How to Play the Texas Hold; em Bonus Poker Table Game
How to Play the Texas Hold'em Bonus Poker Table Game
One of the newest casino table games popping up in casinos across the country is the "Texas Hold'em Bonus" game. Simply, it pits each player against the dealer in heads-up hands of Texas Hold'em poker. Whoever has the best five-card poker hand at the end, wins.
As in Blackjack, you only have to beat the dealer's hand to win, not the other players at the table. If you're familiar with how to play Texas Hold'em, it should be a snap to understand sit down and play. Here are the basic rules.
In Ultimate Texas Holdem, you play against dealer
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Last week, I alluded to the notion players play Ultimate Texas Hold’em more timidly than they should.
While a portion of this is probably based in the relatively complex strategy of the game, I believe the larger portion is in the decision itself. It takes nerves of steel to put down four times your initial Ante wager.
Give me a High Pair or a suited A-J and I’m willing to risk it. But what about offsuit A-8 or suited K-10? How good are these hands? Even if the strategy says to play 4x, UTH allows the player to wait for more information and then either play 2x or wait longer. So, why rush my decision?
The first thing you need to remember when playing UTH is you are playing head’s up against the dealer. You are not playing against the other players. So, even if the table feels a bit crowded, you’re still in a 1-on-1 situation.
As any Hold’em player will tell you, the hands that are only so-so in a full table can become that much stronger in a head’s up game. If you’re playing on a full table and need to act early, there’s a good chance you’re throwing your mid-Pair hand.
If we rank the pocket hands in a head’s up game, we find it starts with a Pair of Aces and works its way down to a Pair of 8’s as the top seven hands. Yes, a Pair of 8’s is a better hand than a suited A-K from a mathematical standpoint. Since there is no bluffing in UTH, this is the ONLY thing that matters.
Just how powerful is a Pair of 8’s? You’ll win this hand 68.5 percent of the time and lose it only 30.5 percent of the time. Is it any wonder our strategy tells us to play 4x. By waiting for the Flop, what exactly are you hoping to see? Ideally, of course, you want an 8 on the Flop.
When you get it, you’re an almost sure winner, but now you only get to win 2x instead of 4x. Worried you might see a J-Q come up and he’ll beat you with a Higher Pair? Again, there is no strategy in UTH. The dealer is as likely to have a 2-3 as he is to have a J-Q. Unlike real poker, he isn’t going to fold his 2-3!
After a Pair of 8’s, the majority of the next hands (when ranked by win frequency) are of the A-X variety and a few more mid-Pairs. You’ll note I did not say suited A-X variety. While a suited hand is, of course, stronger than a non-suited hand, the X is very important as well.
We find an off-suit AK will win more often than a suited AJ. The simple reality is, starting from a suited hand, you’ll only get a Flush about 2-3 percent of the time. The higher second card will do more for you when it pairs up because it will be able to beat that many more pairs. The power of the suited pocket cards is in the ability to bluff the other player(s) or perhaps bully them when you have 4 cards to a Flush.
When all the work is done, we find ALL Pairs, except 2’s, warrant a 4x Wager. A Pair of 3’s will win 52 percent of the time and this puts it right at the cusp of our strategy mark. Will you kill your payback if you choose to wait on a Pair of 3’s? No. But if that were the only hand players were getting hesitant on it wouldn’t be a problem.
Every hand with an Ace suited or offsuit warrants a 4X wager. That’s right. Even the lowly offsuit A-2 will win 52 percent of the time (and tie 4-plus percent of the time), making the 4X wager the right play. Every suited hand with a King should be played 4X.
Here is the complete strategy for the 4X wager in Ultimate Texas Hold’em.
• If the player is dealt any Pair except for 2’s, he should Raise 4x.
• If the player is dealt an Ace, he should Raise 4x.
• If the player is dealt a suited K-X, where X is card of the same suit.
• If the player is dealt a suited Q-X, where X is greater than a 4.
• If the player is dealt a suited J-X, where X is greater than a 7.
• If the player is dealt an unsuited K-X, where X is greater than a 4.
• If the player is dealt an unsuited Q-X, where X is greater than a 7.
• If the player is dealt an unsuited J-10.
Roger Snow, the senior VP of table and utility products for Bally Technologies, invented UTH. I’ve often heard him tell the story about how he was playing it a few years back and went in 4X on a suited King hand.
The dealer looked at him and told him he shouldn’t do that. Roger smiled and thought to himself he’ll trust his own math guy (me!) as to the strategy. Did I mention a suited K-7 will win 56 percent of the time?
