(From
Hoyle's Rules of
Games, Third Revised & Updated Edition)
SEVEN CARD STUD (HIGH)
ODDS AGAINST MAKING A DESIRED HAND
Desired Hand Holding Odds Against
Full House or better Three of a kind 1½ to 1
" plus two odd cards 2 to 1
" plus three odd cards 4 to 1
One pair plus one odd card 13 to 1
One pair plus two odd cards 19 to 1
One pair plus three odd cards 39 to 1
Two pairs 4 to 1
" plus one odd card 4 to 1
" plus two odd cards 10 to 1
Flush Three of a suit 3½ to 1
" plus one odd card 9 to 1
" plus two odd cards 23 to 1
Four of a suit 1¼ to 1
" plus one odd card 1¾ to 1
" plus two odd cards 4¼ to 1
Straight J 10 9 4¼ to 1
J 10 9 2 8 to 1
J 10 9 3 2 20 to 1
J 10 9 8 1 1/3 to 1
J 10 9 8 2 2¼ to 1
J 10 9 7 2¾ to 1
J 10 9 7 2 4½ to 1
J 10 9 7 3 2 10 to 1
K Q J 6¾ to 1
K Q J 2 12 to 1
What do all these numbers mean to you, the ordinary guy or
gal who engages in the occasional friendly
poker game with your friends? Well, the cardinal rule of poker is to compare the
ratio of the
pot to the bet, to what you think your odds of winning the hand are. On the other hand, you are probably not going to be doing extensive, accurate calculations when it comes time to either toss in some chips or toss in your cards. Looking at the
odds, however, some general observations arise.
The first: Three clubs and a heart is not a flush. Three clubs and a heart is a longshot to become a flush. Unless you have a pair that beats any hand showing, or unless the pot is nine times the current bet, you'd best fold.
2: On the other hand, four of a suit has a lovely chance of becoming a flush, even if you get just one more card. Before you bet your shirt on that last card being a heart, though, make sure it looks like no one else is going to get a flush or full house, and that you don't bet more
than a fourth of the amount in the pot.
3: A similar logic applies to straights, although they are a little less likely to be the winning hand. A sequence of three and a junk card isn't so bad, but don't bet a lot on it. A sequence of four is rather good, but keep in mind how many available cards will make it into a straight. An inside straight (J 10 9 7 on the chart) seems like a good bet if you have three cards coming to you, but its odds are much worse than a sequence of four.