How to study hands?

This is interesting, as I never calculate pot odds either or in cash games at least. In a tournament its like I am obsessing over it, but at the same time I think I am not applying it correctly. In cash, its kinda like "meh he bet too much I'm not getting odds, fold", I'm more thinking about my opponents range and turn and river play. And I know how to calculate pot odds, but its like the very last thing I think about. I'd like to know how other players think about this.

Well you rarely get good enough immediate odds to call to hit a draw.

• For example on the flop to the river, you need 0.22 / ((0.30+0.22)+0.22) * 100 = 29.7% equity to make that call.

If you only have the and as outs, that is roughly 8*2% = 16% hand-equity that you have from the flop to the turn. (Will be a tad more)
... (You probably know the rule of 2% and 4%? Each card is about 2% of the whole deck .... 1/52 ~= 2/100)

• Then from the turn to the river, you need 0.53 / ((0.74+0.53)+0.53) * 100 = again 29.4% equity to make the call.

So you are missing equity in both cases ....
You are relying on implied money to make up for the hand-equity you miss, meaning what you can win more when you hit your draw...
...And this is of course a lot of guesswork ... you don't really know how much he will pay you on average..., you will have to decide whether you think he will pay enough when you hit to justify calling. Basically on average, the stronger he is, the more implied money there is to win when you hit your draw.

The other factor is the person you're playing against.
In order for implied odds to work, the player must be willing to pay you off if you hit your flush.

That isn't always the case

Calculating your pot odds is absolutely essential. In this hand you can begin applying them on the flop , you hsve OESD, so you count your outs and multiply by 2, you have roughly 16% chance to hit your straight on the turn which is about 1 out of 5, meaning you would like to be getting 5:1 for s call but we can see your being laid about 2.5:1 which means for us to call we need to think we have good chances of getting the other 2.5x of his bet back on later streets . This means if we call we are hoping to make back at least 50 more cents and then some to profit.

You should really focus on practicing with pot odds, after some practice it becomes second nature at the tables, always look at the pot odds your being laid it will tell you how much equity you need to call a bet or a river, very important stuff

I'm surprised I didn't mention this already...
Equilab is a superb tool for checking your equity in various situations. It does require though, that you estimate opponents range reasonably accurately

Originally posted by VorpalF2F
I'm surprised I didn't mention this already...
Equilab is a superb tool for checking your equity in various situations. It does require though, that you estimate opponents range reasonably accurately

I've not been using Equilab for a while. I should definitely add it back to my study sessions. Thanks for reminding me.

Originally posted by mjez1

Originally posted by VorpalF2F
I'm surprised I didn't mention this already...
Equilab is a superb tool for checking your equity in various situations. It does require though, that you estimate opponents range reasonably accurately

I've not been using Equilab for a while. I should definitely add it back to my study sessions. Thanks for reminding me.

Equilab is essential as a poker play dude. I recommend using it frequently. Flopzilla is another great program to use.

Correcto

Originally posted by Siluej
Correcto

Don’t be shy to type more.

I'm new and still have a lot to learn

Originally posted by fierygamer
I'm new and still have a lot to learn

Hi fierygamer
Welcome to PokerStrategy.com

Be sure to check out the free money offers and bonus offers.
Read the instructions carefully -- they usually apply to rooms where you don't already have an account.

What kind of games do you normally play?
Cash Games? Sit-and-Go? MTTs?
Do you just play Hold'em or do you play any other variants?

If you're totally new to poker, I recommend reading our No Limit Hold'em lessons overview articles first.
That article leads you through the basics and beyond.
It is even recommended if you've played a while ♠_biggrin:

If you have any questions, just post them in the Q&A forum.

All the best,
VS

Well that's a good question but the most obvious way to study hands is to watch online poker training videos.

Originally posted by jabamicake
Well that's a good question but the most obvious way to study hands is to watch online poker training videos.

Hi jabamicake,
Welcome to PokerStrategy.com

I understand that videos are extremely important, however they're not for everyone. I get extremely impatient when I'm asked to spend half an hour watching a video with content that could be written down — with a diagram or two — and then could be read in less than a couple of minutes, and referred to over and over and over again.

It's best to consider applying odds as soon as possible in the hand.

Originally posted by NathanCameron
It's best to consider applying odds as soon as possible in the hand.

Hi NathanCameron,
Welcome to PokerStrategy.com

You're probably right — especially so in fixed-limit games.

But to apply the odds, it is necessary to know the odds. That's where sites like PokerStrategy.com come in.

It sounds like you know a bit about poker. Why not take a moment to introduce yourself?

All the best,
VS

In this hand on the flop dont forget, that you can catch turn, and its your side outs too. So, sometimes you will get monster-draw on the turn.
Maybe not bad idea is a raise flop with your draw, when you have also backdoor fd. But its only opponent oriented, and not always.
Hope I write correct.

I would say that watching poker tutorials and taking notes can certainly be beneficial in enhancing one's efficiency and understanding of the game. By learning from experienced players and experts in the field, you can gain valuable insights and tips that can improve your skills and strategies. By taking notes, you can also retain the information better and have a reference to refer to as you continue to develop your abilities.

Hi SadonnaPrice,
Welcome to PokerStrategy.com

Good advice — especially the note-taking part. It takes discipline though, and for that preparation is required.
I don't take notes on players every session, since it is too difficult when playing several different tables often with different game on each one.
So I have notes sessions where I play a single table, and focus on the other players.

I once used a voice recorder and would play it back when doing a session review. Then, when I was streaming that worked.

Cheers,
VS

You should really focus on practicing with pot odds, after some practice it becomes second nature at the tables, always look at the pot odds your being laid it will tell you how much equity you need to call a bet or a river, very important stuff