In the last post I explained how to calculate Pot Odds. In this post I’ll explain how to calculate Hand Odds and how to use that in conjuction with Pot Odds.

Hand Odds is simply the odds you will make a winning five card poker hand. For example, one of the most common drawing hands is a flush draw. If you have two hearts in your hand and there are two hearts on the board, then the odds of making your flush will be about will be about 2:1. This means you will hit your flush one out of every 3 times that you chase. It also means you will lose two out of three times, yet many players get really upset when they miss a flush draw. Perhaps they should understand the odds better.

In order to calculate your Hand Odds, you need to know the number of outs you have. Once you know the outs, it is easy to calculate Hand Odds

1. Count the number of cards that will make a winning hand.
2. On the flop, multiply your outs by 4 then add 1.
3. On the turn, multiply your outs by 2 then add 1.

Example:
You are holding: A(h) J(h)
The flop comes: K(h) 7(d) 2(h)

In this situation, you may not have the best hand. It is safe to assume that if any heart comes up you will win with a flush. It is probably also safe (provided the pot has not been bet and raised before getting to you) that if any Ace comes up you will win with top pair. Outs = 12 (9 Hearts, 3 Aces)

This means on the flop you will have a 49% chance of winning (12 outs X 4 = 48 + 1 = 49%) this hand. If the Pot Odds are correct, you should not only call, but maybe even raise.

On the turn you will have a 25% chance of winning (12 outs X 2 = 24 + 1 = 25%) this hand. The proper play here is to chase only if the pot has 3 x your bet/call. Of course you should also play if you have been betting all the way and feel you can steal the pot by betting on the end (which is how I play, I like to play the players not the odds).

Now that you understand how to calculate Hand Odds, you must use them with Pot Odds (see my previous post). That is the purpose of calculating all this. If you play the odds, you should win in the long run.