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Poker
Poker
HOW TO PLAY
ODDS
STRATEGIES
ETIQUETTE

Odds

Odds describe the number of times something won’t happen next to the number of times it will happen. If an event is determined to have 1 to 1 odds, that means the event has an equal chance of occurring or not occurring.

Poker is a game of skill and strategy. However, even the most skilled players can’t predict which card will be dealt next. Anything can happen in a game and a win is never guaranteed.

How Poker Odds Work

A calculator with a card from each suit fanning out from it.

Whether the game being played uses one deck or two, incorporates community cards, includes Jokers, or employs any other variation, poker odds change as cards are dealt. That means that the odds will change throughout any game, as cards are removed from the deck.

Keep in mind the odds of being dealt a certain hand won’t necessarily affect the outcome of the game—a successful bluff can win the pot despite not having the best hand.

TIP

What happened in the previous hand doesn’t affect the outcome of the current hand; losing the last round doesn’t make a win in the next any more likely.

CAN I IMPROVE MY ODDS?

Poker is a game of chance, skill, and strategy. Other players’ decisions can affect the outcome. The best way to improve your odds is to become a better player. That means understanding the hand rankings and learning to read players and their betting patterns to try and anticipate what hands they might have.

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