Poker Odds

Poker players looking for a way to tip the odds in their favor, resort to a variety of techniques, gadgets and programs. While many of these methods turn out to be bogus, or too complicated to understand, the development of poker odds calculators have proven helpful to serious poker players.

Poker odds calculators come in two basic forms: software programs that you can purchase or download from a producer's website to your home computer; and pocket calculators that allow you to take the odds calculator with you wherever you go, except the casino floor, of course. Either type of poker odds calculator presents the poker player with the statistical odds and risks of betting on a particular hand based on how many players are at the table, the point of play in the game, and the existing cards already dealt.

The poker odds calculators are created by a complex set of algorithms, which compute the chances of winning based on past computations - the odds that this particular combination of cards will come up at a particular point in a game. While this information may seem to be too expansive to ever be able to commit to memory, there are some very basic odds that can be memorized by rote. Most successful poker players have educated themselves on the basic theories of odds so they can make snap decisions based upon those statistics regarding the chances of hitting a hand, as quickly as the cards are dealt.

The odds each of the poker hands are given below, ranked from highest to lowest.

Knowing the odds of these different hands in poker is a valuable tool. Below you will find the hand odds starting from the best.

Royal Flush Poker Odds: 649,739 to 1
A, K, Q, J, 10 all of the same suit

This is the top hand in Poker, and you may see it only a few times in your lifetime. The hand consists of the A,K,Q,J,and 10 all of the same suit. If these cards were all diamonds, spades, clubs, or hearts it would be a royal flush. is the same hand were of different suits, it would hace a weaker rankingand simply be an Ace high straight.

Straight Flush Poker Odds: 72,192 to 1
Any five card sequence in the same suit

This hand consists of five cards of consecutice rank, all of one suit, but the top ranking card lower than an ace. For Example, ther K,Q,J,10,9 of diamonds would also be a straight flush. Likewise the 5,4,3,2,A of clubs. For purposes of straights as in straight flush, the ace is either the highest or the lowest card. Thus a hand of 2.A,K,Q,J and a hand of 4,3,2,A,K would not be straight flushes. When two players have straight flushes, the one with the highest ranking card leading the hand would win the pot. A hand of 8 7 6 5 4 of clubs would beat a hand of 7 6 5 4 3 of spades because the 8 is higher ranked than the 7. I both straight flushes are identical then the pot is split.

Four of a Kind Poker Odds: 4,164 to 1
All four cards of the same index (e.g. Q,Q,Q,Q)

This hand consists of four cards of the same rank, such as Q Q Q Q with and odd card. There obviously can not be a tie with four of a kind hands, and when two players have four of a kind then the highest ranked hand wins the pot. Four 10's beat four 9's.

Full House Poker Odds : 693 to 1
Three of a kind combined with a pair (e.g. A,A,A,5,5)

This hand consists of three of a kind, combined with a pair. 9-9-9-K-K; 4-4-4-Q-Q and 7-7-7-K-K are all full houses. If two or more players have full houses, then the player holding the highest ranked three of a kind wins the pot. In other words 8-8-8-6-6 wil beat 7-7-7-A-A.

Flush Poker Odds : 508 to 1
Any five cards of the same suit but not in sequence

Holding five cards if the same suit is called a flush. K-Q-6-4-3 of clubs would be a flush, and to identify it it would be called a king high flush since the highest ranked card is a king. The best flush would thus be called an ace high flush. When two players hace flushes, the highest card in the flush determines the winner. If both have, for example, a queen high flush, then the next ranked card determines the winner, and so forth, till a winner is is determined. 9-8-7-5-3 will therefore beat the 9-8-7-5-2 flush. If all five the cards of the two hands are identical then the pot is split.

Straight: 254 to 1
Five cards in a sequence but not of the same suit

A straight consists of five cards in consecutice swquence but not of the same suite. For example, J-10-9-8-7 of mixed suits is a straight. An ace high straight consisting of A-K-Q-J-10 is the highest possibe straight and the lowest possible straight would be 5-4-3-2-A. The highest ranking straight wins the pot and if the straights are identical then the pot is split.

3-of-a-Kind: 46 to 1
Three cards of the same index (e.g. Q,Q,Q)

This hand is when you are holding three cards of of identical rank and two odd cards. Q-Q-Q-7-2 and 3-3-3-K-A are three of a kind hands. When two players both hold three of a kind hands, the highest ranking wins the pot as in Three queens will beat three jacks.

Two Pair: 20 to 1
Two separate pairs (e.g. J,J,9,9)

This hand contains two seperate pairs of identical ranked cards and an odd card. J-J-9-9-5 and Q-Q-8-8-K are two pair hands. If two players hold this hand then the highest ranking of pairs would win. If one player holds jacks up, and the other queens up, as in the example above then the queens hand would win. Should the players hold the identical high pair then the low pair is used to determine the winner. Should both pairs be identical such as two players holding JJ 99 then the odd card determines the winning hand. So J-J-9-9-5 Beats J-J-9-9-4. If you are unlucky enough to have 2 identical hands then the pot is split.

One Pair: 2.4 to 1
Two cards of the same rank (e.g. Q,Q)

A pair three odd cards maike up this hand. Poker hands with two cards of equal rank and three other cards which do not match these or each other. When comparing two such hands, the hand with the higher pair is better - so for example 6-6-4-3-2 beats 5-5-A-K-Q. If the pairs are equal, compare the highest ranking odd cards from each hand; if these are equal compare the second highest odd card, and if these are equal too compare the lowest odd cards. So J-J-A-9-3 beats J-J-A-8-7 because the 9 beats the 8.

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