11-21-07, LearnTexasHoldem:
What is "running it twice?"
Question:
Hey,
Recently, I've heard people talk about "running it twice" in poker games. What does this mean?
/ Bob
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Answer:
Hi Bob,
If you've never played a high stakes no-limit Hold'em poker game, your first experience with the concept of "running it twice," may have been on the GSN show High Stakes Poker, where players regularly offer to run it twice or even three times when they are locked up in a big pot. If you're wondering what exactly running it twice is and what it means, read on.
What is Running it Twice in No-Limit Texas Hold'em Poker?
Running it twice happens when all the chips are in the middle and there is no more action in the hand. Usually only two players are involved in a running it twice situation, although there can be more. Running it twice simply consists of the dealer dealing the cards twice, with both results standing. The running it twice begins from the point that all the chips are in, so if the players are all-in before the flop, the dealer would deal out a flop, turn and river and then deal out another flop, turn and river. If the chips went all-in after the flop and turn had already been dealt, only the river card would be dealt twice, with burn cards as appropriate. The pot is split into two, with the winner of the first board taking the first half and the winner of the second board taking the second half. Of course, it may be the same player taking both halves. However, the cards from the first board are not replaced when the second is dealt, conveying a small advantage to the player who lost the first half.
Why Run It Twice in No-Limit Texas Hold'em Poker?
There is no actual advantage to running it twice. The poker odds stay the same no matter how many times the dealer runs the hand (or they would if the cards were replaced each time). The idea is to reduce variance. If you hold Kd Ks and your opponent holds Qh Jh on a board of 8h 3h 6s, you can expect to win two out of three times, which is great. However, if you have $5,000 of real money in the pot, that one loss could be devastating to you. By agreeing to run it more than once, you protect yourself to some extent against getting your bankroll wiped out by a bad beat. On the other side, your opponent can expect to win the hand one time out of three. By running it twice, he increases his expectation that he will hit his flush during the current large pot. The odds don't change; it is simply a way for opponents to protect a large amount of money against the vagaries of luck.
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