Texas Hold’em

Unlike the slots or the dice, poker has no house edge — no rake at this table, just you against Rocky, Vega and Sal. Your edge comes from folding more and betting smarter than they do.

Starting hands, four tiers. 🟢 Premium (AA–JJ, AK, AQ suited): raise or re-raise from any seat — about 3% of all hands. 🔵 Strong (TT–99, AQ–AJ, KQ, suited broadways like KJs/QJs): open with a raise, slow down against heavy action. 🟡 Speculative (small pairs, suited aces, suited connectors like 8♠7♠): see a cheap flop hunting sets and flushes — best in late position. 🔴 Everything else: fold. Tight players fold roughly 4 in 5 hands before the flop, and that discipline — not bluffing — is most of the game.

Position beats cards. Acting last (on or near the dealer button) lets you play more hands; acting first, tighten up.

Pot odds. When facing a bet, compare the price to the pot: calling 50 into a 150-credit pot means paying 1 to win 3, so you need to win more than 25% of the time. Estimate your chances by counting outs — cards that complete your hand — then multiply by 4 on the flop or 2 on the turn to get a win percentage. A flush draw (9 outs) on the flop wins ≈ 36% of the time. The coach line above the buttons runs these numbers for you on every decision.