I understand it can be difficult to wager 4x for what is essentially a marginal hand. However, it should be noted some of these hands are not so marginal. A Pair of 6’s will win 63 percent of the time! Depending on the blind paytable in use, UTH can have a payback well in excess of 99 percent.
It is virtually impossible for the average human to achieve a payback this high. But, from observing the game, I would say most of the people give up any chance of getting this kind of return on the first wager, which ironically is the easiest to master. As I said earlier, I don’t think this is a matter of the difficulty of the strategy, but rather the hesitance to make such a large wager.
If you can master the strategy for just the 4X wager of UTH, you will have made significant progress toward a degree as an expert player.
Speaking of degrees, a special shout out goes to my son, Nis, who is graduating from Rutgers University this week! I’m sure the commencement speaker will be quite entertaining, if they ever figure out who it will actually be!
Texas Holdem Poker Odds (over 100 Poker Probabilities)
This page shows all important Poker Odds and Poker probabilities. How often do you get aces, how often do you hit a set, how many different flops are there and how often do you flop a gutshot? Answers to these and similar questions about Texas Holdem poker probabilities and odds can be found here.
This collection of Texas Hold em odds also contains the probabilities for several long-shot scenarios like set over set, flush over flush and other rather unlikely scenarios.
If you re missing a probability, just leave a comment below!
Preflop Poker Odds
Probability of being dealt a certain starting hand
There are a total of exactly 1,326 different starting hand combinations in Texas Hold em poker. However, many of them are practically identical, e.g. A K is exactly the same hand as A K before the flop. If you group these identical hands together, you get 169 different starting hand groups 13 pairs, 78 suited combinations, and 78 off-suit combinations.
The following table shows the probabilities and odds of getting dealt specific hole cards:
Texas Hold em Preflop: Odds of being dealt a certain starting hand
| Being dealt | Probability | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Pairs | ||
| Aces (or another specific pair) | 0.452% (1 : 220) | |
| Aces or Kings | 0.905% (1 : 110) | |
| A premium pair (QQ+) | 1.36% (1 : 73) | |
| Any pair | 5.88% (1 : 16) | |
| Suited cards | ||
| A K (or another specific suited hand) | 0.302% (1 : 331) | |
| Any suited connector (54s JTs) | 2.11% (1 : 46) | |
| Any suited hand | 23.5% (1 : 3.3) | |
| Off-suit cards | ||
| A K (or another specific unpaired off-suit hand) | 0.905% (1 : 110) | |
| Any offsuit hand | 70.6% (2.4 : 1) | |
| Other combinations | ||
| Ace-King (suited or off-suit) (or any specific other two unpaired cards) | 1.21% (1 : 82) | |
| Queens or better or ace-king | 2.56% (1 : 38) | |
| 2 cards ten or better ( broadway cards ) | 14.3% (1 : 6.0) | |
| 2 cards nine or lower | 37.4% (1 : 1.7) | |
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More Information
How do you calculate poker hand percentages?
To calculate preflop probabilities and poker odds in general you just have to do some combinatorics. There are ways to deal 2 hole cards. So that s the total number of possible preflop combinations. The symbol in the middle of the formula is the so called Binomial Coefficient . It calculates the number of ways of picking 2 cards from a deck of 52 cards if the order of the cards doesn t matter.
Now let s say you want to know the probability of being dealt aces preflop. We already know there are 1,326 different two-card-combinations. Exactly 6 of those are pocket aces, namely A A , A A , A A , A A , A A and A A . This means the probability of being dealt aces preflop is exactly .
For all other possible hands and ranges you can calculate the probability in the same way. Just count the number of combinations and divide by the number of total possible preflop combinations.
The formulas in the tables above and below show how each probability is calculated.
Odds of running into better hands
It is one of the biggest fears poker players have when holding queens or kings before the flop: another player wakes up with aces and takes down the pot.
If you are playing against a single opponent those events will occur very rarely. If you re holding kings for example, the probability of your opponent holding aces is less than 0.5 percent.
But the more players there are left to act behind you the more likely it is that one of them has your premium pair beaten. Another example: if you er holding jacks under the gun at a full ring table, the chances of at least one opponent behind you holding queens or better are already more than 11 percent.
