When
a teacher announces to the fourth grade class that it’s time for the math test,
the first thing that likely goes through a kid’s mind is: “I wish I had a
calculator.”
Unfortunately, using a calculator on most math tests would
be cheating, and would get that kid a one-way trip to the principal’s office.
But there are no teachers, principals or a ban on calculators for the online
poker player. He or she is free to use this tool without fear or detention or
any disciplinary action from the school board.
A poker calculator, like
the one that’s part of Poker Pro 2007’s revolutionary software, is created by a
complex set of algorithms, which compute the odds of winning based on past
computations – the odds that a particular combination of cards will come up at a
particular point in the game. That definition is one that only a super-geek
could understand, and is the reason a calculator comes in handy for the average
Joe poker player.
Both
the software and pocket versions of the poker calculator serve up the
statistical odds and risks of betting on a certain hand based on how many
players are in the hand, the point of the hand and the cards that have already
been dealt. For example, in a game of Texas Hold ’Em, Poker Pro 2007’s
calculator will give you your percentage of winning the hand after the starting
cards have been dealt, after the flop, following the turn and finally, after the
river. The calculator enhances the online poker experience in real-time,
allowing players to make the split-second decisions necessary to win hands and
rake in big pots.
The
pocket version of the calculator has one major drawback to the software version.
Take it into a brick-and-mortar casino and you’re likely to get a visit from
some unfriendly security personnel. So what’s an online player whose poker
calculator is attached at the hip supposed to do when he or she wants to play at
a casino? While the numbers a calculator crunches are almost impossible to
memorize, a solid poker player should understand some of the basic theories of
odds in order to make quick decisions. When playing online, use the poker
calculator as a learning tool, not just a crutch. That way, if you decide to
play in a casino or home game, you’ll be able to make those snap
decisions.
One of the ways a poker calculator helps a beginner is to
determine the strength of a starting hand. The most common blunder by Texas Hold
’Em rookies is playing too many hands. Beginners are typically anxious and
overly ambitious, thinking they can compete in every hand. A poker calculator is
a good way to bring them back to reality. Flawed thinking is when a player
starts with two bad cards and hopes the flop will result in two pair or trips.
The right poker calculator, like the one on Poker Pro’s software, will display
exactly how strong or weak the starting hand is based on a
percentage.
It’s easy determining the hand rank difference between A-A
and 7-3. But there are plenty of others that aren’t so clear where a poker
calculator comes in handy. In a five-player game, here are the starting hands:
A-5 unsuited; J-10 suited; A-Q unsuited; 9-8 suited and a pair of 2s. Looks can
be deceiving, but here’s how the hands rank. You would think a pair always ranks
fairly high, but in this scenario, it finishes a distant fourth. Because of the
straight and flush possibilities, the high hand is the J-10 suited with a 27%
shot at winning. The 9-8 suited comes second at 24%, followed by the A-Q
unsuited at 22%. The small pair of twos is a 17% and the A-5 unsuited is a
distant fifth at 8%.
Some consider poker calculators like using a golf
cart instead of walking the course. But when you’re facing stiff competition
online and want to sharpen your knowledge of odds tracking, then a calculator
like the one provided by Poker Pro 2007 is a must-have.
