Hi,

I’ve been checking on your site for some tips and strategies. One time as I was reading one of your articles, I thought of something which I can’t directly figured out. Most of the time, you base the establishing of the odds of getting a card on fourth street and then on fifth street on the remaining deck, for an instance 47 then 46. Well to me this is just simple to understand but I have one concern. In case there are nine other players, each with two pocket cards, will the probability of catching `your trips/four of a kind, straight, flush etc., become conditional on your need cards not sitting in another pocket? How do you think one figures out the real statistical probabilities with regards to such?

I’ll be glad to hear from you soon.

Many thanks,
Lance
Lance,

You figure your probability based on unseen cards. Just because the cards “might” be in someone else’s hand, that does not mean they are. I’m sure that the statistical probabilities are available on said scenario, but they are not part of practical poker odds calculations.

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1. Improving Pocket Cards Odds
2. How to Calculate Poker Odds
3. More On Odds

Hi,

In one of the questions here in your site X as in X9,s-X5s, XX, AX,QX was mentioned. What does X means?

Hope to hear from you soon.

Best regards,
Thomas
Thomas,

It means that the other card is a random card, typically lower than 10. Instead of A-5s it is sometimes represented A-Xs. Usually when doing this, the X is used to cover a range of cards. When it says not to play any Ax’s, that means don’t play any random A-2 through A-9’s.

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Hi,

I heard from some columnists that some online poker sites use “bots”. Unfortunately, I don’t understand what are they and what their purpose is. All I know is that the sites being mentioned weren’t random.

I’ve been into poker for years now and I know the game is usually more on tough beats, and bad players getting lucky. On my experience, well, there were moments when no matter how I seem to play, the other guy catches the only card to save them, or I will miss what seems like 20 draws. There was also one instance where I’ve caught the only card in the deck that could have helped me. However, all these don’t seem random to me.

Another thing I don’t understand is how will I know if a site is legitimate or not. Any thoughts? Please don’t forget about the “bots”.

All the best,
Tim
Tim,

Poker sites do not use “bots” as players. Sites monitor their users to prevent poker playing bots from being run on their system. Most online sites are also monitored by different organizations to ensure proper operations and to prevent users from being taken advantage of.

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Hi,

Just the other day, I saw and have actually read the question about the Ultimate Bet’s Algorithm. I would like to make some points, I hope it’s okay.

First, most if not all of the poker sites use software from the Microgaming organization. Second, some poker sites have letters of approval from auditors who are internationally renowned. Third, I believe it’s quite easy and simple to fall into the trap of questioning card activity due to the amount of hands played. Fourth, turn at such instance was expected to be 1 of 5 cards listed as 6 (4 of), K (4 of), pair 1 of the flop cards J,8,3 (3 of, each) which then equaled to 17 cards and 1/2 odds or 67% probability. Therefore, the 81% sample doesn’t fit. Finally, the odds of the river are actually moving or acting the same as the turn, in case turn doesn’t hit, two will be the same.

I hope I make sense here.

Many thanks,
Mr. Hansen
Mr. Hansen,

With all the recent investigations involving Ultimate Bet, it probably would be inappropriate for me to comment on their site specifically. I would say that with most sites, that due to the high number of hands played, there will be some abnormal looking occurrences. My best suggestion to players would be to switch sites if you think something is fishy with the site you play at. Of course, there is also live poker.

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1. Poker “Bots” and Legitimacy
2. Chances of Hitting
3. Trey Vs. Deuce

Hi,

Last week, in ESPN’s fictional game, a father/son ended up as adversaries in a certain hand. I remember the father had Jack/trey and the son had Jack/deuce. Flop was Jack-ten-eight. Honestly, I am not so sure about the ten and eight but they’re not important to the hand anyway. To continue, turn came and was another insignificant card, I think it was a five. Well, nobody paired on the turn or river. Do you think the result should be a tie? A split pot perhaps?

Later, the winning hand was given to the father as his trey was higher than his son’s deuce. I don’t exactly understand this, hope you can help me.

Hope to hear from you in no time.

All the best,
Anthony
Anthony,

This should have been a split pot. Both players had a pair of Jacks with a 10-8-5 kicker. If the hand unfolded as you described, then whoever made the show didn’t know what they were doing.

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Hello,

I noticed that as the blinds increase, the lower denomination chips are no longer wanted. Therefore most of the time, we turn our $1 chips in for $5 chips. But most of the time we end up having $1 chips. Say one guy has two $1 chip, another guy has 2 chips, and the last has 1 chip. For me each guy should be given a card from the deck for each chip at hand then the guy holding the best hand will take the privilege of having the $5 chip. Am I right?

Another thing, what’s the best hand? Well, I know small straights and flushes are of no value and of help. But how about pairs? Say player A has a pair of 6′s while player B has an Ace-Jack, who has a much better hand?

And about coloring up, can a player actually get more than one chip? Say player A has four $1 chip, players B and C have 3 chips, and finally player D has 4 chips. Player D was dealt A-A-J-10 while players B and C was dealt K-9-6 and J-7-3 respectively. Do you think the player with the pair of aces will have both $5 chips or just $1 chip as the other to player B? What do you think?

Thanks!

Regards,
Ben
Ben,

A player may not get more than one chip.

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Hi,

Before anything, I would like first to commend you for this nice site. Great job on this one and keep it up!

Well, I’m here now to share something and ask from you a piece of advice or the like. Just recently, I was able to make it to a semi-final tournament for a cash prize. Dealer in the said tournament also played. She was still in the hand when the river came. She then burned a card from the deck and then showed one of her two cards as the river card. Then bets were made and afterwards she claimed that everything she did was done without intention. Some watchers called the director. A few players then expressed they saw her do such thing intentionally. However, some players have no idea at all about what happened.

Personally, I believe that as a dealer, once she exposed her card, with or with intention, she should be out of the hand and any bets she had made should be forfeited. However, the director said that it was with no intention, that it was just an accident and so she could have her card and then go on as nothing happened.

Now, I want to know your opinion. I believe she was careless. What do you think?

Thank you in advance.

Warm regards,
Pearman
Pearman,

I do see why people would say it was intentional. 2 cards are not as thick as the 28 cards of the deck. I don’t see how she made that mistake, but I wasn’t there.

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Hi,

I’m just curious, how should people look to utilize weak play in 6-handed high-stakes online games? And is there any difference between an actual value bet and a scared bet on various streets? And in terms of limping, how much is prohibited?

By the way, do you know the various means people go on in continuation betting situations both in and out of position, considering there is and there is no lead? And how significant it is to have a potential of playing from out of position? Any idea?

Thanks in advance!

Sichevsky
Sichevsky,

Limping isn’t usually permitted in higher stakes. Someone is usually going to raise. As far as continuation bet, most of the times players will make a continuation bet if they are the aggressor preflop regardless of position. Playing out of position is seldom a big advantage. Sometimes you can represent a big hand, but it is always better to act in position.

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