The following table shows the probabilities of running into better hands when you re holding a premium hand and how often you can expect certain scenarios to happen in the long run (e.g. on a full ring table you can expect to be dealt kings and run into aces every 5,737 hands):
Probabilities of running into better hands preflop
| Scenario | Probability | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Double aces | ||
| Being dealt aces preflop | 0.452% (1 : 220) | |
| If you have aces preflop your opponent has aces as well (heads-up) | 0.0816% (1 : 1,224) | |
| If you have aces preflop an opponent has aces as well (full-ring) | 0.651% (1 : 153) | |
| Kings vs. aces | ||
| If you have kings preflop your opponent has aces (heads-up) | 0.490% (1 : 203) | |
| If you have kings preflop an opponent has aces (full-ring) | 3.85% (1 : 25) | |
| You are dealt kings and your opponent has aces (heads-up) | 0.00222% (1 : 45,120) | |
| You are dealt kings and someone has aces (full-ring) | 0.0174% (1 : 5,737) | |
| Queens vs. aces or kings | ||
| If you have queens preflop your opponent has kings or aces (heads-up) | 0.980% (1 : 101) | |
| If you have queens preflop an opponent has kings or aces (full-ring) | 7.57% (1 : 12) | |
| You are dealt queens and your opponent has aces or kings (heads-up) | 0.00443% (1 : 22,559) | |
| You are dealt queens and someone has aces or kings (full-ring) | 0.0343% (1 : 2,917) | |
| Jacks vs. better pairs | ||
| If you have jacks preflop your opponent has a better pair (heads-up) | 1.47% (1 : 67) | |
| If you have jacks preflop an opponent has a better pair (full-ring) | 11.2% (1 : 8.0) | |
| You are dealt jacks and your opponent has a better pair (heads-up) | 0.00665% (1 : 15,039) | |
| You are dealt jacks and someone has a better pair (full-ring) | 0.0505% (1 : 1,978) | |
| Ace-king vs. aces or kings | ||
| If you have ace-king preflop your opponent has kings or aces (heads-up) | 0.490% (1 : 203) | |
| If you have ace-king preflop an opponent has kings or aces (full-ring) | 3.85% (1 : 25) | |
| Ace-queen vs. queens+ or ace-king | ||
| If you have ace-queen preflop your opponent has queens+ or ace-king (heads-up) | 1.96% (1 : 50) | |
| If you have ace-queen preflop an opponent has queens+ or ace-king (full-ring) | 14.6% (1 : 5.8) | |
| Ace-jack vs. jacks+ or ace-queen+ | ||
| If you have ace-jack preflop your opponent has jacks+ or ace-queen (heads-up) | 3.43% (1 : 28) | |
| If you have ace-jack preflop an opponent has jacks+ or ace-jack (full-ring) | 24.4% (1 : 3.1) | |
Preflop match-up odds
If only two players are remaining in a Texas Hold em Poker hand before the flop, the odds of one player winning can range from 5% up to 95%.
We have listed the most important preflop match-up probabilities and poker odds below:
Texas Hold em Preflop: Common hand match-up probabilities
| Matchup | Odds | Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Pair against two higher cards ( coin flip ) | 1.1 : 1 | 46% (4 4 vs. J T ) up to 57% (Q Q vs. A K ) |
| Pair against higher and lower card | 2.4 : 1 | 68% (6 6 vs. 7 5 ) up to 73% (Q Q vs. K 2 ) |
| Pair against two lower cards | 4.9 : 1 | 77% (K K vs. 8 7 ) up to 89% (K K vs. 7 7 ) |
| Pair against higher and equal rank | 1.9 : 1 | 60% (4 4 vs. 5 4 ) up to 70% (8 8 vs. K 8 ) |
| Pair against equal and lower rank | 7.3 : 1 | 81% (5 5 vs. 5 4 ) up to 95% (K K vs. K 2 ) |
| Two higher against two lower cards | 1.8 : 1 | 58% (K 8 vs. 5 4 ) up to 71% (J T vs. 7 2 ) |
| High and low card against two inbetween | 1.5 : 1 | 58% (K 2 vs. 8 7 ) up to 63% (A 2 vs. 8 3 ) |
| Same high card, different kicker | 1.8 : 1 | 53% (A 3 vs. A 2 ) up to 76% (K Q vs. K 2 ) |
| Interlocked cards | 1.6 : 1 | 56% (K 8 vs. 9 7 ) up to 66% (A 9 vs. T 4 ) |
Poker odds and probabilities on the flop
Probabilities of flopping certain hands
The following table shows the probabilities and poker odds of hitting specific hands and draws on the flop:
