Favorite

Basic Definition

"Favorite" refers to a situation where you have a hand with a high probability of winning against your opponent under the current circumstances.

Specific Situation

• In the pre-flop, if your hand is AA and your opponent's is KQ, your hand can be considered the favorite at this point (with a win rate of about 87%).
• The flop is 972, and with your hand being A9 and your opponent's hand being 98, both have a pair of nines, but you have the better kicker, making you the favorite.

Important Information

• Even if you're the favorite, you can't always win. Poker is a game of probabilities, and comebacks can definitely happen (this is known as a "bad beat").
• To properly understand when a player is the favorite, it's important to calculate probabilities and know the number of outs. This helps in making appropriate bets and raises.

Examples of Term Usage

"I had AA pre-flop, but lost when my opponent hit a straight on the river. I was the favorite, so it's frustrating!"