Posts Tagged ‘Texas Holdem’

Math and Poker

Hello,

I have some questions to ask. But if I may just say it, I’m not actually into poker. My name is Matthew and I’m just in my eighth grade. I actually have a project that has something to do with math and maybe with poker as well. I need to find questions that are math related.

Now, here are my questions:

1. In Texas Holdem, what’s the probability of getting pocket aces?
2. What are the dimensions of a poker card in regular size?
3. What’s the maximum number of players allowed in Texas Holdem?
4. What’s the probability percentage of getting a royal flush?

Thanks in advance. Your help will be much appreciated!

Again,
Matthew
Matthew

1. Odds of getting pocket aces is 220 to 1.
2. Dimension of most poker card are 3.5″ high and 2.5″wide.
3. Theoretically 22 players can play a single hand of holdem. Typical games are 9 or 10 handed.
4. The odds of making a royal flush is 1 in 649740 or around .0032%.

Heads Up and TV WPT Screenings

Hi,

I have two questions to ask. Please bear with me.

1. In texas holdem, when it goes to heads up I normally think that the small blind is on the button as opposed to the left. Am I right on this? If yes, why do I think like this?
2. I remember there were two commentators in the TV WPT screenings. They were in the same room that doesn’t seemed to have any sound-proofing or what so I was curious then why players can’t hear them. Your thoughts?

Thanks and more power!

Vic
Vic,

1. There are only two players. As a result the small blind is on the button and the big blind on the other player.
   
2. The two commentators were not in the same general area. They were far enough away so that the players cannot hear them. In some instances, they really aren’t in the same room. They just make it appear that they are.

Quite Unusual Holdem Tables

Hello,

I believe most casinos in Atlantic City now have holdem tables similar to black jack. What I know is that you have to play against the 2 hole cards of the dealers and there’s an upfront bet you place for your 2 cards. In the event you want to go on to the flop, you must bet again. Same thing for the turn as well as river except the bet is doubled if you want to go on. Later part, dealer will show his cards and of course better hand wins.

In case I play at the tables above, is there any strategy I should apply? What hands should I be playing and how do you think such tables be played?

Many thanks,
Michael
Michael,

You are not playing normal Texas Holdem here. You are playing a table game of Texas Holdem that is setup for the casino to make money similar to blackjack. Basically, you are playing against the dealer only. Unless I have a hand such as AK or AK or AJ, I usually get out the hand if I don’t hit a pair on the flop, unless I have a draw. Also, this game pays bonuses based on certain pocket cards etc.

This is something you can play for fun, but don’t go into this thinking you are playing normal poker. You are not. This is a house game and the advantage is with the house.

Hand Groupings

Hello,

Because of my belief that by knowing the second table on Texas Holdem hand groupings would help me bring my game up a notch, I therefore decided to know and memorize the different hand groups. But unfortunately I found out that the order of the hands seemed to be in random so the familiarizing and all became difficult. To make things easier, I tried to re-order the hands within each group following the system of pair, suited hands, unsuited hands, etc.

Now, I would like to hear your opinion about what I’ve done. Here are the modified tables:

Group 1: AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AKs
Group 2: TT, AQs, AJs, KQs, AK
Group 3: 99, ATs, KJs, KTs, QJs, AQ
Group 4: 88, A9s, A8s, QTs, JTs, AJ, AT, KQ
Group 5: 77, A7s-A2s, K9s, Q9s, J9s, T9s, KJ, KT, QJ, QT, JT Group 6: 66, 55, 44, 33, 22, K8s-K2s, Q8s, J8s, T8s, 98s, 97s, 87s, 75s, 64s, 43s, J9, T9, 98
Group 7: J7s, 96s, 86s, 85s, 76s, 74s, 65s, 54s, 53s, 42s, 32s, A9, K9, Q9, J8, T8, 87, 76, 65, 54

Hope to hear from you soon.