Hitting the flop
| Flopping things | Probability | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Flopping things with a pair | ||
| Flopping a set or better with a pair | 11.8% (1 : 7.5) | |
| Flopping quads with a pair | 0.245% (1 : 407) | |
| Flopping an overpair or better with KK | 77.4% (3.4 : 1) | |
| Flopping an overpair or better with QQ | 58.6% (1.4 : 1) | |
| Flopping an overpair or better with JJ | 43.0% (1 : 1.3) | |
| Flopping an overpair or better with TT | 30.5% (1 : 2.3) | |
| Flopping things with suited cards | ||
| Flopping a flush with suited cards | 0.842% (1 : 118) | |
| Flopping a flush draw with suited cards | 10.9% (1 : 8.1) | |
| Flopping a backdoor flush draw with suited cards | 41.6% (1 : 1.4) | |
| Flopping straights and straight-draws | ||
| Flopping a straight with a connector (54 JT) | 1.31% (1 : 76) | |
| Flopping a straight draw with a connector | 9.71% (1 : 9.3) | |
| Flopping a straight with a one-gapper (53 QT) | 0.980% (1 : 101) | |
| Flopping a straight draw with a one-gapper | 7.67% (1 : 12) | |
| Flopping things with unpaired cards | ||
| Flopping quads with two unpaired cards | 0.0102% (1 : 9,799) | |
| Flopping a full house with two unpaired cards | 0.0918% (1 : 1,088) | |
| Flopping trips with two unpaired cards | 1.35% (1 : 73) | |
| Flopping two pair with two unpaired cards (no pair on the board) | 2.02% (1 : 48) | |
| Flopping at least one pair | 32.4% (1 : 2.1) | |
Odds for setups on the flop
Sometimes two players flop very string hands. The most common example for this is certainly the set over set scenario. The following table shows the probabilities for several scenarios where two or more players hit very strong hands:
Probability of two or more players flopping strong hands
| Flopping things | Probability | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Set over set | ||
| Flopping a set or better with a pair | 11.8% (1 : 7.5) | |
| Being dealt a pair and flopping a set | 0.691% (1 : 144) | |
| If two players have a pair, both flop a set | 1.02% (1 : 97) | |
| Two players are dealt a pair and both flop a set (heads-up) | 0.003518% (1 : 28,423) | |
| Two players are dealt a pair and both flop a set (full-ring) | 0.127% (1 : 789) | |
| Set over set over set | ||
| If three players have a pair, all flop a set | 0.0463% (1 : 2,161) | |
| Three players are dealt a pair and all flop a set (3 player table) | 0.00001066% (1 : 9,379,926) | |
| Two players are dealt a pair and both flop a set (full-ring) | 0.0008955% (1 : 111,665) | |
| Quads over quads | ||
| Hitting quads with a pair until the river | 0.816% (1 : 122) | |
| If two players have a pair, both hit quads until the river | 0.002077% (1 : 48,153) | |
| Two players have a pocket pair and make quads (heads-up) | 0.000008884% (1 : 11,255,912) | |
| Two players have a pocket pair and make quads (full-ring) | 0.0003198% (1 : 312,663) | |
| Flush over flush | ||
| Flopping a flush with two suited cards | 0.842% (1 : 118) | |
| Being dealt suited cards and flopping a flush | 0.198% (1 : 504) | |
| If two players have suited cards, both flop a flush | 0.486% (1 : 205) | |
| Two players are dealt suited cards and both flop a flush (heads-up) | 0.005131% (1 : 19,490) | |
| Two players are dealt suited cards and both flop a flush (full-ring) | 0.185% (1 : 540) | |
| Flush over flush over flush | ||
| If three players have suited cards, all flop a flush | 0.231% (1 : 433) | |
| Three players are dealt suited cards and all flop a flush (3 player table) | 0.00007774% (1 : 1,286,389) | |
| Three players are dealt suited cards and all flop a flush (full-ring) | 0.006530% (1 : 15,313) | |
Probabilities and poker odds after the flop
How often do you hit a straight, what are the odds of making a full house, and what s the probability of making a flush? The following table shows all common scenarios after the flop and the probabilities of improving your hand.
