The Online Poker Jackpots

Draw Poker Jackpots

The most important thing to remember is not to stay in with poker cards that need improvement to win when the odds against improving are more than the odds received for the bet. I'll explain this principle clearly.

Card Figure

Suppose you have a four Bush, needing to draw a fifth card of the same suit to make the hand, which is worthless otherwise. A four Bush or a four straight has little value by itself, of course. The odds against improving a Bush are about 4'h-1. If you bet a dollar, and there are at least five dollars in the pot, your bet is good because you're getting the correct odds. But if you bet a dollar, and the pot contains only three dollars, you are getting 1 on a 4'h-l long shot. You're making a sucker bet. The simplest way to win at draw poker is to get out when you have weak hands that can't win the pot, or when your bet will not give you the correct odds, for example, when trying for a straight or Bush. If you do nothing else, this principle alone can make you a consistent winner. What cards do you stay in with? If a player has already opened, you must figure him for a pair of jacks or queens. If you have a pair of jacks or queens, get out. You may have a duplicate pair, and your hand is absolutely dead. When another online poker player has opened, I wouldn't stay in with less than kings.

Betting In Jackpots

When a player has opened the betting in jackpots, and you hold kings or aces, raise immediately. This serves two purposes:
First, you are adding money to a pot that you have a good chance of winning at the showdown, with the hope of getting other players' money in as well. Second, you are forcing the players acting after you to make a decision as to whether or not to see your raise. You will be driving out players who might stay in with a low pair and luckily buy a card to give them three of a kind, such as three 5s, which will beat you. The other side of the coin is that by rising you're forcing weaker players who stay in with poor hands to put more money into the pot in the hope of improving after the draw. Finally, you put the issue right to the opener, and from his betting stance you get a good "read" on his hand.
Let's see how this works in a representative hand. We'll know only our cards, and well be the Fourth Player.
The First Player passes. The Second Player opens with a $10 bet. The Third Player calls. You hold AA Q83. You bet $20, raising the opener. The Fifth Player folds, as does the Sixth Player. The Dealer calls the raise.
Now the bet moves around to the opener again. He has several options, including a re raise, but he merely calls your raise with another $10 bet. By doing so, you can now figure that he has a weak pair as openers, either jacks or queens. If he held strong cards, such as three of a kind, he'd be in a perfect position to re raise.
Three players remain in for the draw. The opener, you, and the dealer. The opener draws three cards. You draw three cards. The dealer draws only one card. You pick up your own cards. You've bought a pair of 4s to go along with your aces and now hold aces up. The opener checks, so you know he hasn't improved to three of a kind. Now your only concern is the dealer. On the first round he called your raise. If he had two small pairs, he'd have no business remaining in the game, and if he held a four flush or four straight, he'd have been foolish to take a raise and stay in on expectations. You count the pot. There's $84 in, including the ante, and it cost the dealer $30 to stay in, less than 3-1 odds on a 4Y.1-1 or 5-110ngshot.