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Using a Poker Odds Calculator can give you an important extra advantage in playing poker games, and is an area of poker strategy which must be investigated. Successful poker players set themselves apart by using intelligence and strategy to win in the long term -  and use appropriate poker tools to gain extra advantages wherever possible. With ever increasing player numbers, more and more players are looking for fast ways to become skilled and make some money from their games - a poker odds calculator can be used to improve your skills and poker strategy by giving you an effective, fast way of calculating pot odds during a hand.

One of the main elements of basic poker strategy is understanding the maths of the game. Calculating pot odds basically means asking yourself ''how much should I bet to win this pot?'' The easiest way to describe how you do this is to compare the total number of unknown cards left in the pack against the number of cards that could make an improvement to your hand. So, if the chance of getting your hand was 4 to 1, then a good player would normally only risk a bet if the pot was already 4 times the size of the bet. A simple way to calculate is to count your total outs, multiply by 2, and add 2 to the total. This gives a rough but fairly accurate percentage chance of making your improved hand.

You won't have to search hard to find a worthwhile odds calculator - many of the popular online poker rooms will provide one on their software, but here are some good ones that will increase your profit possibilities during your games:




What is an online poker odds calculator?  

A poker odds calculator is a software program that shows you the odds of your hand winning as you play online poker, relevant to the cards in your hand and the number of players engaged in the game.  The calculator can give you amazingly accurate data on the probability of your hand winning. The calculator software makes the decision of whether to hold, fold, or bet much easier, and even professional players use a poker odds calculator to help them make the appropriate playing decisions. By using a poker odds calculator, you'll get expert and fast assistance in making the right decisions, and it will teach you how to recognise the odds of winning with any hand. As you become experienced, this will improve your overall playing ability. The good point to remember is that a poker odds calculator is not a robot or 'pokerbot' and will not play hands automatically for you - you still make the plays, you just get extra help.


How does a poker odds calculator work?

An advanced poker odds calculator can work in two ways. The first calculates raw odds -- the probability that your cards will beat any single opponent's cards should you both stay in until the end of the game. This information is the result of pure mathematical computation. After each card is revealed, the computer performs hundreds of thousands of calculations to figure these odds. The second part of the program can use information about your table position, past betting patterns and the number of callers at any given point.

In a standard game, if you are not using a poker odds calculator, the odds become much more difficult to work out as more players sit down at the table. In these circumstances, a poker odds calculator becomes much more valuable.  The calculator is most efficient in limit poker with a high number of players - it works by making sure that you get out of hands quickly in which the odds are against you, and gain as much as possible when the cards are in your favour. In no limit games, as you know, poker strategy plays a much bigger part, as a weaker hand can force a stronger hand to fold with the right bet.

Of course, in all poker games, knowing the odds against you is only part of the equation. Poker odds calculators can take away part of the fun of the game, but they do not give every answer. Strategy, bravery, and skill will always be needed.




How can you use a poker odds calculator?

There are a large number of ways that you can use a poker odds calculator to improve your poker game. The most obvious use is to use the poker software in a real game on live poker hands. This is the most obvious and popular use of this software. You should always check with the poker room to ensure that use of a poker odds calculator is allowed.

Regarding poker strategy, you need to recognise that you’re still going to lose far more than half of your hands at an average poker table. If you played an infinite number of hands with 8 people at any table, and ignored betting and skill inputs, you’re only going to hold the winning hand 1/8 of the time—it’s 1/6 of the time with 6 players, and so on. What the calculator does is help you make sure that you don’t lose much money on those hands where you’re not lilely to win and that you win the most money possible when you do win. This is how you make a profit at poker. A poker odds calculator gives you a statistical advantage that means, when played alongside the best poker strategy, you are more likely to win over a large number of hands.



What else should I consider when using a poker odds calculator?

It may be easy to use a poker odds calculator to become robot like in your play. You should aim to use a calculator as an aid, not as an instructor in how to play every hand. Remember you are playing a game of skill, psychology, and luck - while also paying strong attention to mathematical odds. Remember you need to emply bluffing tactics, watch for signs of weakness in your fellow players, and occasionally attempt to mislead your opponents with changes in your playing style. If you follow the recommendations of a poker odds calculator every time, you'll never get a chance to vary your poker game in these ways. Remember you need to pay close attention to the moves of other players. There is a risk of missing important tells when using an odds calculator. Don't let it take over your game. 


Pay attention to the hand possibilities of your opponents. Remember some calculators only gives you information on your own hand. They may mislead you with a recommendation on your hand, where the odds (especially after the flop and following the betting pattern of the hand) are clearly against you. To overcome this, look for calculators that show likely odds, taking into account as much valid information as possible.

Remember there are occasions when it's not important what hand you have, but more relevant is what your opponent thinks you have. This is most likely to be important in short handed games or in all in tournament situations.


Here are a couple of links to extra resources on poker odds calculators, or the video below will also give some valuable insights into how they work.
''....Poker odds calculators in online poker - understand the types of calculators and how to use them....."
CardPlayer.com Odds Calculator

PokerCalculatorOnline.com  Odds Calculator



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