I answer 3 listener Q’s about practicing outs and odds for continuing in a hand, my poker bankroll and getting comfortable with your HUD.

In episode 54 I taught you how to adopt a HUD into your game by effectively using the 6 (or 7) essential elements of any HUD.

Practicing Outs & Odds, My Bankroll and Simplifying Your HUD | Q&A | #055

Question 1 from Wendy (3:15)

Hi Sky,

Thanks for your help.  I’ve applied the opening ranges and C-betting podcasts so far.  I’ve also implemented being more aggressive and it’s paying off.  It’s still taking me a while to build my bankroll, though.

I don’t know what I really need to learn next but I think poker math would be a good next step.  I understand the basic concept of odds from listening to your podcast on the subject but I’m not sure how to practice and start implementing them into my game. 

Thanks, Wendy

Outs Practice

• Grab a deck of cards and deal out a random flop.
• Look at the flop and determine three different drawing hands that could hit that flop and count the outs.
• Use the 2x Rule on the flop to gauge how often one of your outs will hit. Simply count the outs then mulitply by 2. For example, 9 outs x 2 = 18%, so a flush draw hits on the turn about 18% of the time (almost 1 in 5).
• Next deal a turn card and assess your outs and odds of hitting it on the river.
• Deal out flops and turns until you’ve exhausted the full deck.

Odds Practice

• Calling 1/2 pot needs 25% equity (calling 1 to win 4, or 1/4)
• Calling 2/3 pot needs 28% equity (2/7)
• Calling 3/4 pot needs 30% equity (3/10)
• Calling Pot-sized bet (psb) needs 33% equity (1/3)

Combine the two

• Run through the same exercise and come up with three different drawing hands and the outs associated with each.  What are the odds you need to continue beyond the flop?
• Now think about which bet sizing is too much to call.  For example, you have an oesd for 8 outs.  You need 32% odds to continue.  You can call all but a psb.
• Run through the rest of the deck and practice comparing your outs with the possible odds offered by various bet sizes

Question 2 from Mr. Happiness (8:20)

Hi Sky,

I’ve been on vacation in Florida for the past 2 months and I haven’t done much studying. I played a little bit of poker at four different casinos while I was down there but I was on some kind of a cooler and let me tell you that if you ever go down to the river in Florida they are very dangerous ( full of alligators and poisonous snakes, LOL). I barely made it out alive. But I’m back now and want to start working hard on my game, both online and on the felt.  As you may recall I’m not the best with computers. I was just wondering if there is a way for me to download your podcasts and or videos when I’m somewhere with an internet connection so that I can listen to them / watch later?

How’s everything going with you? How’s your bankroll building going? I know you want to be held accountable for it.  Thanks for everything you do for others
– Mr. Happiness

• I believe videos on YouTube can only be streamed while online.
• If you’re on a PC, I recommend downloading the iTunes software to download the podcast.  You can go to https://www.apple.com/itunes/download/ to download it.  iTunes automatically downloads new episodes of the shows you’re subscribed to when they’re released.  You’ll just have to go to the Podcast Store within the software and type in the search field “Smart Poker Study Podcast”.  Mine will pop-up, hit subscribe and you’ll get each new episode in MP3 format.
• Regarding my bankroll, it bums me out to say, but it’s a bit stagnant right now.  I made some money in March, but I used my profits for the month and then some to purchase some poker related courses and materials.  I’m playing much more in April, though.  The crazy thing is, I actually spent more time in March studying than playing!

Question 3 from Rob (12:15)

Thanks for the shout out.  I have a question maybe you can help with. I switched over from Full Flush to True Poker on March 1. I was extremely profitable on FF but I’m getting crushed on True. I started using a HUD at the same time and feel like I’m playing to the HUD.  Any suggestions?

• Listen to yesterday’s podcast #54 about HUD essentials.
• Pare your HUD down to just the player’s name, the notes editor, hands played, VPIP and PFR.
• Play as you normally would using the reads you make, and try to get a feel for just how VPIP and PFR are related to your reads.  There’s a common shorthand way that online poker players use to describe a player, and it’s the VPIP number followed by the PFR number.  So if they VPIP 25%, and PFR 10%, we’d call that player a 25/10 player, or just 25-10.
• Focus on playing the game you’ve always played, and confirming your reads with the stats.  Eventually you’ll be very comfortable with this, then you can add back to you HUD stats like 3bet, Fold to Steal, Cbet, Fold to Cbet, WTSD and whatever else you’d like.  Always add stats gradually, focusing on your game and reads and using the stats to back them up.
• Eventually you’ll start to just see the stats and know how to exploit players based on the numbers even if you have no solid reads on them yet.

Challenge (15:00)

Here’s my challenge to you for this episode:  Practice your outs and odds understanding.  Run through that physical deck of cards, imagine hands with outs and calculate the pot odds needed to continue in the hand.  Then work on memorizing those 4 bet sizing/ pot odds combinations.  Once again those were:

Calling 1/2 pot needs 25% equity (calling 1 to win 4, or 1/4)

Calling 2/3 pot needs 28% equity (2/7)

Calling 3/4 pot needs 30% equity (3/10)

Calling Pot-sized bet (psb) needs 33% equity (1/3)