Posts Tagged ‘split pot’

With Losing Hands

Hi,

I’m here to ask this, how will you know you have the best hand? Recently I played online and had KQs. Well, it was a 1$ big blind table. At the position before the button, there were no raises preflop therefore I just raised 1$. Players who were in the hand called. Flop then came and brought 333. Checks all around followed. After a while turn came and brought Q, it then checked all around. River came and was K. It later checked around to me therefore I decided to place 5$ bet. Everyone else then folded except for one player who re-raised me 15$. I then called with the thought that everything was just a bluff. He then showed me K3 off suit and immediately taken down the pot.

Now as I try to analyze things up I can’t afford not to think that I maybe have misplayed the hand. Also, I’ve read in books and websites that “If the pot is laying you 6:1 and your no worse than that to win it, make the call”. But I don’t know how can I ascertain if I’m 6:1 to win the hand or not.

The other day I’ve seen plenty of examples on your odds of making a draw or improving your hand, but I wonder, what if you’re not drawing to the Nuts, how can you tell what your winning odds are?

Please I need your help. Thanks in advance!

Best regards,
Tommy
Tommy,

First, that was a split pot. Both of you had three’s full of kings.

Next to determine whether your worse than 6 to 1 to win, when you 6 to1, you are around 17% to win the hand. If you are on the flop, figure out the number of outs to win the hand. Multiply it by 4. This will give you your percentage to win the hand by the river. If it is greater or equal to 17, then you are better than 6 to 1. On the turn, calculate your outs by 2 to get the percentage. If you are equal or better than 17% to hit your hand, then you are better than 6 to 1.

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.

There Was Cheating!

Hi,

I was in a $50 NL tournament recently. The said tournament was held at my friend’s house. There was an agreement that second place would win back buy in and first would take the rest. The game started with 8 players, four players I actually knew then.

Unfortunately, though I was good, I was the first one to be eliminated as my pocket Kings ran into Aces preflop. Later, it went to 3 players, then much later to 2. One of the two had approximately a 2:1 chip lead. However, suddenly such player requested for a split pot. I then felt something was wrong. I can feel then something was agreed upon, there was a “teamwork cheating” if I may quote it. Well, I believe poker is an individual game and so players are expected to act out alone.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

Gierren
Gierren,

I have been involved in quite a few deals. This is not illegal. It’s a normal part of poker. All players remaining in the tournament must agree to a deal in order for it to be valid. It must be unanimous.