Texas Hold'em Odds and Probabilities

by Matthew Hilger

- How often does each starting hand win against a specific hand or random hand? - What are the odds of your opponent holding a pocket pair when he raises? - What is the probability that an over-card will flop when you hold JJ? - How do you determine if drawing is profitable or not? Texas Hold'em Odds and Probabilities answers all of these questions and more. Every single decision you make at the poker table is in some way related to odds and probabilities. Whether you are deciding to bet, call, fold, raise, or even bluff, odds and probabilities are an integral part of the decision-making process. Texas Hold'em Odds and Probabilities does more than just show you how to calculate the odds - more importantly, the focus is on how to apply odds to make better decisions. Hilger's approach shows that you do not need to be a math wiz to be successful in poker. Simple concepts and strategies that anyone can learn will have you matching wits with the top players in no time. Some of the topics include: raising draws for value, backdoor draws, facing all-in decisions before the flop, protecting your hand, the impact of stack sizes, and much more. In addition, the most comprehensive collection of Texas Hold'em charts and statistics ever put in print is provided as reference. Poker is a fun game, but it is even more fun when you win. Expert players understand the simple math behind every decision they make - now you can too. Matthew Hilger is also the author of the best-selling Internet poker book, Internet Texas Hold'em and is coauthor, with Ian Taylor, of The Poker Mindset.

256 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2006

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very basic. Essentially a book of charts showing various hand stats. The rest is geared towards how to figure pot vs hand odds. That's really all your getting here.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I needed a refresher on odds since I haven't played in awhile. Has a great set of charts in the back on hand vs. hand that would be very beneficial for Sit and Go's.

[Bart Verbanck · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dusted off this 2006 book, because I hadn't played in a while and needed a refresher on odds and probabilities.
While the math is still correct, the hand examples are laughably out of date: nobody plays like this any more.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent introduction to mathematical considerations in playing Texas Hold 'em. Some readers may be disappointed to find that the book spends more time discussing limit than no-limit play. My primary complaint is that the book is not very thoughtfully organized, particularly in the "Charts and Stats" section at the end. Here advice for limit and no-limit games is jumbled together, and you may not realize which is which until you happen to pick up the information in a footnote. A better book for intermediate players than beginners.

[Rishabh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent first book for the poker noob - Lays out the basics of poker math in a structured manner with plenty of numericals and examples.