A real hand: K8o pre-flop, board 8s 4d Qs 6c Jc, ended with one pair, net -0 chips. Every decision point, street by street.
On the Chen formula, K8o scores 3 — a weak hand you should normally fold. The formula takes the higher card (A=10, K=8, Q=7, J=6, otherwise half its rank), doubles it for a pair with a floor of 5, adds 2 if suited, then subtracts for the gap between the cards. It is a fast rough estimate for whether to enter a pot, not a post-flop tool.
| Street | Pot | To call | Equity needed | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Flop | 30 | 20 | 40% | folded |
Equity needed is the call divided by the pot after calling — the minimum win rate that makes the call break even. Compare it against your estimate of your hand's equity. Note this is immediate pot odds only; it ignores chips you might win on later streets.
At the table: