If you want to master Texas Holdem poker playing, understand this: not all poker hand odds are equal. Sounds simple, right? Sure, you already knew that. Okay, so do you know how to accurately determine if the odds are in your favor or not? That's not as simple, now is it? One technique that you can make use of to help you with figuring this out is the 4/2 rule.

Now, poker hand odds--or, that is, the odds of you winning the pot given the hand you currently have, and then given the hand you have and the cards that are subsequently laid on the table by the dealer--are very important for you to determine accurately. It's more than just thrilling yourself with how much you can potentially win. It's vital to know if you should Texas hold'em or Texas fold'em. Are you going to take the risk of staying in the game longer, or are you going to cut your losses, realizing that the odds are just too slim-to-none that you'll be playing the winning hand in the end? Poker players who have problems with knowing the odds have problems losing money and decimating their bankroll.

The 4/2 rule in poker has been figured out so that players can quickly calculate accurate odds of their winning the jackpot. Not all bets are equal in poker. Depending on circumstances, you might need to bet an amount that is fairly large--perhaps half the pot or more--while other times you only need to be a relatively small amount, perhaps like 10% of the pot. Is this a good value for you? Given the cards, it too risky or should you take a chance on winning your money back--along with everyone else's? The 4/2 rule can be your poker spirit guide in this matter and help you determine whether or not a winning hand is more or less probably in the cards.

First, you need to have in mind the hand you are going for after the flop is revealed. Some hands are stronger than others, but some hands are also easier to go for because they have more "outs". To remind you, an "out" is a card that is potentially still out there to be dealt that you can use to make your hand. Let's say that you have a 7 and a Jack in your hole, and the flop reveals 2-8-10. This gives you the potential for an straight, and in this case you would be going for an inside straight--because what you need is the 9, and that is on the "inside" of the 8 and Jack. What are the odds that on the turn you'll get that 9?

The 4/2 rule says that first you figure out how many outs are potentially out there for you--in this case, then number is four (there are four 9s in the deck, none are as yet seen or known to be held). Now take that four and multiply it by four (the 4 in 4/2). You get 16. Now turn that into a percentage. Your chance of getting that card on the turn is 16%--which is not too bad (you want to be around 20% if not higher). So you stay in.

Alas, the turn reveals a 5 card. Not at all what you need. Now, what are the odds you'll get that 9 on the river? The 4/2 rule says that now, you multiply your outs by two instead of four (the 2 in the 4/2 rule). Thus, you get eight. Now your odds are just 8% of getting that straight. Sure, you still might get another potential winning hand, like a pair of Jacks, but it's not as strong as the straight and 8% odds are not too good. Are other players acting like they could beat a pair of Jacks? Do you want to risk it? Do you want to go for the straight still?

Whether or not you stay in or fold at this point is up to you, but with the 4/2 rule at least you have accurately determined your poker hand odds of winning this round.

For those who play online poker I recommend you download and use an "poker hand odds calculator" when you play. Calculators will AUTOMATICA
LLY show you the odds of every situation you're in... no effort or manual work required.

There are a lot of sites that cater the need of internet users to play games such as gin rummy. To play gin rummy online free and quickly, you only need to search for a good site that doesn't do any unauthorized solicitations from gamers and a site that will not bring virus to your computer. In general, there are two ways on how a gamer can play gin rummy online free and without hassle; one is through finding online free card game sites and the other one is by downloading trial games from online sites.

The basic rules of the games don't change even if you play gin rummy online free in the internet. You and your virtual opponent will still use the standard deck of cards. You still need to complete sets or runs to reached gin. The knock option is still available and the drawing and discarding are still the basic elements observed in playing.

Here's a list of things one should remember before clicking links and ads that advertise "play gin rummy online free".

1. As always, find a secured and reliable website to play from. The lame reason of clicking every site you see because you're not buying anything or you're just looking for a free site that will let you play is not good enough to risk your computer in acquiring hidden viruses and spammers. If you have doubts with the design of the website and its peculiar ways in getting information then immediately close it and find another one.

2. Look for gin rummy sites. It won't matter if the site does not allow visitors to play because what you're aiming for is their forums and threads where you can interact with other online gamers. More often than not, there's a thread about recommended websites that allows free games of gin rummy posted by other players as well and game advertisers. So just take you pick and see each site for yourself.

3. In downloading free trial gin rummy games, make sure to verify if the file you're going to download is totally and truly free. Comments from previous down-loaders will help you determine if the file is worth downloading. Once you've finished the download and used the maximum time in the free trial then immediately delete the file from your drive. It's also better to drop a line or two to the site where you've downloaded the game for others to see and experience the fun that you had while playing gin rummy online for free.

Do you want to win the next poker tournament you enter?

I'm sure you answered "yes, of course."

If you have not been winning, do you know why?

It's not because of bad cards or bad beats or that the poker gods don't like you. It's because you have not embraced the risk in tournament poker.

You are still working on the belief that the right strategy and the right play is all about "It depends." Depends is an adult diaper for leaking problems. Depends is also an adult excuse for leaking problems in poker.

Yeah, recall this is a game called poker, and you are gambling.

Also recall the last time you were in a poker tournament, and you were a big favorite pre-flop against your opponent but.... Have you heard of the bad beat? Yeah, it's the worst thing that can happen in a poker tournament. It's even worse when your opponent has more chips than you, and you are out.

This is a tournament where you must accumulate chips as the blinds and antes increase. If you don't act you will bleed out chips...slowly and surely...until you die a painful, slow death at the poker table.

Yeah, this is a game called poker, and you are gambling. Embrace the risk in the game.

And know the winning plays and adopt the winning mental attitude of the Poker Pros. The Poker Pros win for a reason. And the reason is that they do not sit back and wait for premium hands. The reason is that they take action, take risks, and gamble.

Do you have what it takes to win like the Poker Pro? Take this Free Tournament Poker Evaluation and find out now.