Tag Archives: chips
Calculating Your Odds
Determining pot odds is a crucial part of any poker players game. Many players find it difficult to calculate the odds during the intense moments of battle, but calculating your odds comes down to once simple question; How much money will it cost to keep playing this hand and how much money am I likely to make if I catch the cards I need? Knowing the answers to these questions will save you from just giving away your chips at the poker table. A bit of basic math is required here, but if its your first time, I promise to be gentle.
Okay, to properly explain this we will need a set up hand. You (lets call you Johnny) have just been dealt 10 J and the flop is 2 8 9. The pot is currently 1000 (dollars or chips) and your opponent has just bet 300. With this basic information we must first figure out how many outs you have left. Outs are cards that can help you make a winning hand between whats already in your hand and the flop. You have 2 over cards (10 J), or cards higher than the flop, in your hand, and the deck has three more 10s and three more Jacks, beginning your total outs at 6.
With the flop you now have an open-ended straight (8 9 10 J), meaning that you need either a 7 or a Queen to make your straight. Since we know that there are four 7s and 4 Qs in the deck. That gives us an additional 8 outs for a total of 14 outs.
With a total of 14 outs, we can now calculate your odds by dividing them by the number of cards in the deck, 52. 52/14=3.3, giving you 3-to-1 odds on your hand. This is far less confusing than it sounds. All these numbers mean is that for every 3 times these five cards (10 J 2 8 9) are dealt, you should get one of your outs one time, but whether or not you win the hand depends on how you bet.
Now, lets discuss the bet. Your opponent bet 300 chips so you know have the second part of this equation in order to make a winning bet. You have to call your opponent because he only bet 30% of the pot which means that as long as you have at least 30% of the pot available to call, pot odds are in your favor. But, if your stack is less than 30% of the pot, you should fold and you live to die in another hand. So, to answer the above question; in this example it would cost you 300 chips to call and you could win a 1300 pot. In this instance pot odds are definitely in your favor.
Betting Strategies For Blackjack Tournament Play
When you enter a multiplayer blackjack tournament, the most important thing to master is the system you will use for managing your money. In other words, you need to bet with a winning strategy. It is important to remember that when you play in a tournament, you are not just betting against the house. You are also betting against the other players in the tournament. The winner of the tournament will be the player with the most chips at the end of the final hand. If you want to be that player, you need to find a winning strategy and stick with it.
Some blackjack enthusiasts play with a “win at all costs” mind set. That is useful to an extent, but it is not the be all and end all of winning a blackjack tournament. For example, you dont want to bet everything on the first hand because the first hand is the easiest hand to lose. You want to be in a position where you can still win the tournament even if you lose the first hand. The first hand is difficult to win because the odds are against you. None of the cards have been dealt, so anything is possible. There are likely to be three or six or more decks in the shoe, and it is much harder to predict what will happen when you havent seen any cards yet. Later in the game, if you have been carefully observing what is happening, you can play with more of a “go-for-broke” strategy if you need to (if you are not already the table leader, for example).
As play progresses, always watch to see what cards other players have in front of them. Count chips as well so you know how you compare and what you need to do to get out in front of the pack. Most tournaments have a limited number of rounds, so that is another factor to keep in mind. Suppose, for example, that you are playing in a six round tournament. There are six other players at the table, and only the players with the most chips go on to the next round. You want to have the most chips at the end, but it isnt necessary to be in the lead the whole way. To accomplish your goal, you need to play with some aggression, but dont overdo it. Just play consistently and fearlessly. Avoid drawing too much attention to yourself by doing things like betting half your chips on one round and only the minimum amount on the next round.
The best way to figure out how much to bet is to be aware of the cards that remain in the deck so that you can estimate your odds of winning each round. When the odds are in your favor, you should bet a little more. When the odds are against you, bet less. If the odds are average, have a “medium bet” that is your “default” bet. Your default bet should be the amount that you bet in the first round as well. Then raise and lower your bet appropriately but without being too obvious or predictable. The other players will be watching you just like you are watching them.
In most blackjack tournaments, the deal and the bet will rotate. In some rounds, you will bet first. In some rounds, you will bet last. In other cases, you will bet in the middle. The same goes for the deal. You have the betting advantage when you are the last player to bet. You may also play in a tournament with hidden bets. Always use your hidden bet when it will benefit you most. That is likely to be toward the end of the tournament, not in the beginning.
Whether you win or lose the tournament, use it as a learning experience. If you are eliminated early, stay and watch the action so you know what to do to improve next time. Also watch as many tournaments as possible before you play in one yourself. You can learn a lot by watching what experienced players do to win!