Texas Holdem Poker Answers – What ? How To? » uncategorized http://www.texas-holdem-poker.com Random thoughts about poker & online poker - flops, hands and more Mon, 26 Sep 2011 11:04:05 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Texas Hold’em Hand Odds http://www.texas-holdem-poker.com/texas-hold%e2%80%99em-hand-odds.html http://www.texas-holdem-poker.com/texas-hold%e2%80%99em-hand-odds.html#comments Tue, 14 Dec 2010 10:04:43 +0000 John http://www.texas-holdem-poker.com/?p=84 When determining what makes for a successful poker player, then medicine without prescription odds calculations are vitally important. Important concepts to look out for are the odds of hitting a Royal Flush, a Straight, a Full House, 4 of a kind, 3 of a kind or any other combination. The point is that odds calculations alone count for very little if they are done in isolation. What for example is the purpose of knowing the odds calculation of 4 of a kind if you haven’t factored into account the number of players, the skill level of the players, the pot at stake and even your chip count. These externalities play a greater or lesser role in the eventual outcome and/or possibilities inherent in winning. Feeling good about your hand in poker is but one component of what is required to succeed. Beyond the basics are the real issues – the probabilities that are standard for all poker players. Before we uncover the statistical probabilities of hitting certain card combinations, it’s vitally important to learn what the hand rankings look like.

What are the best poker hand combinations?

Starting from the best hand combination to the lowest possible combination – here’s what to expect:

  • Royal Flush – all the Royals suited  – 10, J, K, Q, A – no other combination beats this
  • Straight Flush – 5 consecutive suited cards – 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 would do it
  • Four of a Kind – 4 cards of the same rank + a 5th card – 5, 5, 5, 5 + 2 or K, K, K, K + 8
  • Full House – 3 of a kind plus a pair – 7, 7, 7 + J, J
  • Flush -  Any 5 cards of the same suit (all hearts, diamonds, spades or clubs)
  • Straight -  Five consecutive cards with the exception of a higher ranking straight flush
  • Three of a Kind – Three cards of the same rank + 2 other cards – 5,5,5 + 8, K
  • Two Pair – Two pairs + one other card – K,K, J,J + 4
  • Pair – A pair of cards + 3 other cards – Q,Q + 5, K, J
  • High Card – Any 5 cards without combinations, featuring a high card in the hand

Naturally the more difficult the poker hand to form (or be dealt) the greater the statistical ‘unlikelihood’ of achieving it. This is especially true of the top 4 hands – as listed above. The statistical probability ratios of these card combinations are listed as follows:

Royal Flush – 649,739 : 1

Straight Flush – 72,192.33 : 1

Four of a Kind – 4,164 : 1

Full House – 693.2 : 1

Flush – 507.8 : 1

Straight – 253.8 : 1

Three of a Kind – 46.3 : 1

Two Pair – 20.03 : 1

A Pair – 1.36 : 1

High Card – .995 : 1 (Here you’re working with negative odds because any hand is always going to have a high card, but you have to NOT get at least a pair so)

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