Draws and outs on the flop and turn
| Improvement | Outs | Flop → Turn | Turn → River | Flop → River |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Improving set to quads e.g. K K on K Q J | 1 | 2.1% (1 : 46) | 2.2% (1 : 45) | 4.3% (1 : 22) |
| Improving pair to trips e.g. A K on A T 9 | 2 | 4.3% (1 : 22) | 4.3% (1 : 22) | 8.4% (1 : 11) |
| Hitting a gutshot e.g. 9 8 on T 6 2 | 4 | 8.5% (1 : 11) | 8.7% (1 : 10) | 16.5% (1 : 5.1) |
| Improving one pair to two pair or trips e.g. Q T on T 7 6 | 5 | 10.6% (1 : 8.4) | 10.9% (1 : 8.2) | 20.4% (1 : 3.9) |
| Making a pair with an unpaired hand e.g. A J on 9 7 3 | 6 | 12.8% (1 : 6.8) | 13.0% (1 : 6.7) | 24.1% (1 : 3.1) |
| Improving set to full house or quads e.g. 6 6 on T 8 6 | 7 / 10 * | 14.9% (1 : 5.7) | 21.7% (1 : 3.6) | 33.4% (1 : 2) |
| Hitting an open-ended straight draw e.g. 8 7 on 9 6 2 | 8 | 17.0% (1 : 4.9) | 17.4% (1 : 4.8) | 31.5% (1 : 2.2) |
| Hitting a flush e.g. A 2 on J 8 4 | 9 | 19.1% (1 : 4.2) | 19.6% (1 : 4.1) | 35.0% (1 : 1.9) |
| Hitting a gutshot or improving to a pair e.g. A K on Q T 7 | 10 | 21.3% (1 : 3.7) | 21.7% (1 : 3.6) | 38.4% (1 : 1.6) |
| Hitting a gutshot or a flush e.g. Q 9 on T 8 6 | 12 | 25.5% (1 : 2.9) | 26.1% (1 : 2.8) | 45.0% (1 : 1.2) |
| Hitting an open-ended straight draw or improving to a pair e.g. K Q on J T 7 | 14 | 29.8% (1 : 2.4) | 30.4% (1 : 2.3) | 51.2% (1 : 1) |
| Hitting an open-ended straight draw or a flush e.g. 8 7 on T 9 4 | 15 | 31.9% (1 : 2.1) | 32.6% (1 : 2.1) | 54.1% (1.2 : 1) |
| Hitting a flush or improving to a pair e.g. A K on 9 7 6 | 15 | 31.9% (1 : 2.1) | 32.6% (1 : 2.1) | 54.1% (1.2 : 1) |
| Hitting a gutshot or a flush or improving to a pair e.g. J T on 9 7 4 | 18 | 38.3% (1 : 1.6) | 39.1% (1 : 1.6) | 62.4% (1.7 : 1) |
| Hitting an open-ended straight draw or a flush or improving to a pair e.g. K Q on J T 5 | 21 | 44.7% (1 : 1.2) | 45.7% (1 : 1.2) | 69.9% (2.3 : 1) |
Hold em Odds for specific board textures
How often does the flop show a pair, how often is the flop single suited and what are the odds of the board not allowing a flush draw on the turn? The following table shows the poker odds and probabilities for many common (and some uncommon) Texas Hold em board textures:
Probabilities for specific board textures
| Board texture | Probability | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| Flop | ||
| The flop contains a pair | 17.2% (1 : 4.8) | |
| The flop contains trips | 0.235% (1 : 424) | |
| The flop is single-suited | 5.18% (1 : 18) | |
| The flop contains two different suits | 55.1% (1.2 : 1) | |
| The flop contains three different suits (rainbow flop) | 39.8% (1 : 1.5) | |
| The flop is single coloured (all black or all red) | 23.5% (1 : 3.3) | |
| The flop contains at least one ace (or any other specific rank) | 21.7% (1 : 3.6) | |
| The flop contains at least one ace or king (or any two other specific ranks) | 40.1% (1 : 1.5) | |
| The flop contains the A (or any other specific card) | 5.77% (1 : 16) | |
| Flop and Turn | ||
| The board contains a pair | 32.4% (1 : 2.1) | |
| The board contains trips | 0.922% (1 : 107) | |
| The board contains quads | 0.004802% (1 : 20,824) | |
| The board is single-suited | 1.06% (1 : 94) | |
| The board contains three cards of the same suit | 16.5% (1 : 5.1) | |
| The board contains two cards of the same suit | 71.9% (2.6 : 1) | |
| The board contains four different suits (rainbow board) | 10.5% (1 : 8.5) | |
| The board is single coloured (all black or all red) | 11.0% (1 : 8.1) | |
| Full board (flop, turn and river) | ||
| The board contains a pair | 49.3% (1 : 1.0) | |
| The board is single-suited | 0.198% (1 : 504) | |
| The board is single coloured (all black or all red) | 5.06% (1 : 19) | |
Poker Odds and Probabilities FAQ
Preflop: Starting Hands
How many starting hands are there in Texas Holdem?
There are 1,326 distinct starting hands in Texas Hold em Poker. They can be grouped into 13 pairs, 78 off-suit hands and 78 suited hands.
There are ways to deal 2 hole cards from a deck of 52 cards.
There are 6 different ways to form a specific pair (e.g. A A , A A , A A , A A , A A , A A ). For a specific suited hand there are 4 possible combinations and for a specific off-suit hand there are 12 possible combinations.
What are the odds of being dealt aces in Texas Hold em Poker?
There are 6 ways to deal pocket aces preflop and the probability is 0.452%. The odds for that are 220 : 1. The probabilities are the same for each specific pair.
