Hi Adam,

I have read a lot of the useful posts in the forum including your section.

I have been playing poker for around a year mainly just play money until the last few months when i started playing for real money.

My question is, you see people talking about odds and +EV and such i am unsure as to the best way to learn these percentages.

I understand pot odds like it will cost me $20 and there is $100 in the pot so im getting 5 - 1 on that but i am still struggling on working out the odds on hitting the cards i need.

Also i have no idea what EV means ok i know its expected value but that is as far as i know.

what is the best way to learn the odds of hitting your straight or flush or trips and so on.

I plan on learning as much as i can so i can supplement my income by winning money at poker. I am building my bankroll up to your recomendation of 1000BB so i still have a ways to go but i do win a little more than i lose so im heading the right way.

Thanks for listening

First of all, remember that my 1000 bb bankroll, presupposes that you need to make a full time living, and have no other money coming in.

The simplest way to learn percentages, is to use this simple formula:

(it's not 100 percent accurate, especially at the higher numbers of outs, but it's close enough for practical purposes)


4% per out, for two cards to come, 2% for one card to come.

Yeah, you MATHIES out there, I know after about 9 or 10 outs, it fails to work properly.

15 outs, is actually like 54%, NOT 60%

But, for lower numbers, it works almost perfectly.

Actual numbers, can be obtained in books.

The odds tables, written 27 years ago by MIKE CARO, in the SUpersystem, are very good, very comprehensive, and about the only thing worth buying the book for
(In this day and age)

But, as long as you know that outs over 10, are more like 3.6%, you can use my simple formlua.

This is one of the best things, about ATE techniques. Some of them, may only be like 95% accurate, but they are EASY TO REMEMBER, AND EASY TO USE.

You REALLY DON"T need to know, whether something is 35%, or 36.4% You really REALLY don't.


Now, this is a simple, beginning formula. For advanced players, more advanced material is available.

Notice that is games where you can see cards, this must be factored in.


Later, we would get (if I was teaching you, that is) into concepts such as IMPLIED CARDS.

Read, study, play, learn.

THEN GET LUCKY

good thinking - that technique had not occurred to me, and you're right that it works pretty nicely!