Quick facts by PokerStrategy
- In poker, an underdog typically refers to the statistically weaker hand in the pot, based on the odds of each hand winning.
- Not all poker underdog hands are equally bad. Overall hand strength depends on equity in the pot.
- While folding is often the best play when you are a severe underdog, some underdog situations allow you to make pot odds calls or turn your hand into a bluff.
- Position and board texture play a big role in whether an underdog hand can be played profitably.
What Is an Underdog in Poker?
An underdog in poker is a player who has the weakest hand and is at a disadvantage in terms of their odds of winning the pot. Being the underdog is an undesirable place to be, as you’ll usually need to find help on the board to catch up.
Not all situations are the same. There’s a big difference between being marginally behind and being a huge underdog with no equity. It’s also worth pointing out that the weaker hand can still win the pot.
In poker, ‘underdog’ also has a secondary meaning: a player who is not as skilled as others or weaker than the field in general in terms of ability. Here, we will focus on the statistical definition, while also covering both meanings of the term.
The Origins of the Term Underdog
The term underdog actually comes from the sawmills of 19th-century America, where logs were cut using a two-person saw. Whoever was on the bottom would have the harder job and get covered in sawdust. They were referred to as the underdog.
How Odds Define an Underdog
In poker, odds determine which hands are considered underdogs in a given situation. A player is an underdog when their hand has a lower probability of winning the pot.
For example, against pocket aces, pocket tens have odds of around 20 percent, or 4:1. The player with tens wins the pot only about once in five tries, making them a huge underdog. This is true whether you are at a home game, in a casino, or playing on poker apps.
How Equity Shapes the Underdog’s Chances
Just because you are an underdog doesn’t mean that you’ll always be far behind. Your actual chances of winning the pot, or your theoretical share of the pot based on those chances, is known as equity.
If you have very little equity in the pot, such as being an 80-20 underdog preflop or when you are drawing dead postflop, your only options are to fold or turn your hand into a bluff. It’s very unlikely you’ll win the pot at showdown.
On the other hand, if you are behind but still have a decent amount of equity, such as a 60-40, you are still technically an underdog. However, your hand may be playable depending on factors like pot odds and board texture.
It’s not just about whether or not you are the underdog in a poker hand, but about how much equity you have in the pot.
Examples of Underdog Hands
Underdog hands can occur both preflop and postflop. The key difference is that preflop examples rely mainly on raw hand equity, while postflop situations include factors such as position, board texture, and pot odds.
Preflop Examples
When two players go all-in or face each other heads-up preflop, it’s easy to define the poker underdog in terms of the raw statistics and equity of hands.
Here are several examples to show preflop underdogs:
- Dominated and Massive Underdog
- Player A: A♦ J♠
- Player B: A♠ K♣
Player A is dominated and is a clear underdog against A-K. They only have around 25 percent equity in the pot.
- Underpair vs Overpair
- Player A: 8♠ 8♦
- Player B: J♣ J♥
Player A has landed in a classic underdog situation. Their pocket eights are crushed by their opponent’s higher pair of jacks, and they have only around 18 percent equity.
- Slight Underdog
- Player A: 9♣ 8♣
- Player B: K♠ Q♦
Here, player A is behind with two lower cards against two higher cards. However, they have plenty of ways to connect postflop. Although still the underdog, Player A has around 45 percent equity preflop.
Postflop Examples
Postflop poker underdog situations are a little more complex. Your hand may be behind in terms of equity, but other factors, such as position, pot odds, and implied odds, can make it playable.
Here are some examples of underdog poker hands postflop:
- Completely Missing the Flop
- Player A: 8♠ 7♠
- Player B: A♠ Q♦
- Board: A♦ K♣ 2♥
Player A has completely missed the flop and has no real draw potential. Compared to the top pair, they have only around 8 percent equity. They will need an unlikely runner-runner straight, and it’s unlikely they will be able to win by bluffing.
