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There are 1326 distinct possible combinations of two hole cards from a standard 52-card deck in hold 'em, but since suits have no relative value in this poker variant, many of these hands are identical in value before the flop. Probabilities in Two-Player Texas Hold 'Em Introduction. This page examines the probabilities of each final hand of an arbitrary player, referred to as player two, given the poker value of the hand of the other player, referred to as player one. Combinations shown are out of a possible combin(52,5)×combin(47,2)×combin(45,2) = 2,781,381,002,400. Texas Holdem Poker Hand Odds are vital to understand if you want to be a winner while playing poker in the long run. Its not about the current hand, the current game or even the entire season, its the maths of whether you will make money over the period of your poker career.

1. Best Hands In Texas Hold'em
2. Good Hands In Texas Holdem
3. Texas Holdem Starting Hands
4. Texas Holdem Rules
5. Total Possible Hands In Texas Holdemold Em

In total, there are 2,598,960 possible poker hands with 52 cards. The odds of getting four of a kind in Texas Hold ‘Em is 4164 to 1.

There are 10 different hands ranks in Texas Hold’em – from a Royal Flush to a Straight to a lousy High Card. Here’s a comprehensive list of all Texas Hold’em poker hand rankings:

You can also print and download the Official Texas Hold’em hand ranking as a PDF file.

Chart: Poker Hand Ranking

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Download the poker hand ranking charts image or PDF:

• Official Poker Hand Rankings Image
• Print: Poker Hand Rankings PDF

Official Poker Hand Rankings

• Royal flush: A straight from a ten to an ace with all five cards in the same suit.
• Straight Flush: Any straight with all five cards in the same suit.
• Four of a Kind or Poker or Quads: Any four cards of the same rank. If two players share the same four of a kind (on the board), the larger fifth card (the “kicker”) decides who wins the pot.
• Full House or Boat: Three cards of the same rank along with two cards of the same rank. In short: trips and a pair.
• Flush: All five cards of the same suit (not necessarily consecutive). The highest card determines the rank of the flush.
• Straight: Five consecutive cards (not necessarily the same suit). Aces can count as either high or low cards, but not as both at once. Meaning, a straight cannot go “around the corner”.
• Trips: Three cards of the same value. If two players have the same trips the highest kicker decides who wins the pot.
• Two Pair: Any two cards of the same rank together with two other cards of the same rank.
• One Pair: Any two cards of the same rank.
• High Card: Any hand that is none of the above hands.

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Poker Hand Rankings Explained

• If two players have a Straight or Straight Flush, the higher Straight or Straight Flush wins.
• If two players have a quads, the player with the highest quad wins. If they are identical, the highest kicker wins.
• If two players have a flush, the player with the highest card in the flush wins. If they are identical, the second highest card decides, then the third highest, and so on. The suit of the flush does not matter.
• If two players have a full house, the player with the higher trips wins. If they are identical, the player with the higher pair wins.
• If two players have two pairs, the player with the bigger pair wins. If they are identical, the player with the higher pair wins. If they are also identical, the player with the highest kicker wins.
• If two players have a pair, the player with the higher pair wins. If they are identical, the highest kicker wins, then the second highest, then the third highest.
• If two players have a high card, the highest card wins. If they are identical, the second highest card decides, etc.

How many Poker Hands are there?

There are only 10 distinct poker hand ranks, but if you randomly deal 5 cards from a deck of 52 cards there are exactly 2,598,960 possible card combinations.

Poker Hand Odds for 5-Card-Poker

The poker hand ranking charts are based on the probability for each distinct hand rank. More unlikely combinations are ranked higher. Those are the probabilities and odds for all 5-card poker hands:

Poker Hand Odds for Texas Hold’em

If you’re playing Texas Hold’em, you have 7 cards to chose your hand from. There are 133,784,560 to deal 7 random cards. This changes the odds and probabilities for all poker hands a bit. Those are the probabilities and odds for all Texas Hold’em Poker hands:

Technically it’s more likely that you’re dealt at least a pair in Texas Hold’em than holding only high card. But “High Card” still remains the lowest rank.