Best regards,
Charles
Charles,

This looks fine to me. You put it in order of strongest to weakest. I’m assuming this is a Limit Holdem chart.

An Argument About Side Pot

Hi,

I was in a no limit Texas Holdem tournament the other day. Unfortunately, an argument about side pot came up.

There were four players left, player A, player B, player C, and player D. Player A with 1000 first called the 100 in the big blind. Player B with 500 called the 100. Player C with 300 went all in for 300. Player D folded. All figures were in chips.

Later, player A called the additional 200 from the all in bet of player C. Player B followed and also called the additional 200. Flop came with three way action: player A, player B, and player C. Each player had invested 300.

Because he was the first to act after the flop, player A then made a move and then went all in, 700. Well, all of us knew then that player C had a great chance of winning 900 if his hand was the best hand at the table. Also, it was obvious that in the event player B calls the bet of player A, there would be a side pot and that whoever of the two has the best hand would win the side pot at hand. Finally, player A would have the additional 500 he placed in the pot that the other players could not cover as well as the pot from Player 1, Player 2 and Player 3.

Now, what do you think will happen in the event player B folds to the all in bet of player A? Also, in case player B folds after player A goes all in with more chips, do you feel player B can win the original pot against Player A as well as player C?

Personally, if I will be asked, if ever player B has chips left he has to call all his chips off to the bet of player A to win the main pot. In the event he folds, he will not anymore be able to have the pot. On the flip side, my friend insisted that player B should claim the all in bet after the flop of player C as he matched such bet before player A went all in. He argued that player B doesn’t need to put his chips at stake to have the original pot.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance!

Regards,
Rayner
Rayner,

Once a player goes all in and has multiple callers, the callers then are allowed to bet on the side. They are not just betting on the side, but they are also battling for the rights to the main pot. If player B folds to the all-in bet of player A, he forfeits his rights to the main pot.

Last Two Places

Hi,

I hosted a No limit Texas Holdem tourney. The tourney was held at my house the other night. It was with $50.00 buy-in and $850 starting. I believe everything went well. In the end, three players were left for the prize money. By the way, money for the first placer was $400, for the second $200 and for the third $100.

At certain point, player A had approximately $5000, player B had $4500, and player C had $200. All figures were in chips. Later, player C went all in with $200 to post his blind of $150. Player A then called the $200 and then went all in too. At such moment, the main pot was already $400 and the side pot was $4600.

Eventually, player B called the all in and placed $200 in the main pot and $4300 in the side pot. That time, my belief was that only player C was entitled to win the main pot of $600 and players B and C were up for both the main pot and side pot.

Well, as expected, flop, turn, and river came. Player A had something so he won the pot of $600 and beaten player B in the side pot 8700 chips. But we don’t know who exactly will take the two other places, 2nd and 3rd. For me, players B and C were all out of chips, but player B had more chips on the call compared to player C and so player B should be the second placer while player C the third placer. What do you think?

Thanks!

Regards,
Needham
Needham,

In a tournament when multiple players are eliminated, the eliminated player that had the most chips at the start of the hand gets the superior placing. In your scenario above, player C is the third place finisher since he started with only 200 chips.

Moving a Player From One Table to Another

Hi,

I was in a satellite Texas Holdem tournament in Casino du Liban in Lebanon just a month ago. Well, something happened.

The dealer first asked us to place the small and big blinds while afterwards he started shuffling the cards. Few seconds and he started distributing the cards but the manager interrupted and told me I should take my chips from inside the line and then gather all my chips so I can move in to another table.

Now, I want to know if he actually has the power to move a player at such point he has already posted the blind, any thoughts? In satellite tournaments, is there any rules I should know with regards to moving players from one table to another?

Thanks!

Lileberg
Lileberg,

The floor staff have the ability to move you at any time to balance tables. It does not matter if you have posted your blind or not. As long as cards have not been dealt to you, the floor person can move you.