How many cards to draw?
Table 10 recommends how many cards to draw with each holding from one pair to a four-card, double-ended straight flush and the chances of improving in terms of probability and approximate odds.
TABLE 10: Recommended draws and chances of improvement |
|||||
Cards held |
|
Number of cards to draw |
Improvement to |
Probability |
Approx odds against |
One pair |
|
3 |
Two pairs |
0.171 |
1 to 1 |
One pair with Ace |
|
2 |
Two pairs (Aces up |
0.117 0.001 |
7.6 to 1 1080 to 1 |
Two pairs |
|
1 |
Full house |
0.085 |
10.8to 1 |
Three of a kind |
|
2 |
Full house |
0.061 |
15.4 to 1 |
Double-ended straight |
|
1 |
Straight |
0.170 |
4.9 to 1 |
Straight with single end or gap in middle |
|
1 |
Straight |
0.085 |
10.8 to 1 |
Four-card flush |
|
1 |
Flush |
0.191 |
4.2 to 1 |
Double-ended straight flush |
|
1 |
Straight flush |
0.043 |
22.5 to 1 |
Straight flush with single end or gap in middle |
|
1 |
Straight flush |
0.021 |
46 to 1 |
TABLE 11: wild of each hand at the betting interval |
|||
Hand held |
Number of variations |
Number of better hands |
Number of better hands (per cent) |
Straight flush |
40 |
0 |
0 |
Fours |
624 |
40 |
0.002 |
Full house |
3,744 |
664 |
0.025 |
Flush |
5,108 |
4,408 |
0.170 |
Straight |
10,200 |
9,516 |
0.336 |
Three of kind |
54,912 |
19,716 |
0.759 |
Two pairs |
123,552 |
74,628 |
2.872 |
Pair of aces |
84,480 |
198,180 |
7.625 |
Pair of kings |
84,480 |
282,660 |
10.876 |
Pair of Queens |
84,480 |
376,140 |
14.473 |
Pair of Jacks |
84,480 |
451,620 |
17,377 |
Pair of 10s |
84,480 |
536,100 |
20.627 |
Pair of 9s to pair of 2s |
675,840 |
620,580 |
23.878 |
No pair |
1,302,540 |
1,296,420 |
49.882 |
Values of hands containing a single pair
We have not considered so far the comparative value of hands that hold a single pair and, since a hand containing a pair will beat half the hands dealt before the first betting interval, and a pair of 10s will beat roughly four out of every five, it is worth considering the status of a single pair. Table 11 shows the values of hands down to no pair, by giving the percentage of beaten at the deal by just 17 per cent of opposing poker hands, or fewer than one in five, while a pair of aces will be beaten by less than eight per cent, or fewer than one in twelve.
Strategy before the draw
The first decision you have to make after the deal is whether to fold, check, call, bet or raise. In making this decision you will naturally be assessing your hand, at the same time deciding which cards you will discard in the draw if you remain in the deal that long. The cards to discard will almost always be obvious but it is essential that you do not set them aside or rearrange your hand by putting them to one end of the fan or in any other way give other players a clue as to how many you intend to discard. There’s no point in giving away any information before you have to.
Where are you sitting?
In some positions at the table you might not get the opportunity to check, and in fact wherever you sit your position relative to the dealer will affect ♣ 5, ♥ 4 – a pair of Jacks. Look back at Table 4. It shows that if you are one of the six players, you have a 32 per cent chance of holding the good hand at the table.