FAQ: Poker Hand Rankings

Does 2 pairs beat a straight?

When playing Texas Hold’em (or any other popular poker variant) 2 pairs are always ranked below a straight.

Does 3 Aces beat a straight?

3 Aces are just trips (or three of a kind) in poker. When playing regular Texas Hold’em a straight is ranked above trips. There are however rule variations where trips can bet a straight, namely Short Deck Hold’em, a poker variant where all cards below 5 are removed.

Does 5 of a kind beat a royal flush?

In regular poker variants there are is no 5-of-kind rank. When playing with wildcards (joker) 5 of a kind are possible. In this case 5 of a kind are the highest possible poker hand and beat a royal flush.

Does a full house beat 3 aces?

Every full house always beats trips, no matter the rank of the trips. Even trip aces are always ranked below every possible full house.

Does Royal Straight beat flush?

A Royal Flush is the best possible poker hand and of course always beats any other flush.

Does straight beat a full house?

Every common poker variant, including Texas Hold’em, ranks a Full House above a straight. So no, a Straight never beats a Full House in Poker.

What beats a royal flush?

In all regular modern poker variations (including Texas Hold’em and Omaha) a Royal Flush is always the highest possible hand rank. A higher rank is only possible when playing with a Joker. In this case 5 of a kind (4 Aces plus Joker) beats a Royal Flush.

What can beat a flush in poker?

A Flush is a very strong hand in poker. The only hands that beat a Flush are Full House, Quads, Straight Flush, and Royal Flush.

How rare is a royal flush?

A Royal Flush is extremely rare. When playing Texas Hold’em you’ll only get one every 31,000 hands. And that assumes you never fold. The hand is so rare that most poker players can remember all Royal Flushes they have been dealt in their life time.

What are the odds of hitting a straight flush?

Straight Flushes are almost as rare as Royal Flushes. When playing Texas Hold’em you will hit a Straight Flush roughly every 3,600 hands (assuming you never fold any hand that can make a Straight Flush).

Can you have 3 pairs in poker?

There is no “3 pair” hand rank in poker. When playing Texas Hold’em it’s technically possible to have three pairs, but since a poker hand only consists of 5 cards only the 2 highest pairs are in play. For example, if you hold Q-J and the board reads Q-J-6-A-A you only have two pair: Aces and Queens.

Does Royal Flush have to be spades?

A Royal Flush can be any of the 4 suits, spades, hearts, diamonds, or clubs. It’s just that usually a Royal Flush is depicted in spades or hearts. Nevertheless, it doesn’t matter which suit, a Royal Flush is always the best Texas Hold’em Poker Hand.

How many kickers can you have in poker?

A poker hand can consist of up to 5 kickers. A player with no pair only has kickers. A player with one pair has 3 kickers, a player with trips has 2 kickers, and a player with 2 pair or quads has 1 kicker.

Is Ace a 1 in poker?

When building a straight an Ace can be used as a virtual “1” in poker. Meaning, A-2-3-4-5 is a straight. There are also lowball poker variations where the Ace counts as the lowest card.

Is an Ace 2 3 4 5 a straight?

Yes, the ace can count as the lowest card in a straight and function as a “1” when combined with 2-3-4-5.

Is JQKA 2 a straight?

A straight cannot go “around the corner”, the Ace can only be either the highest or the lowest card, not a card in the middle. So no, J-Q-K-A-2 is no straight in poker.

Is Queen King Ace 2 3 a straight?

A straight cannot go “around the corner”, the Ace can only be either the highest or the lowest card, not a card in the middle. So no, Q-K-A-2-3 is no straight in poker.

Is there a kicker on a straight?

For a straight you need to use all 5 cards. There are no cards left for a kicker. The rank of the straight is determined by the highest card. E.g. an ace-high straight beats a queen-high straight.