What is the probability of getting a pocket pair?
The probability of being dealt a pair in Texas Hold em is 5.88%, or odds of 1 : 16. There are 13 pairs in Hold em (22 AA) and for each there are 6 ways to be dealt.
There are 6 different ways to form a specific pair and there are 13 different pairs. Meaning there are unique hole card combinations that are a pair. The total number of starting hand combinations is 1,326. Thus the probability of being dealt a pair is .
How many combinations does Ace King have?
There are 16 ways to deal ace-king in poker. 4 different aces can each be matched with 4 different kings. The are four combinations of ace-king-suited and 12 combinations of ace-king offsuit.
Preflop: Matchups
What are the odds of pocket aces vs pocket kings?
The odds of pocket Aces winning against pocket Kings are 4.5 : 1. The aces win roughly 82% of the time. If you are holding Kings on a full ring table (9 players), the odds of one of your opponents holding Aces are 1:25 (or roughly 4%).
What is a coin flip in Poker?
A situation where where a player with two high cards (e.g. Ace-Queen) is all-in preflop against another player with a lower pair (e.g. Jacks) is called a coin flip. Each player has roughly a 50% chance of winning the hand.
In most cases is the pair the slight favourite to win the showdown. The most extreme case is Q Q against A K where the queens are a 57 : 43 favourite.
There is no perfect coinflip in Texas Hold em before the flop, one hand is always slightly favoured. The match-up that is closest to a perfect coinflip is A T vs. 3 3 . This is a 49.99% : 50.01% match-up.
What is the worst preflop matchup in Texas Hold em?
A pair versus a an equal an lower card is the most uneven matchup in Texas Hold em. In the extreme case kings vs king-deuce the king-deuce only has 5% equity.
What are the odds of running into aces with pocket kings?
The odds of one opponent holding aces (AA) when you re holding pocket kings (KK) preflop, depend on the number of opponents. Against one opponent it s 0.49% (1:203), against 8 opponents it s 3.85% (1:25).
These are the probabilities of running into aces with kings preflop depending on the number of players at the table:
| # of opponents | Probability | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.48980% | 1 : 203 |
| 2 | 0.97719% | 1 : 101 |
| 3 | 1.4622% | 1 : 67 |
| 4 | 1.9448% | 1 : 50 |
| 5 | 2.4251% | 1 : 40 |
| 6 | 2.9030% | 1 : 33 |
| 7 | 3.3786% | 1 : 29 |
| 8 | 3.8518% | 1 : 25 |
What are the odds of an opponent having a better pair when you have a pair?
The odds of having an opponent having a better pair than you before the flop in Texas Hold em depend on your pair and the number of opponents you face. The probabilities range from 0.49% (you have kings against one opponent) to 42% (deuces against 9 opponents).
This table shows the probabilities of at least one opponent having a better pair before the flop depending on your pair and the number of opponents:
| Number of opponents | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pair | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| KK | 0.49% (1 : 203) | 0.98% (1 : 101) | 1.46% (1 : 67) | 1.94% (1 : 50) | 2.43% (1 : 40) | 2.90% (1 : 33) | 3.38% (1 : 29) | 3.85% (1 : 25) | 4.32% (1 : 22) |
| 0.98% (1 : 101) | 1.95% (1 : 50) | 2.91% (1 : 33) | 3.86% (1 : 25) | 4.80% (1 : 20) | 5.74% (1 : 16) | 6.66% (1 : 14) | 7.57% (1 : 12) | 8.48% (1 : 11) | |
| JJ | 1.47% (1 : 67) | 2.92% (1 : 33) | 4.34% (1 : 22) | 5.75% (1 : 16) | 7.13% (1 : 13) | 8.50% (1 : 11) | 9.84% (1 : 9.2) | 11.17% (1 : 8.0) | 12.47% (1 : 7.0) |
| TT | 1.96% (1 : 50) | 3.88% (1 : 25) | 5.76% (1 : 16) | 7.61% (1 : 12) | 9.42% (1 : 9.6) | 11.19% (1 : 7.9) | 12.93% (1 : 6.7) | 14.64% (1 : 5.8) | 16.31% (1 : 5.1) |
| 99 | 2.45% (1 : 40) | 4.84% (1 : 20) | 7.17% (1 : 13) | 9.44% (1 : 9.6) | 11.66% (1 : 7.6) | 13.82% (1 : 6.2) | 15.93% (1 : 5.3) | 17.99% (1 : 4.6) | 20.00% (1 : 4.0) |
