Poker Hands Odds Heads Up
If you're new to the heads up game, you can really get crushed by rushing in blindly. Proper heads up strategy is vastly different than normal No Limit Hold'em Strategy, and you need to make the correct adjustments in order to beat your opponents and make money. I recommend following the 10 tips below to help you get started and learn the basics, then read the rest of our heads up poker strategy to fine tune your game. Good luck.
Rank of Starting Hands for Heads Up Poker. The ranks of starting hands in heads-up poker differ from the equivalent for a full ring game. There are several reasons for this. Firstly with only one opponent you only need to compare the strength of your own hand against a single other hand. PLAY ONLINE POKER FOR REAL MONEY. Common Poker Hand Odds. Heads up, the easiest decisions you’ll make in poker will be on the river, since your call will close the action and take you to showdown – no more cards to be dealt, no other decisions to make. But there’s more to Texas Hold’em poker hands than just the river.
Tip #1 - Open it Up
Hand Details Combinations Probability; Royal flush 4,324 0.000032 Straight flush K-9 4,140 0.000031 Straight flush Q-8 4,140 0.000031 Straight flush. The tools and tips you need to improve your poker game. We offer a hold'em poker odds calculator, an Omaha odds calculator, a free poker tracker, hand quizes, and poker tips. All In Match Up Odds. The table below shows the odds of each hand winning in typical all-in match ups in Texas Holdem.The percentage chance of winning assumes that both players are all-in and that all 5 community cards will be dealt to determine a winner.
The first tip you need is to open up your starting hand ranges. Since you only have two players at the table, the average starting hand that sees the flop is going to be much worse than at a normal 9-handed table. Because of this you should open up your starting hand range.
You can't afford to wait for premium hands while playing heads up because you're in the blinds every hand. I recommend playing the majority of your hands as the big blind, and playing damn near every single hand when you're the dealer. Learn more differences between heads up and 9 handed poker.
Tip #2 - Play Your Position
Position becomes a huge factor in heads up poker, because you are either in the best position or in the worst position every hand: there is no in between. Like I mentioned before, I recommend playing every single hand when you're in dealer position. When you're the dealer, you'll post the small blind, act first preflop, and act last on the flop and beyond. When you're the small blind, you'll post the big blind, act last preflop, and act first on the flop and beyond.
Because of this, you want to be really aggressive preflop as the dealer, and raise with a wide range of hands (think any pocket pair, any suited connector, and two big cards, etc). Also, you should be more conservative as the big blind, and respect raises from the dealer.
Tip #3 - Remember Hand Values
As I mentioned in tip #1, the starting hand values go way up in heads up poker. The same goes for showdown hands. The average winning hand in heads up poker will be much worse than the average winning hand at a 9-handed game, so adjust accordingly. Even hands like middle pair or second worst pair are still decent hands and will probably win an uncontested pot, so bet them out.
Tip #4 - Semi-Bluff When Possible
A great way to pick up a bunch of pots in heads up poker is by firing out smallish bets into un raised pots. When I'm playing heads up I like to bet a ton of flops as long as I get any piece; even a straight draw or bottom pair is worth taking a shot on the flop. If my opponent calls I'll slow down, but most passive opponents will toss basically any hand but top pair or maybe second pair to a bet.
Tip #5 - Spot Bluff Attempts
This is basically the opposite of the above tip. If you're playing an aggressive opponent, you'll have to make a stand to prevent constant semi-bluffs and preflop raises. I like to re-raise on occasion preflop, and to call the majority of the flop bets to see if my opponent will bet again on the turn and river. Even if you only have middle pair you should look him/her up to keep them honest, or he/she will continue to pummel you in every pot.
Tip #6 - Make Value Bets
This relates to tip #3 because with lower winning hands you'll have to extract value from hands you normally wouldn't. For example, when you have middle pair on the river you should bet because it is likely you're ahead and will get called by third pair or worse. Also, when you have an extremely strong hand I like to make small bets on the flop, turn, and a larger bet on the river to get maximum value out of my opponent by reeling them in.
