| When it comes to Poker
strategy, there are a few things to get straight
right off the top. You could call these the Golden
Rules of Poker 'cause they apply
to pretty much any Poker game
you're likely to play: Don't play cash poor: as a
general rule you should start with 40-50 times the
table limit. If you've got nothing in your hand,
get out. If you've got a cinch hand, make them pay
to see it. If they've got you beat, fold. The goal
is to beat the other players, not have the highest
hand. If everyone else folds, you take the pot.
Don't try to beat a better player: if you're
lucky, you'll win small; if you're not, you'll
lose big. There's an even chance that you won't
better your opening hand. When it comes to Draw Poker
Strategy we begin by considering the rank of the
winning hands. In the Rules of Draw Poker,
we introduced the 5-card hands and their ranking.
Here's some idea of the odds on receiving those
hands on the opening deal:
Chances of being dealt
in the original 5 cards Royal Flush 1 in 650,000
Straight Flush 1 in 72,200 Four of a Kind 1 in
4,200 Full House 1 in 700 Flush 1 in 510 Straight
1 in 250 Three of a Kind 1 in 48 Two Pair 1 in 21
One Pair 1 in 2.4 No Pair 1 in 2
Based on these chances of receiving an
opening hand, there are a few things you can
immediately conclude:
the more players at the table, the greater the
chance that one or more players has a Pair, for
example. In other words... the more players at the
table, the lower the relative value of the lesser
ranked hands. if you haven't got a Pair or better,
or four cards to a Flush or Straight, Fold
immediately. Perhaps this last bit of advice needs
some elaboration. What it comes down to is this:
if you hold nothing in the opener your chances of
improving and beating the other players are too
slim. Of course this means that you'll fold most
of your opening hands. Welcome to Draw Poker.
So let's assume you've got a little something
to build on. Every beginning player wants to know
whether they should hold a kicker and a Pair, or
just the Pair. Same with Trips. As you'll see in
the following, the odds almost always favor
tossing the kicker:
Chances of making:
Any improvement Two Pair Three of a Kind Full
House Four of a Kind Drawing three cards to a Pair
1 in 2.5 1 in 5 1 in 8 1 in 97 1 in 360 Drawing
two to a Pair with kicker 1 in 3 1 in 5 1 in 12 1
in 120 1 in 1100 Drawing two to Three of a Kind 1
in 8.5 -- -- 1 in 15.5 1 in 22.5 Drawing one to
Three of a Kind with kicker 1 in 11 -- -- 1 in 15
1 in 46
Needless to say, the better your opener, the
better your chances of improving it. But forget
about trying to build something out of a three
card Flush or Straight: your odds are 1 in 23 and
1 in 150 respectively. It's highly unlikely that
the pot would ever justify that kind of risk.
On the upside, observe the following chances if
you hold four cards to build on:
Chances of completion:
When drawing
one card to: Four cards of a Flush 1 in 4.5
Straight open at both ends 1 in 5
Straight open at one end 1 in 11
Straight open on the inside 1 in 11
Straight Flush open at both ends 1 in 23
Straight Flush open at one end 1 in 46
Straight Flush open on the inside 1 in 46
In the end, it's these odds that must advise
you on your Poker betting decisions. If you've got
a four-card Flush and it'll cost you $20 to stay
in, the question is "yes or no"?
First question: what are your chances
of completion on the draw? 1 in 4.5 So if
you're going to stay in, that pot better pay you
$90 or better (4.5 x $20), after you deduct your
ante and bets thus far. Anything else is blind
faith in beating the odds and the sidelines are
full of players who tried that as their betting
policy. Look where it got them.
Of course, Poker wouldn't be Poker
if that was all there was to it. Bluffing,
intimidation, body language and all the rest of it
come into the game if you're playing your
opponents across a table instead of across
cyberspace. If that's your game I suggest you do
some serious reading.
There are many, many books on the Poker
subject and your first tough choice will be
picking one. But remember, Poker
has been around a long time. Anyone that tries to
sell you a "hot new strategy" is beating
you at the book counter, not the Poker
table. Go with the pros.
Do you want to read more about Keno:
• Introduction
• History
• Rules
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