[show KcQc in player´s hand, and Ad8d9h on the board]
- You hold a drawing hand, where your hand is not strong yet, but it could become a strong hand on the turn or the river
[show KdQd in player´s hand, and 5d6d10c on the board]
It always pays to know poker odds, especially when you are drawing; pot odds can help you to determine the possibility of winning a hand based on the cards in your hand and what is on the table so far. First you have to count the number of outs you have (outs are cards that will improve your hand. To calculate your percentage of hitting an out on the next card, take the number of possible outs, multiply this number by 2, and then add 1. You can then calculate poker odds and make a decision.
Take a look at the following example:
[show QcTc in player´s hand, and KhJd5d on the board]
In this situation, you have 8 possible outs - four Aces and four 9s. In order to calculate poker odds (hitting an out on the next card), take the number of possible outs (8), multiply by 2 (16), and add 1 (17). Therefore, you have about a 17% chance of hitting an out on the turn.
Once you calculate your poker odds and the chance of hitting a draw, multiply this amount by the pot plus the bet to determine the maximum bet that you can call. For example, if the bet is $10 and the pot is $90, the bet plus the pot is $100. If, as in the previous example, you have 8 outs, then you have about a 17% chance of drawing. If the pot is $90 and you have to call $10 to stay in the hand, then you should call because you have at least a 10% chance to hit (10/100 because the total pot is $90 + $10). However, if the bet to you is $20, then you should fold because you would need at least an 18% chance of hitting (20/110).
Make sure that you read up on Hand Probabilities, as it will help you when determining your pot odds. You can also read the other poker articles, or you can find an online poker rooms and determine pot odds for yourself while you are playing.
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