Implied Odds – Advanced

Implied Odds In No-Limit Texas Holdem, Advanced

Implied-odds are a vital strategic concept in Texas Holdem Poker games. Implied Odds – Basic looked at the mathematical basis and common errors in applying this to your poker strategy. Here we go a little deeper into the subject of implied-odds. Looking at the opponent-specific and situational factors which affect the real odds you are getting.

We start by looking at factoring the tendencies of opponents, your own table image and the nature of your hand into your estimate of implied odds. Secondly stack sizes are taken into account, noting that online poker tournaments often feature large variations in stacks between players. We conclude with thoughts on why taking advantage of implied-odds requires sound bankroll management.

The key point to remember when considering making a call based on implied-odds is that not all opponents offer the same ‘value’. Consider the difference between a wild, aggressive opponent who will try repeatedly to blow you off of you hand and a timid ‘mouse’ who may take one stab at the pot with top pair but is likely to fold to any significant action. Of course, most players will be in-between these extremes, however when your profits depend on how accurately you can assess the potential for implied-odds for each opponent then the accuracy of such observations directly contribute to your bottom line.

In the lowest limit Online Texas Holdem games opponents will generally be unobservant, however as you move up levels then you will need to start factoring in your table image into the odds on offer. Again the extremes illustrate the point, if you play almost every hand aggressively then you are far more likely to get paid off those times you do make your hand than if you had folded the last 30 hands in a row and now suddenly start betting.

Stack sizes are critical to implied-odds plays. This is more complex than the need to check that the opponent who bet has enough chips to ‘pay you off’ those times you make your hand. In tournaments especially it is possible that a player to act behind you with a short stack will make a ‘squeeze’ by pushing all-in. This can leave you forced to either fold or to make a call you wish you did not have to make (depending on the pot-odds). While this will not happen every time, the presence of desperate short-stacks can be factored into your play, for example by requiring a slightly larger potential payoff from the original bet.

The type of draw you hold can affect your implied-odds. For example, calling a bet on the turn while holding the ace of hearts (and a club) with 3 hearts on the board based only on implied odds will often be a mistake. Those times a 4th heart hits you are very unlikely to win significantly more chips – as your opponents will (rightly) see this as a ‘scare card’. Conversely, straights are often less likely to be believed by opponents, offering potentially higher implied odds.

Taking advantage of implied odds situations in Texas Holdem Poker Games requires good bankroll management skills. The reason is that you are unlikely to win the pot on each individual occasion you make an implied-odds based call. Whether trying to hit a set or a flush you will fail to make your hand more often than you make it. Only those players who keep a big enough poker bankroll to keep playing these hands until they hit the ‘big pot’ which makes up for all of those small losses can really benefit from having a solid understanding of this concept.