Articles

Links Directory

Pot Odds

Mathematics is an important part of poker. If you're not able to calculate the pot odds you will have a hard time making correct decisions in tight situations. To get the poker pot odds in any given situation you compare the size of the pot with the size of the bet. In Limit poker it's easy to calculate the size of the pot, all you have to do is count the number of bets (when the bets double, you count the big ones as two small). In Pot Limit and games it's a bit more difficult but it still has to be done if you want to maximize your chances of winning.

When you know the size of the pot you compare it with the amount of money you have to risk to stay in the hand. If you have to call a $3 bet into a $15 pot, you're getting pot odds of 5:1. If you call a $5 bet and the pot is $20 the odds are 4:1.

After you've calculated the pot odds the value of your hand will decide your actions. What cards are your opponents likely to be holding, and how many outs do you have to beat them? An out is a card that will improve your hand. For example you might have four suited cards and need a fifth to make a flush. Of the cards left in the deck you haven't seen there is nine of "your" suit, these are your outs. Before the turn every out gives you about 4 % (before the river about 2 %) chance to make the hand you're hoping for. In this case you're nine outs would give you a 35 % chance to get the flush and win the hand.

The last step before calling or folding is comparing the pot odds with the chances you have of making the hand that would give you the pot. If your calculations show that calling will be profitable in the long run you should call and, of course, otherwise fold. In the example above you have a 35 % chance to make a flush. That means that the odds against you winning are 2:1. Consequently your pot odds would have to be 2:1 if calling should be the correct decision. If you have a 20 % chance of winning (4:1 against) you need 4:1 pot odds.

If you think that it's a bit hard to keep track of all the pot odds and probabilities, you might want to try a poker calculator. A poker calculator will help you make quick and accurate decisions that will make you win more money. The poker odds calculator auto-reads the poker table and instantly gives you the hand odds that probably will take you a bit longer to calculate than the 10 seconds that you've got before folding or betting. You can download a free version of a odds calculator from Texas Calculatem.

Sometimes you should disregard the pot odds and instead look at the implied odds the hand is offering. It might not be mathematically correct to make a call at one stage but if you're certain that your opponent will put more money in the pot if you get lucky, you should stay in the hand.