understanding
the odds of making a hand in poker are vital to success at the poker
tables
Hand
Number
of Ways to Make Hand
Odds Against Being Dealt
Hand in 5 Cards
Royal Flush
4
649,739/1
Straight
Flush
36
72,192/1
Four of
a Kind
624
4,164/1
Full House
3,744
693/1
Flush
5,108
508/1
Straight
10,200
254/1
Three of
a Kind
54,912
46/1
Two Pair
123,552
20/1
One Pair
1,098,240
2.4/1
Highest
Card
1,302,540
1/1
Total
2,598,960
Chances of
Holding a Particular Hand or Better in First Five Cards Dealt
Any Pair
or Better
1/2
Pair of Jacks or Better
1/5
Pair of Queens or Better
1/6
Pair of Kings or Better
1/7
Pair of Aces or Better
1/9
Two Pairs or Better
1/13
Three of a Kind or Better
1/35
Straight or Better
1/132
Flush or Better
1/273
Full House or Better
1/590
Four of a Kind or Better
1/3,914
Straight Flush or Better
1/64,974
Royal Flush
1/649,740
The Odds of Making Your Hand
In the game of Hold'em there
are plenty of times you will need a card to show itself on the
flop, turn, or the river. For instance, you may need to know the
odds of catching that club on the river for the flush, or
flopping the third 8 to go with the two in your hand. In order
to compute the odds of finding the card you need on the board,
you will need to know two things. The first is how many 'Outs'
you have.
'Outs' are simply the number of
cards that can 'make' your hand. If you are looking for that
flush on the river, there are 9 cards that can help you. (13
clubs in the deck - 4 clubs in your hand or on the board = 9
clubs remaining).
The second thing to know is the
number of unseen cards. Since two cards are in your hand,
and four are on the board, there are 46 card remaining. (52-2=50
followed by 50-4=46).
Now computing the odds is a simple
division problem. 9 cards that can help, divided by 46 cards out
there, equals 19.6%. (9÷46=19.56%). That's how you do it. Ok,
9÷46 isn't so simple, but still, that's how it's done.
Information you can use right away:
Flush: If you hold a four
flush, the odds of catching it on the turn are 19.1%, on
the river is 19.6%. Catching it on the turn or the
river is 35.0%
Open-Ended Straight: Odds of
catching your card on the turn, 17.0%. On the river,
17.4%. On the turn or the river, 31.5%
Gutshot Straight: Catching your
card on the turn, 8.5%. Catching your cad on the river,
8.7%. Catching it on the turn or the river,
16.5%
Trips: Turn your pair into
Three-of-a-Kind on the turn, 4.3%. Catch at the river,
4.3%. Catch at the turn or the river, 8.4%.
With pocket pairs it is more likely you'll want to catch on the
flop. Odds of that are 11.8%