- Behind with Draw Potential
- Player A: J♦ T♦
- Player B: A♥ Q♦
- Board: Q♠ 9♣ 2♦
In this case, Player A is an underdog against the top pair but has eight outs to a straight, as well as other backdoor potential, for around 32 percent equity. Against a range that includes other medium hands and some bluffs, this jumps to around 40 percent equity. We’ll cover this scenario in the strategy section.
- Unsure if You Are the Underdog
- Player A: K♥ 9♥
- Player B: ?
- Board: 9♠ J♣ J♦
In most postflop situations in poker, you won’t know for sure whether you are the statistical underdog in the hand. In this example, Player A is ahead of any hands that missed the flop, low pocket pairs, and weaker pairs of nines, but behind any jack, overpair, or A-9. Player A needs to decide whether they are an underdog against Player B’s range and act accordingly, either building or controlling the pot.
Strategies for Playing as the Underdog
By studying the examples above, it should become clear that the poker underdog strategy isn’t always about folding. There are plenty of situations in which you’ll have the correct odds to continue or chances to turn your underdog hand into a bluff.
Pot Odds Calls
If you are the underdog but have a decent amount of equity because you have outs for draws, you can call bets if you’re given the correct pot odds. Strong draws also benefit from implied odds, which can further justify a call.
Bluffing
If you are an underdog but have little to no equity, your main decision is whether or not to turn your hand into a bluff. Generally speaking, bluffs are effective when the board favours your range, which allows you to represent a strong hand realistically. It also helps if your opponent has a weak hand that they can’t call with or is relatively tight when it comes to calling.
Folding
One of the best poker underdog strategies is knowing when to fold. If you are badly behind your opponent’s range, have little equity, and can’t profitably turn your hand into a bluff, it’s better to cut your losses and muck your hand. This will save you chips in the long run and is the optimal solution in many unfavorable poker underdog scenarios.
Common Mistakes Made With Underdog Hands
Here are the most common mistakes players make with underdog poker hands:
- Misjudging Equity: Failing to consider equity when holding underdog hands is a big mistake. Underdog poker hands differ in terms of strength and playability.
- Overplaying Draws: Paying too much to chase draws as the underdog is costly. You’ll need decent pot odds and implied odds to justify calling bets.
- Ignoring Position: Playing underdog hands out of position makes it more difficult to control the size of the pot, extract value when you hit, or turn your hand into a bluff. A marginal call can be a major mistake out of position.
- Bluffing in the Wrong Spots: When you are the underdog with little to no equity, the only way you can hope to win the pot is by bluffing. However, bluffing into the wrong spots is a mistake because you won’t gain enough fold equity to make it worthwhile.
- Failing to Fold: You shouldn’t always be looking to win the pot. Playing bad hands will lead to spewy play. When it comes to underdog poker strategy, folding is often the best option when you are far behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you know if you are the underdog in a hand?
You can never know for sure if you are the underdog in a poker hand until the cards are revealed, because you can’t see your opponent’s cards. What you can do is make logical deductions about other players’ ranges and estimate whether you are ahead or behind.
How to play as an underdog in poker?
Try to avoid putting all your chips in when you are behind as an underdog. Instead, consider all options, including calling if you have the odds, checking for pot control, betting as a bluff, or folding your weaker hand if there’s too much action.
What percentage does an underdog usually have to win?
The percentage an underdog has to win in poker depends on the hand’s equity in the pot. This determines their chances of winning despite being behind.
Can the underdog still win in poker?
A hand that is an underdog can still win in poker as long as it has at least some equity. An underdog player, that is, someone who is less skilled than the field, can also win a poker game, although their chances of winning are correlated with the skill levels of the other players.
Is being the underdog always bad in poker?
Being the underdog is never a desirable situation in poker, as it means you are behind in the hand. However, there are plenty of situations where playing an underdog is still correct, especially when pot odds or other factors are in your favour.