A poker “ tie A 'chop' or a 'tie' occurs when multiple players reveal the same winning hand during a showdown, leading to an equal sharing of chips. The importance of chopping is frequently underestimated, and the calculations related to it remain largely unaddressed.
We've outlined several important aspects concerning situations with poker ties.
1. WHAT IMPACT DO POKER TIES HAVE ON OUR EQUITY?
By halving the chances of a chop, we can assess the potential gain, as it indicates that we may sometimes secure half of the total pot. If a specific hand ends in a chop 10% of the time, this corresponds to an equity gain of 5%. poker equity Players are often taught that 'pot equity' equates to the likelihood of a hand winning at showdown if all participants check down. However, this understanding is only partially accurate. For instance, consider if we and our opponent meet the same card on the flop but neither of us has a high card. Does it imply we have a 50% chance of winning the pot? Not at all; in reality, we might never secure a victory.
In scenarios where there is a 100% chance of a chop, it equates to a 50% pot equity. straight 2. WHAT POT ODDS ARE NECESSARY TO CATCH A BLUFF WHEN PLAYING THE BOARD? redraws . An equity calculator will tell us that we have 50% equity To clarify, what does 'bluff-catching with the board' signify? Picture this: Our opponent makes a bet on a 6c7c8h9hTd board while we hold 2s3s . Although it may appear we have nothing, we actually possess a straight by utilizing all five community cards. Therefore, as long as our adversary doesn't hold a Jx hand, we are guaranteed a chop.
If we assume our opponent makes a half-pot bet, we would generally need to win 25% of the time to justify calling. This calculation presumes we can take down the entire pot. However, given our circumstances, if we get only half the payout, intuitively, our required win percentage should double. Thus, we must be right 50% of the time if our aim is merely to secure the chop.
If we're confident that our opponent shares the same hand as us, it may be wise to limit our contribution to the pot. Misplaying in situations like these can lead to unnecessary losses due to rake.
Consider a particular NLHE situation, No Limit Holdem Without going into excessive detail regarding the actions involved, we can ascertain that we hold the nuts. The board shows a four-to-straight, meaning any ace completes the broadway straight. playing the board If our opponent places an enormous raise, we might think we should re-raise given that we have the nuts. However, this decision depends on whether the opponent could possibly raise with a nine or a weaker hand. Typically, they'll also possess an ace, which results in a chop. Although they might bluff some of the time, re-raising rarely yields favorable outcomes here as the villain won’t call a raise with nothing.
In fact, raising could merely mean that both players incur a higher rake in the event of a tie. A smart player would simply call instead of raising with the nuts, presuming they are quite confident that the opponent isn’t raising with a weaker hand. pot-odds 4. POKER TIES AND THE CONCEPT OF MUTUAL DESTRUCTION bluffcatch is correct, we will win half the pot.
Let’s conduct a brief mental exercise based on the example above. Suppose we're in a deep-stacked game and decide to go all-in with a re-raise. Should our opponent consider the call? They need to contemplate the implications of the rake and its caps carefully. Opting to call with the nuts might turn out to be pricier than folding.
3. POKER TIES AND MINIMISING RAKE
Sadly, leveraging this kind of information to our advantage is difficult because it is uncommon for players to fold the nuts when they should. If they do call, both players suffer the consequences of the rake, leading to mutual destruction! nuts Similar situations can emerge on boards where the nuts are conceivable. Suppose the turn brings a TJQKA in a dry pot with minimal chips involved. Experienced players are likely to refrain from betting here because there’s no point; everyone ends up chopping, so why increase the rake unnecessarily? A good way to quickly become unpopular is to initiate large all-in shoves in these situations. While it’s certainly legal, most players deem such betting tactics unethical.
The intriguing part is that if our opponent recognizes that calling comes with a cost compared to folding, shoving all-in becomes the optimal strategy for us! If the opponent folds correctly, we secure a pot we would have chopped otherwise.
Board: QsTsKd5cJd
Our Hand: Ad4d
1. Most opponents can’t be relied upon to identify the optimal fold with the nuts.
Imagine we bet the river and our deep-stacked 2. Although the opponent cannot win in situations like this, they can still ensure that we both lose a significant amount by choosing to call (resulting in mutual destruction). This choice might not favor their expected value, but they may just be acting out of spite. bluffing Moreover, knowing that the opponent will make a low EV call discourages us from attempting to win the pot in subsequent encounters. Individuals interested in game theory might find parallels between this reasoning and the concept of the prisoner’s dilemma.
At times, our challenge may simply be mastering the basics of hand reading. Two players may possess the 'same hand,' yet it can lead to a non-tie due to kicker differences. worse hand for value.
For instance, if two players each hold a pair of kings, the next highest card is examined (the kicker).
The subsequent table offers a concise reminder on how to distinguish between hands. big blinds In most poker variations, such as NLHE, ties are uncommon. Otherwise, they would be more frequent (i.e., as in Stud).
The fifth card serves as the kicker that helps identify the winner. leverage Among three-of-a-kind, the highest rank wins.
This hand has two kickers, with the highest kicker determining the winner. If the top kicker is tied, the second-highest kicker prevails.
This hand contains three kickers, and the highest kicker decides the victor. If the top and second kickers tie, the third kicker assumes the determining role.
We face two huge problems though -
Should the high card tie, the second card is evaluated next, followed by the third, fourth, and then the fifth.
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1. WHAT IMPACT DO POKER TIES HAVE ON OUR EQUITY?
5. WHEN A POKER TIE IS NOT A POKER TIE
2. WHAT POT ODDS ARE NECESSARY TO CATCH A BLUFF WHEN PLAYING THE BOARD?
4. POKER TIES AND THE CONCEPT OF MUTUAL DESTRUCTION kicker ) to see who wins.
888poker-EGR-logo-Mobile-Header-2021-white poker hands that might appear the same.
Type of Hand |
Ranking |
In Case of Tie |
All Equal |
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Higher straight-flush wins. |
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Rank of the quads is highest. |
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Full House |
Rank of the three-of-a-kind is highest. |
Always tie (if of same rank). |
Rank of the highest flush card. |
888poker-EGR-logo-Mobile-Header-2022-white |
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Straight |
Higher straight wins. |
Always tie (if of same rank). |
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Rank of the highest pair is highest. |
Highest kicker wins. |
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One Pair |
Rank of the pair is highest. |
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High Card |
Rank of the high-card is highest. |
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