What is a flush in poker?

A flush in poker is hand which consists of 5 cards of the same suit. The same color (red or black) is not enough. It has to 5 spades, hearts, diamonds, or clubs.

What is the highest royal flush in poker?

There are no distinctions between the 4 possible Royal Flushes in poker. A Royal Flush in spades is as good as a Royal Flush in hearts, diamonds, or clubs.

What is the highest suit in Texas Hold’em poker?

Only in very rare occasions (for example when dealing for the button) the suits are ranked in poker. In this case the ranking is: 1. spades, 2. hearts, 3. diamonds, 4. clubs. Suits are otherwise generally not ranked in poker. A Flush in spades is as good as a flush in any other suit, only the ranks of the cards matter.

What is the lowest pair in a game of poker?

In poker the lowest possible pair is a pair of Deuces (twos).

How do you win bad beat jackpots in poker?

To win a bad beat jackpot in poker you need to lose with a very strong hand, usually a strong Full House (Aces Full). It’s also necessary that both, the winning hand losing player, user both of their hole cards. E.g. losing with quads on the board does not count.

What are the odds of hitting a bad beat jackpot in poker?

The odds of hitting a bad beat jackpot in poker depend on the rules for the jackpot. If you have to lose with Aces Full or better your odds of hitting the bad beat jackpot are 1:58,948. If you have to lose with quads or better your odds are 1:624,609 (assuming a 10 player table where nobody ever folds).

What is a bad beat in poker?

If you lose with a very strong hand against an even stronger hand this is called a “bad beat”. It is also a bad beat if you lose an all-in while being far ahead and you opponent wins by catching some miracle cards.

How many 5 stud poker hands are there?

5 Card Stud is one of the oldest poker variants where each player is dealt 5 cards. There are exactly 2,598,960 different 5 stud poker hands possible.

How many poker hands are there?

There are only 10 distinct poker hand ranks, but if you randomly deal 5 cards from a deck of 52 cards there are exactly 2,598,960 possible card combinations. If you’re playing Texas Hold’em, you have 7 cards to chose your hand from. There are 133,784,560 to deal 7 random cards.

What happens if two hands tie in poker?

It’s possible (and not too uncommon) for two players to have the same hand in poker. In this case the pot is split and both players receive half the pot.

What happens if two people have a royal flush?

When playing Texas Hold’em it’s almost impossible for two players to have a Royal Flush. For that to happen the 5 community cards need to form a Royal Flush. In that case all players in the hand win and split the pot.

What happens if two poker hands are the same?

If two players have the same hand, the pot is split and both players win half of it. This can happen for example if both players have the same cards (e.g. Ace-King) and nobody makes a Flush.

How do you hit a royal flush on video poker?

In Video Poker you can win the jackpot when you hit a Royal Flush. To maximize your chances you should always keep all suited cards 10 or above (if you have at least 2) and discard the rest. You will see a Royal Flush roughly once every 40,000 spins.

What are the odds of hitting a royal flush on a video poker machine?

The odds of hitting a royal flush directly are only 1 in 649,739. But since you can draw one time your odds increase. If you play perfectly your odds of hitting a royal flush are roughly 1 in 40,000.

Below we've collected some interesting poker hands presented to the PokerJunkie editorial team. They gave their input on how the hand was played and how they would have played it.

If you're just starting out in poker, talking through poker hands with players more experienced than you is essential to improving your game. There's no better training for the beginner or average poker player then to see what other poker players would do in certain hand scenarios.

• Rule 1 of Poker: Keep Learning From Your Mistakes
• Rule 2: Never Talk About Rule 1!

Poker Hand Evaluations

Post-Flop Dilemma Gone Wrong

I was playing a multi-table SNG and this was late in the tournament, only 7 players left. I was in the small blind with an AJ offsuit and I had the second-largest stack of chips at the table.

