Practical Poker Math

3. Odds in Texas Hold’em
Texas Hold’em is a magnificent game of strategy and chance.
Like the personalities, aspirations and abilities of the players,
each hand is different.
Sometimes the only path to victory is to hold the best hand.
And sometimes a player is able to execute strategies that will
allow him to win even if both of his hole cards are blank.
Over time a player will receive the same cards and opportunities
as any other player. Each player at the table has access
to the same information as all other players at the table. The
degree to which a player will triumph over the table depends
on his ability to
1. Process and weigh available information as inputs
into his decision support system
2. Devise and implement strategies based on that
information.
Hold’em is the one poker variation that
rewards skill and understanding above all others.
Basic poker odds and probability processing will tell the
astute player some measure of
♦ The relative strength of his hand
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