When to Hold 'Em (and When to Fold 'Em) When Playing Cards
is one of the few gambling games where skilled players can make a
consistent profit in the long run, but to do so they'll definitely have
to know how to handle both the cards they're dealt and how they behave
at the table.
Making money from poker may seem like luck or magic but
in reality it's an equal mixture of basic math, psychology, and being
willing to put in the time and practice that's necessary to be a
Many people think that they'd never be a good poker player because
they're bad at math or can't calculate odds; the truth is actually very
different, as if you can count to 10, you've got what it takes to be a
good poker player.
Unlike counting cards at blackjack
(where you really do have to keep a running total and count for every
card dealt so far), poker only requires very basic math.
similar situations over and over, so once you learn how likely you are
to hit your straight or flush, you'll know whether or not you've got
the correct odds to call your opponent's bet.
Good poker strategy also involves counting outs and being aware of some
If you're facing a big bet for all your chips and the only
possible hand that can be beat you is if your opponent has two exact
cards (such as the jack and queen of hearts), the odds are your hand is
If you just have a pair and any number of hands might beat you,
you probably should fold, as the odds are good that your opponent has
one of those combinations that beats you.
Winning poker players also put superstition to the side, as the random
shuffle means that luck really has nothing to do with winning or
Just because you hit two royal flushes when playing video poker
on Mondays doesn't mean you're more likely to hit your third on a
Monday; the odds are the same no matter what day you play.
The same is
true of poker and any other gambling game that includes random shuffles
and spins, as the odds never take into account what day of the week it
is or whether or not you're wearing your lucky shirt.