Using Python to Improve Your Poker Skills
Code for positive expected value decisions Aidan Wilson · Follow Published in Analytics Vidhya 6️⃣ · 5 min read · Apr 3, 2024 -- Share
Introduction to Pot Odds and Equity
Pot Odds
Pot odds, simply put, are 6️⃣ the relationships between the total pot size and the bet that you must call to see the next card. Pot 6️⃣ odds explain the amount of money you will win for every dollar you put into it yourself.
To calculate pot odds, 6️⃣ simply divide the amount of money you must call by the total pot size if you were to call. For 6️⃣ example, if the pot size isR$100 and you must put inR$50 to call, you would do:R$50/($100 +R$50). Which would give 6️⃣ you pot odds of 1/3, or about 33%.
Hand Equity
Your hand’s equity is the chance of improving your hand, or winning 6️⃣ with your hand, sometimes called “winning odds”.
Before calculating your hand’s equity, you must first count your “out”, or the cards 6️⃣ that will improve your hand to a winning hand. For example, if you have 9♦︎ 10♦︎ and the flop comes, 6️⃣ 7♥︎ 8♦︎ K♦︎, you would have an open-ended straight draw as well as a flush draw. This would give you 6️⃣ a total of 15 outs, because any diamond, 6 or J would improve your hand.
Comparing Hand Equity and Pot Odds
Hand 6️⃣ equity and pot odds alone are not the most powerful weapons, but when used together, they can make a poker 6️⃣ player profitable in the long-term by making positive expected value decisions.
If your hand’s equity, or chance of improving to a 6️⃣ winning hand, is greater than the pot odds, it is a profitable decision to call the bet in the long-term.
Python 6️⃣ Implementation
The first step to making positive expected value plays in poker is to first calculate our pot odds. To do 6️⃣ this, we will divide the amount we must call by the total pot size if we were to call. This 6️⃣ will give us our share of the total pot.
We can use Python to do this by creating a function that 6️⃣ takes the pot size and the amount we must pay to…