Tip #7 - Adjust to your Opponent
Throughout the course of a heads up battle, you'll gain reads on your opponent, and he/she will gain reads on your play as well. As you pick up common plays and tendencies of your opponent, you need to make adjustments to counter their most used moves. For example, if you notice that your opponent is always checking the flop and betting the turn when he/she flops top pair, make sure to fold more on the turn if that same situation comes up.
Tip #8 - Switch up your Game
This is just the opposite of the last tip. As you're picking up reads on your opponent, he/she will be doing the same. Because of this you need to switch up your play to keep them guessing, especially if you are in a long heads up battle that spans over an hour. To keep your opponents on their toes, make sure to alternate between betting flops and checking them when you hit, and throw in an occasional strange play like a big bluff or a check-raise. Learn more about switching up your game.
Tip #9 - Be a Finisher
This is an important tip for heads up players. When you battle your opponent down to a small stack, you have to finish him/her off and not let him/her back into the match. To do this, you can't give them any easy double ups or get lazy and call off big bets. The easiest way to let a crippled opponent back into a match is to call preflop all-ins with a poor hand just to try to knock them out. Continue to play your normal game, and you'll finish them off quickly.
Tip #10 - Stick to Your Bankroll
One common mistake that new players make is playing heads up cash tables with their whole bankroll. This is a big mistake, and will almost surely leave you broke. I recommend never playing with more than 1/10th of your entire bankroll if you're a casual player, or more than 1/50th of your stack if you're a professional or serious player.
More Heads Up Poker Strategy:
Calculating The Video Poker House Edge
The first characteristic of the game is to understand the house edge. As in any casino game, the house has a certain percentage of advantage. This is understood by players and it directly corresponds to the amount of money received from payouts. You can find the odds easily in any casino game’s rules section.
There are many variations of the game to be considered as well. The most common are standard Casino Hold’Em, Ultimate Casino Hold’Em, and Live Casino Hold’Em. When participating in a single deck game, the house edge comes to 0.82% for Ante bets and 6.26% when it comes to the AA or Bonus side bet, where available.
Casino Hold’Em Hand Odds
The odds in Casino Hold’Em shift throughout the course of the game because more cards are coming into play. The tables below will lend more insight into the probability of hands through the progression of the game as well as the probability of landing a winning hand in the poker hierarchy.
Odds Of Receiving Two Card Hands Upon Initial Deal
| Hand | Probability | Odds |
| A/K (or any specific suited cards) | 0.302% | 331:1 |
| A/A (or any specific pair) | 0.453% | 220:1 |
| A/K, K/Q, Q/J, or J/10 (suited cards) | 1.21% | 81.9:1 |
| A/K (or any specific non-pair, incl. suited) | 1.21% | 81.9:1 |
| A/A, K/K, or Q/Q | 1.36% | 72.7:1 |
| A/A, K/K, Q/Q, or J/J | 1.81% | 54.3:1 |
| Suited cards, Jack or better | 1.81% | 54.3:1 |
| A/A, K/K, Q/Q, J/J, or T/T | 2.260% | 43.2:1 |
| Suited cards, T or better | 3.02% | 32.2:1 |
| Suited cards of consecutive rank | 3.92% | 24.5:1 |
| Connected cards, T or better | 4.83% | 19.7:1 |
| Any two cards with rank Q or higher | 4.98% | 19.1:1 |
| Any pocket pair | 5.88% | 16:1 |
| Any two cards with rank J or higher | 9.05% | 10.1:1 |
| Any two cards with rank T or higher | 14.3% | 5.98:1 |
| Cards of consecutive rank | 15.7% | 5.38:1 |
| Any two cards with rank 9 or higher | 20.8% | 3.81:1 |
| Neither consecutive nor suited, at least one 2-9 | 53.4% | 0.873:1 |
When it comes to the possibilities after the deal, the came becomes more complex they can be expressed in a table that reviews the player’s probability of making a hand with a given number of outs, be it on the flop, turn or the river.
