Poker Pros Reveal the Secret Weapon: Combinatorics

Professional poker players have a secret weapon: combinatorics. This powerful tool helps them make better decisions by understanding the probability of certain hands and the impact of community cards on their opponents' ranges.

In a deck of 52 cards, there are 16 combinations for each offsuit hand, 12 combinations for each suited offsuit hand, 4 combinations for each suited one-gap hand, and 6 combinations for each pocket pair. The probability of making a flush with a suited hand is higher than with an offsuit hand, making suited hands more valuable. The program Poker Equilab can be used to quickly calculate the number of combinations, making it easier to understand the odds and make informed decisions.

For example, on a flop with cards Td 3h 2d, the probability of a player having a top pair is 29% of their unpaired starting hands. The probability of a player having a flush draw on this flop is 9 out of 93 combinations in their range. Understanding these probabilities can help players make better decisions about when to call, raise, or fold. Additionally, the program Poker Ranger can be used to evaluate ranges and see how they affect strategy on the river, providing even more insight into the game.