| 88 | 2.94% (1 : 33) | 5.79% (1 : 16) | 8.56% (1 : 11) | 11.25% (1 : 7.9) | 13.86% (1 : 6.2) | 16.39% (1 : 5.1) | 18.84% (1 : 4.3) | 21.23% (1 : 3.7) | 23.54% (1 : 3.2) |
| 77 | 3.43% (1 : 28) | 6.74% (1 : 14) | 9.94% (1 : 9.1) | 13.02% (1 : 6.7) | 16.01% (1 : 5.2) | 18.89% (1 : 4.3) | 21.67% (1 : 3.6) | 24.35% (1 : 3.1) | 26.95% (1 : 2.7) |
| 66 | 3.92% (1 : 25) | 7.68% (1 : 12) | 11.30% (1 : 7.8) | 14.78% (1 : 5.8) | 18.12% (1 : 4.5) | 21.32% (1 : 3.7) | 24.41% (1 : 3.1) | 27.37% (1 : 2.7) | 30.21% (1 : 2.3) |
| 55 | 4.41% (1 : 22) | 8.62% (1 : 11) | 12.65% (1 : 6.9) | 16.50% (1 : 5.1) | 20.18% (1 : 4.0) | 23.70% (1 : 3.2) | 27.06% (1 : 2.7) | 30.28% (1 : 2.3) | 33.35% (1 : 2.0) |
| 44 | 4.90% (1 : 19) | 9.56% (1 : 9.5) | 13.99% (1 : 6.2) | 18.20% (1 : 4.5) | 22.21% (1 : 3.5) | 26.02% (1 : 2.8) | 29.64% (1 : 2.4) | 33.09% (1 : 2.0) | 36.36% (1 : 1.8) |
| 33 | 5.39% (1 : 18) | 10.49% (1 : 8.5) | 15.31% (1 : 5.5) | 19.87% (1 : 4.0) | 24.19% (1 : 3.1) | 28.27% (1 : 2.5) | 32.14% (1 : 2.1) | 35.79% (1 : 1.8) | 39.25% (1 : 1.5) |
| 22 | 5.88% (1 : 16) | 11.41% (1 : 7.8) | 16.62% (1 : 5.0) | 21.52% (1 : 3.6) | 26.13% (1 : 2.8) | 30.47% (1 : 2.3) | 34.56% (1 : 1.9) | 38.40% (1 : 1.6) | 42.03% (1 : 1.4) |
Preflop: Longshot Odds
What are the odds of getting pocket aces twice in a row?
The odds of being dealt aces twice in a row are 1 : 48,840 or 0.002%. The probability of being dealt aces in one specific hand is 0.45% and the probability of this happening twice in a row is this number squared.
The exact formula for the probability of being dealt aces twice in a row is .
The odds of being dealt aces three times in a row are of course even smaller, namely 1 : 10,793,860.
How often do you see aces versus kings preflop in Texas Hold em?
At a full ring table (9 players) you will see the scenario AA vs. KK between any two players roughly every 600 hands. The odds are 1:626 and probability is 0.16%.
If you re playing poker long enough you will somewhat regularly encounter the aces vs. kings scenario at a table. A formula to estimate the probability for this to happen at a 9 player table is . This formula slightly underestimates the actual probability which is a little bit higher.
What are the odds of aces vs kings vs queens preflop in Texas Hold em?
In Texas Hold em a hand where aces, kings and queens pair up preflop is very rare. At a 9 player table this scenario unfolds roughly every 17,000 hands. The odds are 1:16,830 and the probability is 0.006%.
Aces vs. kings vs. queens does happen every now and then, for example during this hand at the Bike . A formula to estimate the probability for this happen at a 9 player table is . This formula slightly underestimates the actual probability which is a little bit higher.
Flop: General
How many different flops are there in Texas Hold em Poker?
There are 22,100 different flops in Texas Hold em. For each combination of hole cards you are holding there are 19,600 different flops.
There are 52 cards in a Texas Hold em deck and a flop consists of 3 cards. There are different ways to deal 3 cards and that s the total number of possible flops in Texas Hold em.
But when you re playing a game, you already hold two of the 52 cards and only 50 cards remain to chose from for the flop. The total number of possible flops given that you are holding 2 cards is only 19,600 .
How often do you flop a pair in Texas Hold em Poker?
With two unpaired, unconnected cards the odds of flopping at least a pair are 1:2.1 or 32%. Roughly speaking: you will flop a pair or better once every third flop.
If you have two hole cards there are 50 cards left in deck. 6 of those will give you a pair, 44 wont. There are flops which will not pair any of your hole cards. There s a total of possible flops for your hole cards. The probability of you not hitting at least a pair is and thus the probability of you hitting at least one pair is .