Preflop there was one raise and everyone folded except a player to my right and myself. On the flop we got AJ9 giving me top two pair. The player to my right, who happened to be the chip leader, checked with about $8,900. I raised to $1,800. He paused for about 40 seconds then went all in. I called the all in.

He showed K 10 giving him nothing on the flop but opportunity for a straight. On the turn a Q came out completing his straight and I was gone. Did I play this wrong?

Thanks
hart8k

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Dear hart8k

Thanks for writing to us. There are two answers to your question: one before the cards were turned up, and one after.

When the Cards are Known

Once the decision was made and the opponent shows his cards, you're obviously way ahead. If you run the hand in a poker odds calculator you're an 82% favorite to win the hand when the chips go into the middle.

Do you want to get all your money into the pot against the chip leader with an 82% chance of doubling up and 7 players left in the tournament? I'd think so. I'd definitely think so. I don't think anybody is good enough to pass on those kinds of opportunities in poker.

Before the Cards are Shown

On the other hand, before you know his cards the decision is not that easy. Being check-raised all in by the chip leader is never a comfortable spot to be in.

What could he have? A pair of nines, of course; AA and JJ being less likely because two of each are already used up. If he has 99, your odds are inverted and you're down to 17%.

On the other hand, would he think for 40 seconds if he flopped a set? Depending on how much lower your stack is than his, maybe. And depending on what he thinks your preflop call in the small blind means, maybe.

Straight draws with QT and T8 are possible, of course, and it's not impossible that he raised preflop with those hands on the button when he was first to act. Of course, your opponent may be playing a strong ace like AK or AQ, or maybe even AT. A9 is a possibility and maybe lower aces, depending on his style of play.

Here it's important to keep in mind that there are 8 ways for the opponent to have AK, 8 ways to have AQ, 6 ways to have A9, 3 ways to have 99, etc. Also, we must not forget that he knows you're being challenged for your tournament life and he can certainly count on a certain amount of fold equity on your part.

He may put you on a bluff, or maybe may he thinks you're making a feeler bet with a hand like 88 or KJ, which you would be likely to fold against his all-in. These aspects increase your equity and indicates a call.

So What's the Bottom Line?

As it does so often in poker, it all boils down to how you evaluate your opponent's game. Personally, I would definitely call his all-in with my top two pair here. After his long consideration, I'd think that he thinks that I'm not very strong.

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What To Do With an Overpair on a Paired Board

Best Hands In Texas Hold'em

Hi Junkies,

I was playing short handed no-limit holdem against a loose and aggressive player who was raising constantly and I finally picked up QQ on the big blind.

He raised to $21 from the button, I re-raised to $99 and he called. The flop came 8h-Ts-Th. I bet $99 and he re-raised to $188. I thought for a while and then pushed all-in. He quickly called showing AA and I lost a big pot.

How would you have played the hand? Would be thankful for your thoughts on the matter.

/Miss Lee

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Hi Miss Lee,

That's a very interesting hand you've sent us. Let's take a closer look.

I like your re-raise on the big blind; you have a strong hand well worth a re-raise against a loose aggressive player. When he calls, that doesn't give you much information. If he is a loose player he will call with a lot of hands here.

This is a decent flop for your queens. If you had the best hand pre-flop there is a good chance that you still do. Your main concern is that your opponent called with something like AT or JT.

I would say that your bet of about half the pot is decent here but you could maybe have bet a bit more to protect your hand against possible draws. So far, so good. I have no objections of your play until this stage. But the mini-raise changes the whole setting.

What does the mini-raise mean here? It can be an attempt to steal the pot if you missed with your AK, but not likely. A thing that is important to remember is that your opponent has more information about your hand than you have about his at this stage.

Your re-raise preflop usually narrow down your possible holdings. But the call of a loose player pre-flop doesn't. I would say that the average player only re-raises with hands like high pocket pairs and AK from the blinds - especially against loose players that usually calls.

