Poker · Combinations
Don't read hands. Count combos.
"He could have a flush" says nothing. "He has 3 flush combos and 9 bluff combos" says everything. This tool teaches you to count — and to use blockers.
The idea
Every visible card erases combinations.
A pair has 6 combinations; an unpaired hand, 16. But every card you can see — in your hand or on the board — removes combos from your opponent's range. If you hold an ace, he has fewer AA and fewer AK. That is a blocker, and good players count it on every decision.
Count the combinations
How many ways a hand can come — and how blockers cut it down.
The ones in your hand or on the board. 0 to 3.
Remaining combinations
6
The ones the opponent can still hold
From memory
- Pair: 6 combinations
- Suited (same suit): 4
- Offsuit (different suit): 12
Counting combos is reading ranges for real. A card you can see — an ace on the board — erases combinations from the opponent's hand: that is a blocker, and it shifts the count more than it looks.