What is the probability of flopping a set?
If you re holding a pocket pair the probability of flopping a set (three of a kind) is 11.8%. The odds are 1 : 7.5.
If you have a pocket pair there are 50 cards left in deck. Exactly 2 of those will give you a set, 48 wont. There are flops which will not give you a set. There s a total of possible flops for your hole cards. The probability of you not hitting a set or better is and thus the probability of you hitting a set or better is .
What are the odds of hitting a flush with 2 suited cards?
If you re holding a suited cards the odds of flopping a flush are 1:118. That s a probability of 0.84% rather unlikely.
If you have two suited cards there are 50 cards left in deck. 11 of those remaining cards are of your suit. There are flops which will give you a flush. There s a total of possible flops for your hole cards. The probability of you flopping a flush is .
What are the odds of flopping a flush draw?
If you re holding a suited cards the odds of flopping a flush draw are 1:8.1. That s a probability of 10.9%.
What are the odds of flopping a backdoor flush draw?
With two suited cards the flop will contain one card of your suit and give you a backdoor flush draw 41.6% of the time.
What are the odds of getting 4 of a kind?
If you re holding a pocket pair the probability of flopping quads (four of a kind) is 0.24%. The odds are 1 : 407 very unlikely.
If you have a pocket pair there are 50 cards left in deck. The flop needs to contain the two other cards matching the rank of your pair and one of 48 other random cards. Meaning, there are 48 different flops which will give you quads. There s a total of possible flops for your hole cards. The probability of you hitting quads is .
What are the chances of flopping a straight flush?
The odds of flopping a straight flush with a suited connector are 1 : 4,899 or 0.02%.
If you re holding a suited connector like J T there are exactly 4 flops which will give you a straight flush: A K Q (for a royal flush), K Q 9 , Q 9 8 , and 9 8 7 . There are 19,600 possible flops in total. Thus the probability of you flopping a straight flush is .
Texas Hold em against dealer and its features
Over the long period of its existence, the game at Poker, in addition to being very popular among a huge number of gaming audiences, is also distinguished by a variety of types, the rules of which do not have global differences, since the same set of cards and combinations are used everywhere. Many of the players pay special attention to Texas Holdem against the dealer, trying to figure out how to play confidently and professionally at the table, observing all the requirements of the rules and using the strategy correctly together with the tips of the experts. This relatively new, exciting entertainment involves a rivalry between the player and the dealer, since there are no other rivals. This circumstance brings certain advantages to a person and has its own characteristics.
Here users have full control over all actions of the dealer and independently make decisions to fold, raise or check their own bets. Although the process of the game itself is slightly different from the standard rules, there is still no serious difficulty for a person to be able to quickly master all the nuances.
The rules of the game Texas Hold em against a dealer
Those gambling people who are trying to quickly understand how to play an exciting game Holdem against a dealer professionally enough should first carefully study its rules. Heres a step-by-step process for this card entertainment:
- Every participant in the Texas Hold em against dealer must first place an Ante. Plus, he is allowed an additional bet on the bonus.
- Then the player and the dealer receive two face down cards. Now, if a person, who appreciates his
starting combination, has a desire to play it, then he needs to bet an amount twice the Ante. If for some reason the user decides to fold, he will immediately lose the original bet.
- Next, the croupier distributes three common open cards (Flop) on a special field of the playing table, which can then be used by all game participants to form a winning hand of five cards.
- The next step will be the subsequent round of bidding, during which the player again makes a bet equal to the Ante. He can also check and continue the game.
- Now one more (Turn) is added to the total three cards, after which the next round of bidding takes place with the previous conditions. By the way, this is the last opportunity for a person to make their own suitable bet.
- The fifth open card (River) appears on the game table, after which all combinations are revealed and compared with each other. The strongest five-card hand wins.
Here it is important for all players to know the strength of existing combinations in order to instantly see the most suitable conjunction of personal and community cards.
Strategy for a professional game against the dealer
All newbies trying their hand at Texas Hold em casino against dealer should remember that it is very difficult to win without the correct strategy. Therefore, further tips of experts can certainly help to be always on tops:
- If the received two cards turn out to be weak, then it is better to fold such a combination and not risk an Ante bet;
- If, due to an unfavorable coincidence, the Flop and the Turn are not suitable for players to make a winning hand, then in order to save personal money, it is advisable to check;
- In the event that the starting hand contains a Pair, one card from the Flash, two overcards or AK, AQ or AJ, then the person should raise his bet after the Flop.
When the user is lucky to get one card from the Flash and Ace, or community cards are ideal for a winning combination, then it is imperative to raise the bet after the River.
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