If your opponent makes the same assessment, his min-raise is pretty disturbing. My read is that he wants you to call here because he believes his hand to be the best. Meaning that he has either slow played something like AA or KK pre-flop or managed to hit a ten.

A fold here would be weak, but if you call you basically pot commit yourself (with your opponent in position). So I would say that you should either go all-in (as you did) or fold, depending on how you read the situation. It comes down to what hands you think your opponent will min-raise with here.

Assuming your opponent's got a decent read on your holding (after your re-raise pre-flop) I would say that you should fold. Because it's unlikely that he will pull a bluff here, at least by making a min raise (you said he was aggressive). But this is always easy to say afterwards (when you can see the cards) and I don't think your all-in on the flop is that bad. As I said, it would be my second choice after folding.

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Is It Correct to Fold Aces Preflop?

I was in a tournament recently where the top three places were paid. The blinds were 1,000-2,000, there were four players left and I had about 21,000 chips. The other three players all had around 80,000 chips. I was in the big blind and found AA in the hole!

The player UTG, who was the chip leader, went all-in and both the button and the small blind called. I thought for a while and threw away my AA because I had the chance to move up two spots instead of risking getting knocked out in fourth place.

What would you have done?

/Jesse J

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Hi Jesse

Yes, this is the classic situation in a tournament where it's often said that you could correctly fold AA pre flop.

Still, let's take a closer look. You're choosing between an almost certain money finish and risking it all for a shot at first place. The correct decision probably depends on how much you value the prize money.

If third and second prize are life-changing money, say $1 million or so, it's probably correct to fold. With that much money within reach it would be just devastating to go home empty-handed.

On the other hand, if this is a sit-and-go (which the prize structure might indicate,) third prize would typically be twice the buy-in; that is, no big deal. (Given that you don't play way over your budget.)

If you call and win the pot, you'll probably have a certain second place and sit with 80K against another player with 180K. You have a decent but not huge chance at winning the whole thing. Call and lose and it's all over.

If you fold, you'll most likely play with 20,000 against one player with 240,000, still with second place guaranteed. Your chances of winning first prize are much smaller. To maximize my expectation, or my long-term results, I think I would have chosen to call here given that the prize was not very important to me.

Cheers,

Lobster, Team PokerJunkie

See an example calculation of this situation!

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Which Poker Hand Wins?!

Hi there,

There are three fours and two threes on the table. There are only two players left, one has a three and a six, and the other has an ace and a queen. Who wins?

Player 1: 6-3
Player 2: A-Q
Board: 4-4-4-3-3

Jose

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Hi Jose,

Wow, what a board! Yes, sometimes it's tricky to figure out who wins the hand. What you need to remember is that each player can use 5 cards and 5 cards only when they put together their five-card poker hand.

In this particular case you should also remember that when you compare two full houses, the one with the 'best three-of-a-kind' wins.

Comparing Two Full Houses

For example, 4-4-4-3-3 beats 4-4-3-3-3. Actually, 4-4-4-3-3 would even beat K-K-3-3-3, since three fours beat three threes.

So, in your example, what are the best five-card hands that the two players can put together?

Figure Out Their Best Five-Card Hands

Well, the guy with A-Q is obviously 'playing the board.' His best possible hand is 4-4-4-3-3. If he wants to use the ace, for example, his best hand would be a three-of-a-kind: 4-4-4-A-Q.

The guy with 6-3 has two ways to build a full house, either 4-4-4-3-3 or 4-4-3-3-3 by using the three from his hand. But, as we saw above, 4-4-4-3-3 is the better of these two poker hands.

Conclusion

To conclude, both players use all five board cards in their five-card hand. As a consequence they both have exactly the same hand and they split the pot equally between them. The rest of the cards have no influence at all.

I wonder in what order the board cards might have come out for both guys to stay in the hand until the showdown. Probably 4-3-3/4/4?

