As you know, numbers are one of the most crucial things to think about when playing poker. We’ve devoted our By The Numbers section to understanding odds and percentages, and there’s a good bit of discussion about it in our Strategy section too, but the fact of the matter is that numbers are hard, especially when the game is fast-moving and the competition is tough. Even though you WILL get better at memorizing odds and percentages, it’s nice to have as much help as you can get just like having a calculator when you’re taking an advanced math test. For that reason, we think odds calculators are a great idea, and every online poker player should use one.

First, how do odds calculators work? Well, there are different varieties, but most online odds calculators are very easy to use. You can determine the odds of almost any given poker situation by inputting the number of players in the game and the hands each player is holding (or the hands you think each player is holding). You can select cards to come up on the flop and turn. When you click on Calculate Odds, the calculator will present you with each hand’s percentage chance of winning. Anytime you want to reset the calculator and determine information about new hands or combinations, simply click on Reset. The result are more or less instantaneous, depending on your connection speed, and this can be a very useful tool indeed when you’re playing in a live game.