Explanation of Underdog
The concept of an \" underdog \" seems to trace its roots back to the dog fighting practices prevalent in the 1800s. In these brutal contests, the victorious dog would typically end up standing tall, while the defeated dog would find itself underneath, hence the term's genesis.
Here’s how to use Underdog in context -> With such a minimal chip stack, he is certainly an underdog as he approaches the final table.
Strategizing with the Underdog in Poker
Putting your money at stake as an underdog doesn’t necessarily mean you've made a poor strategic choice. For instance, many players feel quite confident about going all-in preflop with pocket Kings, even though they may be considerable underdogs against an opponent holding Aces.
In different situations, embracing the role of an underdog can be beneficial, especially if we are getting favorable odds. Take a river call as an example; we might estimate our chances of winning at only 30%. However, if our opponent makes a bet worth half the pot, this could still work in our favor since we only need to win 25% of the time.
See Also
Pot odds , Implied odds , Equity , Expectation , Expected Value