Saturday, September 27, 2008

Using the 4/2 Rule to Master Poker Hand Odds

If you want to master Texas Holdem poker playing, understand this: not all poker hand odds are equal. Sounds simple, right? Sure, you already knew that. Okay, so do you know how to accurately determine if the odds are in your favor or not? That's not as simple, now is it? One technique that you can make use of to help you with figuring this out is the 4/2 rule.

Now, poker hand odds--or, that is, the odds of you winning the pot given the hand you currently have, and then given the hand you have and the cards that are subsequently laid on the table by the dealer--are very important for you to determine accurately. It's more than just thrilling yourself with how much you can potentially win. It's vital to know if you should Texas hold'em or Texas fold'em. Are you going to take the risk of staying in the game longer, or are you going to cut your losses, realizing that the odds are just too slim-to-none that you'll be playing the winning hand in the end? Poker players who have problems with knowing the odds have problems losing money and decimating their bankroll.

The 4/2 rule in poker has been figured out so that players can quickly calculate accurate odds of their winning the jackpot. Not all bets are equal in poker. Depending on circumstances, you might need to bet an amount that is fairly large--perhaps half the pot or more--while other times you only need to be a relatively small amount, perhaps like 10--which is not too bad (you want to be around 20 of getting that straight. Sure, you still might get another potential winning hand, like a pair of Jacks, but it's not as strong as the straight and 8% odds are not too good. Are other players acting like they could beat a pair of Jacks? Do you want to risk it? Do you want to go for the straight still?

Whether or not you stay in or fold at this point is up to you, but with the 4/2 rule at least you have accurately determined your poker hand odds of winning this round.

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