Odds of someone having a boat,flush, or str8

I have started to play a local THE 4/8 game w/ a mix of local players .

I am not that experienced when it comes to poker but have been playing/learning more and enjoy the game.

In this game generally at least 5/6 players see the flop and at least 2/3 players usually see the river/showdown.

I have read the avg. winning hand is 2 pair or a set/trips.


What are the odds of a player having a boat, flush, or str8( assuming 1 is possible)- as the odds on these hands are very low.

W/ 5 players on the flop ?
W/ 4 players on the turn ?
W/ 2 /3 players on the river/showdown ?

The problem is that there's not nearly enough information here. You have to know your opponents' ranges - how much do they value suited cards and connectors? (At 4/8, probably quite a lot, especially if there was no raise.) For full houses, how likely are they to have come in with the cards in front of you? The odds of "someone" having the flush, straight, or full house will always go up and down based on the players.

I'm sure someone has a chart of how often the winning hand is higher than trips, and you'd have to look at that.

You have to tell me what the board is (the community cards) for me to determine if someone else might have a stragith or flush or better hand.

My first concern is what do I have? Once I determine what I have I say "what can someone else have and is it better than my hand?"

I once had the ace high flush, but with the board I knew that if someone had the 7 of spades, they would have a straight flush. In fact, that is what happened in a no limit game so I was not betting with my ace high flush on the turn because I didn't want to give the straight flush player the chance to raise me. My strategy worked and I lost a little instead of potentially losing a lot. (flop and turn were all spades.)

OP: you couldn't find a 1/2 or 2/5 base game? Going 4/8 outta the chute might not be so happy.

Pretty sure we're talking about fixed-limit, 98Clubs.

The pots in limit games are frequently bigger than in no limit games, especially at the lower level games. It seems everyone is betting any two cards in 4/8 limit and it's only when you get to the higher limit games to players start betting with strong starting hands.

so the original poster in a 4/8 limt game could indeed get wiped out early ... or he might find that playing 2-5 offsuit will get him a lot of big wins.

The average pots are often bigger, but that's only because there are fewer takedowns; sooner or later in NL, you're going to have to shove. Just starting out, you'll get in a lot less trouble playing 4/8 than you will playing 1/2, and playing 2/5 right out the gate seems flat-out insane.

Quote: 24Bingo

The average pots are often bigger, but that's only because there are fewer takedowns; sooner or later in NL, you're going to have to shove. Just starting out, you'll get in a lot less trouble playing 4/8 than you will playing 1/2, and playing 2/5 right out seems flat-out insane.

When you say 1/2 you are referring to no limit, right?

Here in Southern Cal you'll find $3 big blind, $2 small blind at the $100 games and $2 big, $1 small at the $40 buy in games.

The $40 games are typically "all in" on every hand between two or three players. The limit games are always a family affair at everything under 8/16. Poker players in this town are crazy, which is why we have the biggest poker clubs in the world here.

Up in my neck of the woods, the 1/2 is $60-300 at both casinos, I think, and the 2/5 is $200-500 at one, $200-800 at the other. They're more sensible than what you describe, but really, you'll see plenty of shoves no matter where you are. I think such ~100 BB buyins are typical, since that's what you see at most online casinos; California's got funny laws concerning no-limit.

4/8 is indeed something of a "family affair," but the 2/4 picks up the least serious players, so they are for the most part on their best games, often with a few of the more serious ones breaking off for an 8/16 (there's a 10/20 that's spread frequently, but many prefer 8/16 because the denomination effect loosens everyone up).

I've noticed a big difference between playing at the Los Angeles casinos including Commerce, Bycycle, Hollywood Park... and then playing at Pechanga or Rincon.

Here in LA the game is loose and there is a lot of money in the pockets of the players.

At Pechanga and Rincon the money is tighter and so is the play. I've discussed this with some folks who say its a matter of local economics. LA has a larger poker player base with more to play the game, and the play is looser and the pots are bigger.

I am sure there are wealthy players at Pechanga and Rincon too, but maybe there are fewer "pros who sleep in their cars" at Pechanga and Rincon which is why the play is tighter there?