In video poker, you (Arc) probably could tell my odds because there are only 52 or 53 cards with a defined pay table and its a one dimensional game. What Arc probably doesn't realize is that its your hand against another players hand.

I might have had pocket 9s, the other player might have had pocket Ks. The flop came 3, 4, 5 rainbow. I check, the other player bets... and I have to call thinking that with the other player making a raise he didn't have ace-deuce for a straight and he wasnt playing a 3-4 or 4-5 for two pair. The risk I take calling the bet after the flop is that the player was playing a pair of 3s or 4s or 5s or perhaps pocket 10s or higher.

For pocket 9s to win, the conditions have to be perfect, as it was earlier last night when my pocket eights turned into quads (wrote about this in the other thread).