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Flush Draw All-In Against My Better Hand

Hi, I was playing a re-buy tournament and was eliminated early on (didn't want to rebuy). Ok so a low stack goes all in with A9 suited. I raise it with AK since I am in early position and want to push other players out.

The BB calls with KT suited (same suit as the all in from low stack). This move already puzzles me. In my opinion BB with KT suited against a re-raise pre-flop is a pretty bad move already.

The flop shows J65 with two cards of the suit that BB needs and he pushes all in right away. From observing his playing style earlier I don't think he hit a pair on the flop. So I call. At this stage I should be around 65/35% ahead if not more. The turn gives him the flush.

I don't think I should have folded my AK to him on the flop but am just wondering what you guys think about this.

/Mydral

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Hi Mydral,

It's hard to give any final evaluation without knowing your chip stacks. Since it's a rebuy, if you're pretty short stacked, his pre-flop call could be explainable. Your raise doesn't mean that much if your stack is on the short side. If both your stacks are deep his call is very questionable, of course.

On the flop, as you say, he's got around 35% against you and if he's getting 2:1 pot odds, it would make his move easily correct. Of course, if the short stack holds two cards in the same suit, his winning chances are much smaller, but at the time he doesn't know this.

Good Hands In Texas Holdem

Should you fold your two overcards against his all-in? Again this depends on our stacks. How much would you have left if you fold, and how big are the blinds? Without this information I'd say that your call is probably okay. It can't be very wrong.

Tommy Angelo said a smart thing in his book Elements of Poker: The marginal situations are the ones we discuss the most. At the same time those are the ones where our decision matter the least. Since the situation is marginal, the expectations of different decisions are close, per definition.

Bluff you later,
Lobster
The Poker Junkie Team

Texas Holdem Starting Hands

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Flopping the Nut Straight Early in a Tournament

Hi!

This hand is from a Holdem tournament at work last week. It was like the poker moment of the year in our company and most of us were really keen on winning. There wasn't much drinking going on and the whole ambiance breathed concentration and competition.

The hand in question came early in the tournament with blinds still at 25/50. We had started with 10,000 in chips and not much had happened yet.

In early position I picked up As-Tc. A player before me put in a raise. He has a reputation as a rock but I know he has developed his game quite a bit since he got that label. I called along with a feeling of being behind, mostly because we were playing with deep stacks and I would have position on him throughout the hand. An unknown player (new colleague) to my left came along as well.

The flop came KQJ with two spades; I had flopped the nut straight! As an added feature the initial raiser bet right into me with a pot-sized bet.

Here comes the point in the hand that I want to discuss. For two different reasons I didn't want to play the hand too fast. I was afraid that I would either scare off the opposition and win a small pot with my miracle flop, or get company, build a monster pot and then run into big problems if the board were to flush or pair.

I opted to flat call the pot bet, somewhere hoping that the third guy would come over the top of me so I could move in and either win a decent pot right there or at least be all in with the nuts. Instead he just called as well. As the evening went along I would put him up as a very loose-passive player, but I didn't know that yet. The pot was now at 2,000.

The turn brought a third spade. There was the dreaded bad news for my straight, but I still had the ace of spades for a redraw so I wouldn't go away easily. Now the initial raiser checked and I checked along with the intention of calling any not-too-large bet. The third man bet 500, a really nice and small bet which both the former rock and I called. Pot at 3,500.

The river was a blank and the initial raiser checked again. Should I check as well? After so much weakness I was afraid that the third player would jam the pot regardless of his cards and I didn't want to call down like 3,000 with a puny straight. I chose to put in a blocking bet of 500, mimicking the third guy's move from last street and hoping that no one would have the heart to re-pop without the nuts (I had the ace.)

The other two players called, I showed my straight and they both folded. I won a 5,000-chip pot, which is pretty big on Level 1. Everything turned out for the best but I'm not sure of my play on the flop. Do you think I should have played the nut straight more aggressively? (Maybe the river play can be questioned as well?)

