You’ve heard professionals and bloggers talk a lot about how so much of learning poker is understanding the probabilities. That’s it more straight math than it is gut feelings.

OK, so you’re on board with that. You believe it for the most part, but you don’t know where to start. Well lucky for you, you can always just memorize much of what you need to learn instead of doing the math live at the rakeback poker table every hand. So here’s a handle little rundown of percentages of different hands for you to keep track of, study and refer to when you’re playing. I’ll get through what I can here and keep adding more in future articles.

You know why it’s such an exciting moment when you hit pocket aces before the flop? Because the odds of it happen are 0.45%, literally next to nothing. And there no being “due” for pocket aces. It’s 0.45% each time, every time.

What about all the other pairs? The odds of getting any pocket pair are a slim but attainable 5.9%.

The chance of getting Ace, King suited is actually slimmer than getting a pair of bullets, coming in at a minuscule 0.3%. And the chance of getting Ace, King off-suited is 0.9 percent. That’s the one that caught my eye. You’d figure there’s be enough combination of the off-suit to ramp it up into at least the low single-digits, but that’s not the case. Again, an eye-opener as to why these hands are bet as strong as they are off the deal. The two Ace, King possibilities combined are still only 1.2% chance of hitting.

Now, the probability of getting any two suited cards before the flop soars to 24%. Every time this happens, somebody zeroes in hardcore on that flush draw, and unless you know these percentages, it’s one of the biggest traps you can fall into, calling and calling until you’ve got nothing left.

Playing poker at Full Tilt has had a huge number of players looking to make excuses for their play after being sent crashing out of a tournament or ring game.

Players generally look to make excuses for their play due to their ability been less than their opponents, with a number of players preferring to blame anything but their ability on the losses that they suffer.

We have a look at the top 3 most used excuses used by players after they get sent away from the tournament or ring game tables.

I was short stacked in the game so I just didn’t care anymore, thought why not just go for it.

This is one of the most used excuses used by players who have been knocked out of a tournament style game, blaming their lack of chips on their playing style for the whole of the tournament.

This is an excuse that is deeply flawed due to players having to play badly in order to fall below the chip radar into a short stacked position.

If you find that you are one of the players who uses this excuse, its time to work on your poker basics again as you obviously haven’t mastered those yet.

Taking this sort of mentality while seated in a game or tournament is a definite way to guarantee that you aren’t going to make the final table in a tournament or the heads up section of a ring game.

I had just won a large pot so what was a few chips to me after that? Nothing.

This has to be one of the funniest excuses that I have ever seen placed onto an online poker room.

The player called an all in of a player after looking into his hole cards to find jack – five off suit and calling almost 1000 in chips on blinds of 100/200.

Saying that he can afford to lose those chips is something that shows exactly how poor the player is overall, with the player indicating that he doesn’t care about losing chips.

You will see that making a lay down or folding cards for a professional player is something that takes time and consideration as they weigh up their pot odds and their losses should they decide that they are going to kill their hand.

A good player is a player who looks to protect their chips, regardless of their position in the chip count.

I played badly in order to get all of my poor plays out of my system while I was waiting for a bigger game/tournament.

This is again an excuse that is seen regularly on the online poker scene, with players looking to pass the time between tournaments and games but entering into smaller staked games.

Saying that they played poker badly in order to get rid of their poor plays shouldn’t be taken seriously by any player due to the fact that their methodology surrounding their approach to poor play is totally unjustified.

Taking to a smaller staked game is not going to reduce their poor plays in their large tournament or game, just take away some of their bankroll while they are waiting for the game or tournament to start.

Regardless of skill level or experience, the game of poker is a life long learning experience. There are so many strategies to employ and calculations and adjustments to make that many players can spend a lifetime as a student of the game and never become a true master. Even the great poker players are still working to further their mastery level of poker. Through study, experience, and discussion a poker player can further their knowledge of the game of poker.

Study

Reading books and visiting informational websites on poker will serve you greatly in your quest for poker knowledge and education. By subscribing to a regular reading regimen, you are committing to learning the games. If looking to brush up on your math, reading a book covering implied odds may serve you well. If you are looking for tips on playing poker tournaments, there are plenty of poker websites dedicated to poker tournament play. Additionally, many books cover the topic of tournament play for advanced players. Ask around for which authors are trusted authors in the category of your choosing.

Experience

One can read all the absolute poker books they want, however, nothing can substitute for experience when it comes to comprehending the game of poker. It is one thing to read about a player calling a bluff with the ace high on the river amidst a huge pot. It is an entirely different story to live it.

Discussion

Discussion of poker concepts you have learned through study is a great way to reinforce the lesson learned. Talking about poker in a poker strategy forum or with your poker-playing friends will certainly help drive home further understanding of the game. Additionally, posting hand history as well as commenting on the play of others in a constructive manner will help you understand the concept of correct play, as well as open your eyes to deeper concepts you may not have even been aware of.

When players post their hand history, ask questions of the poster. Questions such as “What was your read when you shoved on the turn,” or enquiring as to what stats they had on the player prior to getting involved in the hand will often evolve into a deeper discussion, well beyond the typical “yes, great play” or “no, fold years ago” comments. Actively seek out the advice of players above your level, and be receptive from players offering feedback that are on or below your skill level. You never know when you need to grasp the insight of a player who is on a different level of thinking than you are.

While playing free poker is important to the development of a poker player, it is imperative to make time to study the game and discuss poker in a smart and constructive manner. By reading, talking, and doing; you are well on your way down the path of poker knowledge.