Odds Landing A Hand On The Flop
| Hand | Odds | Percent |
| A flush | 118:1 | 0.8% |
| A straight when holding any two connecting cards J-10 through 5-4 | 76:1 | 1.3% |
| Three of a kind when holding a pocket pair | 7.5:1 | 11.8% |
| A hidden pair (one card in hand and one card in community pool) | 2.45:1 | 29% |
Odds Of Landing A Hand On The Turn
Poker Hands Odds Heads Update
| Hand | Probability | Odds |
| Inside straight flush; | 2.13% | 46:1 |
| Four of a kind | 2.13% | 46:1 |
| Open-ended straight flush; | 4.26% | 22.5:1 |
| Three of a kind | 4.26% | 22.5:1 |
| High pair | 6.38% | 14.7:1 |
| Inside straight; | 8.51% | 10.8:1 |
| Full house | 8.51% | 10.8:1 |
| Three of a kind or two pair | 10.64% | 8.40:1 |
| Either pair | 12.77% | 6.83:1 |
| Full house or four of a kind; (see note) | 14.89% | 5.71:1 |
| Inside straight or high pair | 14.89% | 5.71:1 |
| Open-ended straight | 17.02% | 4.88:1 |
| Flush | 19.15% | 4.22:1 |
| Inside straight or pair | 21.28% | 3.7:1 |
| Open-ended straight or high pair | 23.4% | 3.27:1 |
| Inside straight or flush; | 25.53% | 2.92:1 |
| Flush or high pair | 25.53% | 2.92:1 |
| Open-ended straight or pair | 29.79% | 2.36:1 |
| Open-ended straight or flush; | 31.91% | 2.13:1 |
| Flush or pair; Inside straight, | 31.91% | 2.13:1 |
| flush or high pair | 31.91% | 2.13:1 |
| Inside straight or flush or pair; | 38.3% | 1.61:1 |
| Open-ended straight, flush or high pair | 38.3% | 1.61:1 |
| Open-ended straight, flush or pair | 44.68% | 1.24:1 |
Odds Of Landing A Hand On The River
| Hand | Probability | Odds |
| Inside straight flush; | 2.17% | 45:1 |
| Four of a kind | 2.17% | 45:1 |
| Open-ended straight flush; | 4.35% | 22:1 |
| Three of a kind | 4.35% | 22:1 |
| High pair | 6.52% | 14.3:1 |
| Inside straight; | 8.7% | 10.5:1 |
| Full house | 8.7% | 10.5:1 |
| Three of a kind or two pair | 10.87% | 8.2:1 |
| Either pair | 13.04% | 6.67:1 |
| Full house or four of a kind; (see note) | 15.22% | 5.57:1 |
| Inside straight or high pair | 15.22% | 5.57:1 |
| Open-ended straight | 17.39% | 4.75:1 |
| Flush | 19.57% | 4.11:1 |
| Inside straight or pair | 21.74% | 3.60:1 |
| Open-ended straight or high pair | 23.91% | 3.18:1 |
| Inside straight or flush; | 26.09% | 2.83:1 |
| Flush or high pair | 26.09% | 2.83:1 |
| Open-ended straight or pair | 30.43% | 2.29:1 |
| Open-ended straight or flush; | 32.61% | 2.07:1 |
| Flush or pair; Inside straight, | 32.61% | 2.07:1 |
| flush or high pair | 32.61% | 2.07:1 |
| Inside straight or flush or pair; | 39.13% | 1.56:1 |
| Open-ended straight, flush or high pair | 39.13% | 1.56:1 |
| Open-ended straight, flush or pair | 45.65% | 1.19:1 |
Video Poker Payouts
Poker Hands Odds Heads Up Heads
Payouts will vary from one game of Casino Hold’Em to the next. The hierarchy of poker hands will give you a good indication of the payout structure and the AA/Bonus bet payouts will also lend some insight into expected returns. These payouts are always on display directly on the game table.
Poker Hands Odds Heads Up Odds
By now you’ve got a clear picture of how the odds stack up throughout the progression of the game and how good of a chance you have of landing a hand at any point in time. With this in mind, you can attack every hand with fierce determination and pinpoint accuracy when it comes to making the right play. If you would like to learn more about Casino Hold’Em, please review our how to play, rules, and strategy resources. When you are ready, head over to our recommended casinos resource for a selection of the best online casinos offering Casino Hold’Em games and lucrative player rewards.