Sorry for the long question! I just think it was an interesting hand, and I would like to hear your views on it.

Tallyho,

Larry

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Hi Larry,

Thanks for your question. That's a very fascinating hand you are describing. With a dream flop like that you have two concerns:

• Get paid as much as possible and
• Avoid getting drawn out

Slow Playing Might Bring Trouble

If it had been a rainbow flop I definitely think that you should slow play the hand, but with two spades on the board things get a bit more complicated. The problem if a third spade hits is that you might loose (obviously), but also that the action will slow down.

With a raise on the flop you might scare some players off but KQJ is a real-action flop that several players might have a piece of (and many players won't lay down a two pair, or even AK, if you raise here.) Also (as you pointed out), its not only the flush that you worry about, a paired board might put you in an even harder spot.

Raise to Protect Your Hand or Get Paid

I think a raise is in order here. You want to make your opponents pay to draw out on you and also build the pot with the best hand. If they fold - so be it. It's better than to be outdrawn, especially in a tournament where every lost chip is worth more than each that you win.

So when your opponent bets out pot here, I think a raise of 2/3 of the pot to pot size is in order. (My guess is that his pot bet is about 600 chips, so you could raise to about 1,800 - 2,400. Putting about a fourth of your stack on the table.)

You could raise it up even more, to try to pot commit your opponent(s), but the chances that they fold will also increase. And if you do and get called, you'll have to go the whole way with your hand no matter what. What you really hope for is somebody putting in a re-raise, but if your opponents are decent it's not very likely on this flop.

You don't mind the original raiser to call you while the opponent behind is more trouble because of his position advantage (another reason to put in a raise.)

The Turn

If the turn card is a blank, you can definitely go all-in (there will be at least 5,000 in the pot and you'll have 7,500 left at the most). If the flush card hits or the board pairs it's a different story. But if you've got the second opponent to fold you'll at least have the position advantage. If you raised more than the pot on the flop you'll have a sure all-in, especially with a re-draw to the nut flush.

What Actually Happened

Let's look at how the actual hand played out. When the third flush card hits on the turn I think you make the correct decision to just call the 500 with your straight and nut flush re-draw. I am not sure about your stop bet on the river, it both have positive and negative effects. The other solution would be to try to induce a bluff and check call. Because there is a large risk that a stop bet won't work against a player holding a flush (even though it's not the nut flush).

By checking you might make get the player behind to make a final stab at the pot and if you are lucky the other opponent will call. The downside to this is that you might be forced to make a much tougher decision if the player in last position puts in a substantial bet (like you said). And you might be forced to pay off someone with a flush. (But you'll have a pretty tough decision if your stop bet gets raised also.)

Conclusion

Your dream flop can prove to be quite dangerous and it's a good idea to try to protect your hand. You also want to get as much in on the flop, before a scare card might cool of the action or force you to make very tough decisions. If you play the hand hard on the flop you force your opponents to make the tough decisions instead.

Sorry about the long answer. ;-) But as you said - it's an interesting hand.

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Showing When the Flush Card Hits

Hi Poker Junkies!
I played an interesting hand of PLO:
Pot Limit Omaha, $1/$2, six-handed
My stack: $173
My hand: Ah Kh Jh 2c
My position: cutoff

Pre flop:
I raise the pot, the button re-raises pot, I call. Pot size: $45

Flop: Ad Qd Th
I bet the pot, button calls. Pot size: $135

Turn: Jd
I move all in with $107.
What do you think of my shove on the turn? Would you consider folding here?

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Hi Cheeta,

Thanks for your question. The situation you describe is very interesting and a common one in Omaha.

You flop the nuts, bet it hard and a scare card hits on the next street. Someone has said that flopping the Broadway straight in Omaha is mostly trouble - which the hand in question proves. Let's take a closer look.

