Get Equilab here: EQUILAB
Get Power Equilab here: POWER EQUILAB
This lesson will help you gain an understanding of combinatorics and how it applies to poker. Moreover, Acesup will go on to demonstrate how we can make use of equity calculators like Equilab to make calculating hand combinations a breeze. This will make you more proficient when it comes to reviewing hands you've played but also more aware in-game of important mechanics behind accurate decision making in Texas Holdem poker. Enabling you to consistently make profitable decisions at the poker table.
Topics include:
- Combinatorics - Calculating combinations of cards to find figures on the number of possible starting hands, total flops, chances of being dealt a specific hand, chances of flopping a flush, and more.
- Applying Combinatorics - See how AK is often a large portion of an opponent's re-raising range.
- Pokerstove - Watch as Acesup demonstrates how to use Equilab and apply it to check if he made the right call with aces and how profitable a situation that might have been.
- Ranging - Using this new knowledge to more accurately decipher our opponents' possible range of holdings.
This lesson will help you increase your ability to solve problems at the poker table, rather than just making a play because you 'heard' it was the right move. Know the math behind it, understand it, and be able to calculate it. Resulting in you being a more in-sightful poker player and one ready to move on to harder concepts and utilization of more complex poker tools like PIOSolver.
Test Yourself
- Open up Equilab (or download it if you don't have it yet) and calculate what equity each of the 4 players who entered the pot preflop had in the video below (you should get 15.3% for Laak's hand).
- Calculate the equity Seiver had on the turn vs Laak's specific holding.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAFfbWUvz1c[/embedyt]
This serves as an example of how difficult it can be to put someone on a hand. Often times, especially at lower stakes, or playing with wild profiles, players will have 'surprise hands'! Don't forget to account for unpredictability. Your opponents are rarely playing the same as you. Many like to gamble, so, I often add in a few 'surprise hands' when I'm doing my equity calculations!
As a final challenge, decide what equity your UTG range would have in a typical game against a big blind defender on a K♦2♣2♥flop. Then go a step further and write in the comments below if you would bet on the flop and what size, stating your reasons why. It will be interesting to see if your choice changes as you progress through the course and specifically after the c-betting lesson!
I opened pokerstove while playing online and got a warning from Stars that This was
Not allowed. Will have to use Stove offline i guess? Or is there a smart word around?
Yeh happens to me all the time. I often have PIOSolver or PowerEqualab or ICMizer open on the taskbar and forget and open Pokerstars. I’m not familiar with a workaround for that, unfortunately :)
I have a Mac. Is there another
poker stove I can use?
Actually Pokerstove is no more. Equilab is the go to software for basic equity calculations these days Billy. A quick search and you’ll be able to locate it at pokerstrategy.
Thanks!! Found one called PokerCruncher for Mac
Yep, https://www.pokercruncher.com/ looks like a really good one!
I think we would have at least 68% equity on the flop against a semi-wide big blind defense. I would bet small with anything (except AA) to keep the portion of big blind’s range that we crush like small pairs that might call a small bet to see what we do on the turn. A small bet might also tempt the big blind to float; so we can fire a second barrel and take the pot down on the turn with the additional float money. A big bet on this flop will only get called by a King or a 2, so I might bet big only when we hold AA.