Quickly Calculate Poker Outs
Question
I am not good at math and I'd like to know the quickest and best way to calculate odds/outs...I dont want the table to wait 10 mins on a hand because cant calculate the odds/outs in my head..
Answer
Outs are tough to explain for a couple of reasons:
1) Your "outs" are relative. If you hold Ks10c and the flop comes Kh 10h 4h then there are some issues here:
A) You've got top 2 pair- but there's a flush draw on the board- so your outs may already be gone.
B) You've got a low pocket pair, and raise to protect your hand... and your two other cards get folded around you, effectively eliminating the two strongest "help" cards.
Outs are too intangible to be counted on in my opinion. If a card comes that helps you, great- I'd feel like I'm ahead, and watch 2 cards come that I KNOW didn't help my opponent, rather than strengthen my hand. They're a complete stroke of luck, and one shouldn't try and count statistically the amount of luck they're due to receive- because just as much as that next card may help- it may not help enough, and you're still behind- and still paying the winner... now... even more.
2) Example- take the above hand (K10) and figure out the problem if someone holds pocket kings or pocket 10's, or even pocket 4's against you? Now you're up against a set, and at least 1 of each of your assumed "outs" is gone. I know it's a long shot, but I've been that guy on BOTH sides of the coin. I held K 10 and watched K 10 6 flop only to go all in and get called by a guy with 66 in the hole.
Counting outs, from my perspective is too desperate an act if you want to be consistently good at this game. If you're going to bluff, then you've got to figure your high card, or pocket pair are going to hold up.
If you've got a good hand, then you've got to play the player sitting across from you. If you realize you're behind, and can get away from that second best hand as soon as you figure out you're the loser, then THAT's your out. Sitting there, taking unnecessary risks based on unknowns is a little too high a price to pay at the table in my mind. I want to play against players who say "Man, if I throw another $25 in and get my card on 4th Street, he's gonna pay!!" because for all of that 32% of the time you MAY get that card, I'm going to get my help- by you not improving- 78% of the time.
The point of this game is to get as much of your money into the hand as you can while it's the winner. Not get it in there in hopes of improving it based on odds that the deck is going to help you. That's why chasing runner-runner flushes or straights loses a lot of money in the long run.
I just feel like there are too many times that you've got a decent starting hand at a full table (Say, KQ suited), and you make a big bet. You have 2 callers, and 7 others folded. If 3 of them had a K or Q with a poor or off-suited kicker, or were extremely tight players, your outs are getting folded by your opponents, and your "perceived" outs are already gone, and the "true" odds aren't there. Now take into account whether or not those players had the same suits you did, but had low suited non-connectors, and had to throw them away. More outs... gone.
Personally, I only play with what I know- the truth. The truth is what's lying face up in the table, and what I am holding in my hand.
A good player should be able to get a good read based on the betting and activity of their opponents, and sure they'll get the occaisional bad beat by getting killed with a monster hand that chased their outs, and got them- but we all get burned on occasion anyway in this game... when no number of outs would have helped you.
So, in summary- ditch the math for the most part- If you DO need it, then count the number of cards you may need to improve your hand - if the quantity is 10+ then you're in relatively good shape. If you're looking for 2-6 cards, and you KNOW you need them - what the hell are you doing in that hand anyway?!
_________________________
Recommended Sites __________________________________________________
(Non USA Players)
1) PartyPoker.com - Use Bonus Code " MYBONUS " on Registration.
2) BetfairPoker.com - Use Bonus Code " BF600 " on registration.
__________________________________________________
(Players Based in USA)-
1) FullTiltPoker.com - Bonus code specially integrated into THIS LINK for easy use. Maximum current available bonus guaranteed.
2) Pokerstars.com - Marketing Code also specially integrated into THIS LINK so their is no need to search for a possibly outdated bonus offer
__________________________________________________
If you are interested in browsing a variety of sites, the check out this site detailing poker bonus codes of all the main poker sites online.
__________________________________________________