Texas Holdem Rules

Your opponent 3-bets pre-flop in position and you call with your half-decent hand (at least for short-handed games). The flop hits you perfectly but is at the same time very intimidating.

You've flopped the Broadway straight - the nuts! But this is still a very scary flop and (most importantly) you lack good re-draws.

On a flop like this you have to be cautious, especially if the stacks are deep. You want to protect your hand but at the same time avoid getting all your chips in against an opponent with the same hand that is freerolling on your chip stack with a re-draw.

If your opponent has the straight, but also a set, two-pair or a flush draw (which is not that unlikely on a board like this), then you're in big trouble. But when your pot bet only gets called you can be pretty sure that you hold the best hand (if your opponent is cautious he could also be holding the same straight).

So let us analyze what range of hands he could be holding here. We don't have any info about what type of player he is so we'll assume that he's neither very loose nor super tight, but something in-between. You raise from the cut-off preflop, which is a very common move in short-handed PLO. So a decent opponent could three-bet with a pretty wide range of hands if he believes you're trying to steal the pot. But the cold call on the flop narrows it down quite a bit.

As far as I am concerned there are only three types of hands that a decent player would call the flop with here. Either he holds the same straight without re-draws (but are scared that you do), or he has a set or a flush-draw.

With this range I like the fact that you go all-in on the turn. Sure the Jd that completes the flush is a scary card, but not enough reason to shut down. The hand is heads up and as we've seen there's still a good chance that you have the best hand. So if you've decided to stay in the hand you should definitely bet here.

This has two positive effects:

• You don't give your opponent a free card and a possibility to draw out on you if he holds a set and you can get him to fold if he hold the same straight as you.
• You run the risk of putting all your money in against a flush but you're not completely dead with the re-draw to a full house that you've picked up.

To sum it up, I think it is correct to shove in this situation with less than a pot bet left. It's possible to argue for a fold here but we have to remember that we're playing short-handed PLO and if you folded here every time you would be giving up to much.

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The Nuts in Omaha with Dangerous Draws?

Hi!

I play Pot-Limit Omaha on low stakes. Four or more players see the flop all the time and so do I. In this hand I hit the nut straight on the turn, but with three opponents, a flush draw on the board and a lot of action, I still hesitate to call all in.

What do you guys think about this situation?

/Kurt

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Hi Kurt,

Thanks for an interesting question. The situation you describe is very common in Omaha. You hit the nuts on a board with dangerous draws out. Let's take a closer look at the hand.

We have a four way pot with a raise a call and a re-raise when the action comes to you. You have the nut straight and can be pretty sure that at least one of your opponents have the same straight. You can also be almost certain you will have a four way all-in if you decide to play. The player in the first position is already all-in, the second player is pot committed and the third one has showed that he's not going to fold.

This means that you need to dodge a flush draw and possible full houses in order to probably get a split. But you also have a re-draw to a better straight, if a ten comes that's not a spade.

You will need to pay $23 with the chance to win a total of $10 (already in the pot) + $7 (Player B) + $16 (Player C) + $23 (Player E) + $23 (you) = $79. The most likely is that you have at least one other player with the same straight. Meaning that you pay $23 to make a total profit of $79/2 - $23 = $17. Off course you don't have the time to do this math when the clock is ticking, but it is good to have some grasp at the figures when we analyze the hand.

Looking only at these figures you should probably fold here. There are nine cards that will give a possible flush and 12 cards that will create a full house (but some of these cards are most likely in the hands of your opponents). This means that you maybe have 40-50% chance to win maybe half of the pot.

But there are other factors to consider. It is very unlikely that all players have the straight, which means that you have the chance to win a side pot even if one of the draws hit. You also have three outs that give you a chance to scoop the whole pot.

With all this taken in to consideration I would argue that you should go all-in here. But if you were in the same situation on the flop or if the stacks were much deeper I would argue for a fold.

Good luck at the tables.

Total Possible Hands In Texas Holdemold Em

/Team Poker Junkie

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