06-15-07, LearnTexasHoldem:

Correction: number of possible starting hands in Texas Holdem

Question:

I love your site. You've done a great job.

In one of your Q&A articles dated 8/24/04, "Odds for Beer Hand", your last sentence states that there are 2,652 possible two-card hands (i.e., starting hands for Texas Hold'em). I believe that the correct number is 1,326 (which equals 2,652 / 2).

Top 3 Beginner Rooms

Kudos to you. I'm impressed with anyone referencing the factorial function. I barely remembered it from math classes years ago, so I couldn't remember why you have to divide by 2, but I think it's correct.

Also, all of the published stats seem to suport the 1,326 amount. For example the odds of getting pocket aces is 220 to 1. There are 6 possible combination of pocket aces (AsAh, AsAd, AsAc, AhAd, AhAc, AdAc) divided by 1,326 possible hands = 0.45249% (or 220 to 1).

I know that this amounts to roughly the smallest contribution that anyone could ever make to poker, but I thought I'd pass it along. I stumbled across this by doing some of the poker math on excel spreadsheets to help the calculations and theory "stick" with me (vs. simply memorizing scores of stats).

Thanks again for your site and contribution to poker. More and more people are flocking to poker and people like you are part of the reason for it. I encourage you to keep it up.

/ WW

Answer:

Hi WW,

Thanks for your kind words, and thanks for your help!

You are absolutely right, the number of possible starting hands in Texas Holdem is 1,326. We have updated the Odds for Beer Hand article, and know everything should be correct.

Best regards
Learn-Texas-Holdem.com

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