Playing Against the Odds

No Limit Hold 'Em is the specific type of poker played at World Series of Poker, which is now televised annually. If you ever watched the world series of poker, each time a players hand is shown the producers of the program show the audience the odds each player has of winning the hand. These odds are carefully calculated by which cards are still in the deck and what hand a particular player might be able to get. There are ten different types of hands in most poker games. These different hands are ranked. The lowest ranking hand to win a hand of Texas poker is to simply have the highest card. Three of a Kind is a strong hand. Three of a kind is three cards of the same value of any suit. For example three kings are three of a kind. A straight is the fifth type of hand. In a straight the cards are of any suit in numerical order. A flush hand is when you have cards all of the same suit. A full house is the seventh type of hand. A full house is when a player has one pair and three of a kind. The three big hands in poker are four of a kind, straight flush, and a royal flush. It is a rarity to see any of these three hands and this makes your chances of winning even greater if you get one of these hands. Four of a Kind is exactly what it sounds like, four cards of the same value. A straight flush is the combination of a straight and a flush. Five cards in numerical order all of the same suit. A royal flush is the big daddy of all hands of poker. A royal flush consists of Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and ten, all of the same suit. The odds based on the possibility of each hand are; (Highest to Lowest) Royal Flush 1 in 649,7402, Straight Flush 1 in 72,193.375, Four of a Kind 1 in 4,165, Full House 1 in 694.125, Flush 1 in 508.75, Straight 1 in 254.75, Three of a Kind 1 in 47.375, Two Pair 1 in 21, Pair 1 in 2.375, High Card 1 in 2 The game of poker is a game of chance, luck, and skill. The chance of a person getting that 1 hand out of 649,740 hands is what keeps people playing the game. Now whether you're playing poker or watching the World Series of Poker, you have a little more knowledge about the hands and know the odds of winning. Interested in this subject? Try this link for more of the same