Tuesday 10 May 2016

Chip Ervin - Odds of Poker Hands

One of the things that poker playing professionals like Chip Ervin use to get an advantage over the competition is knowing the odds. Many do not realize that poker isn’t just a gambling game, but one that math has applications in. Great competitive poker players are always calculating their odds of success. Here are the odds of being dealt some of the most valuable hands in poker, assuming there are five cards dealt and no wild or shared cards:

  • Royal Flush: The probability of being dealt this hand is .00000153908%, making it the rarest hand in poker, and the most valuable.
  • Straight Flush: The probability of being dealt this hand is .0000138517% when you exclude royal flush as one of the possibilities.
  • Four of a Kind: The probability of being dealt this hand is .000240. the four of a kind is a unique poker hand because it has the highest value to probability ratio, meaning it is much more likely to obtain compared to its worth than other poker hands.
  • Flush: The approximate probability of being dealt this hand is .00198079%. This hand is right at the medium for the value to probability ratio, as it is moderately difficult to get, and only of moderate value. 
Chip Ervin


Chip Ervin became a World Series of Poker champion twice because of his passion and knowledge of the game. He has participated in many poker tournaments and events throughout his life. Mr. Ervin has continued to learn more about poker and refine his game, hoping to only continue his dominant legacy.

Source(s): http://www.math.hawaii.edu/~ramsey/Probability/PokerHands.html