Aug 13 2008
Getting a Winning Poker Hand
The majority of the talent involved in playing poker is actually simply the luck of the draw. Getting the winning hand not only depends on what cards are dealt but also on how well the player can read the cards. Knowing all the different hands that can be dealt helps in getting that winning hand.
Knowledge of the different ranks of poker hands is essential to knowing how to work his or her cards. The player has a better chance of winning if they know which hands are higher on the list. This list consists of nine different ranks of poker hands.
A high card, one pair, two pairs, three of a kind, a flush, a straight, a full house, four of a kind, and a straight flush are the ranks of poker hands. It is redundant to say that a royal straight flush is the highest hand possible since this is just a straight flush with all face cards. Either way, a straight flush is almost impossible to get dealt.
Getting an ace for a high card is easy to do, but winning with just that ace is accomplished easily. The odds of getting a pair in a game such as community poker is just as high as getting an ace. There is a 42% chance of getting a pair in a 52-card deck.
The chances of getting a pair are much higher than those of getting two pair in seven cards. This percentage is just under 2%. The player has to be careful when betting on two pair because the other player might just pull a higher set of pairs.
There is only a 2% chance of getting three of a kind, which beats getting two pair. When playing a community version of poker, if there is a pair in the window cards, it is smart to assume that someone else has a matching card giving them three of a kind. Continue to bet if your hand seems good, but be careful if they begin to bet higher.
The ace has a couple of roles it plays in poker. Any other time than getting a straight the ace is the highest of cards, but in a straight it can also be the lowest. When you pull a straight of 5, 4, 3, and 2, the ace acts as though it is a one; coinciding with this, the higher straight makes the ace still the highest card.
At less than four tenths of a percent, the odds of getting a straight are tricky. Expecting a card to show up in the window is trying for an inside straight, like having the 7, 8, 10, and jack and waiting for the 9. this is a very tricky situation as it is very unusual for the player to get an inside straight.
There is only a .2% chance to get a flush. A flush is when the player has five cards that are all the same suit, such as diamonds or hearts. When playing a community game of poker, if the window cards has four cards of the same suit, it is wise to assume that another player has a flush.
One of the more exciting hands to draw is a full house. This is probably because it is a rare hand to pull because there is a less than .15% chance to get it. A full house is having a set of three matching cards and a pair of different matching cards.
The chances of getting a four of a kind or a straight flush are extremely tiny. It does happen but extremely rarely. Remembering the chances of getting these different hands helps the player in betting and also in bluffing, especially during a community game where everyone can see five available cards.