Anyone who has spent any time playing Texas Hold'em knows that odds are extremely important. The whole game is based on them, and having a winning strategy depends on knowing at least the basics about odds. To complicate matters just a little, there are a few different distinctions between types of odds.

In order to make any use of Texas Hold'em odds, first the player must understand "outs." Outs are essentially cards that could potentially "make a hand" for you. For example, if you have an ace, you know that there are three other aces in the deck that will give you a pair of aces.

If you are quickly and accurately able to determine your outs, then determining your odds of hitting those outs will be fairly straightforward. To calculate your odds of hitting your outs, you can simply divide the outs by the number of cards left in the deck. This is usually done after the flop, or initial three community cards, is dealt. After the flop there are 47 unknown cards remaining in the deck.

For the above ace example, your odds for hitting that second ace are approximately three divided by 47, or 6.4 percent. Those odds are not that great, especially if someone is really making you pay to see the next card--if there is betting, raising, and even re-raising. Learning about Texas Hold'em odds is vital to the mastery of the game, but much can be learned from playing the game in a friendly atmosphere online at VIPpoker.com. Sign up now for a free account.