Poker Pots Odds

As you begin to further your poker game knowledge, an important concept to grasp is pot odds. Put simply, pot odds are the calculation of the size of the pot vs. the amount of your call (in a 50 dollar pot, a 5 dollar call is giving you 10:1 pot odds to call). Knowing these odds and using them effectively will help you better manage the swings that people experience when trying to maintain a healthy poker bankroll. I have added links below to some of my other poker related web sites. These sites include articles written by well known and respected players. If grinding it out at the Hold'em tables is getting old I suggest trying a game like Stud. The average player skill level is much lower in Non-Hold'em games because of their complexity.

7 Card Poker Stud Hilo Poker Razz Poker 2-7 Triple Draw Poker

HORSE Poker Badugi How To Play Rush Poker 27 Single Draw

How Do I Calculate Pot Odds?

For general poker odds please read our poker odds article.To calculate pot odds, you simply take the amount of money in the pot and divide it by the amount of the bet you have to call to stay in the hand. Using the example above the math looks like 50/5=10, your one betting unit is 5 dollars so the ratio is 10:1. Another example would be a bigger pot of $250.00 and a players makes a pot sized bet (in Pot Limit Omaha for example). You ratio here is much easier to calculate because it’s the pot size, or 1:1.

We could observe many more examples of calculating pot odds but again, the math is pretty easy. If you have a tough time accomplishing this there are many programs available that will do it for you. Poker Office and Poker Tracker are two of the more popular versions that are on the market. With practice and patience, you will begin to do this math very easily.

Why Are Pot Odds Important?

The importance of understanding your pot odds is yet another piece of a bigger puzzle that makes up each hand of poker. When used in conjunction with the expected value of any given scenario, this is vital information. You also must have a fundamental understanding of pot odds before you’re able to calculate implied odds and reverse implied odds. These are all very important things to know when you’re making a decision to stay in a hand or toss your cards into the muck.

Implied Odds

Implied odds are calculated the same way as pot odds, but take into account what your opponent(s) may do in future rounds of betting. In other words, if your current pot odds are 10:1 to call but your opponent is likely to place one more bet on the river, then your implied odds are 11:1. Implied odds assume that you know you have the best hand at any given time.

Putting It All Together

To be a long term successful poker player, you need to understand not only pot odds but many other factors such as expected value and reverse implied pot odds, among other things. We could also dive into game theory here but there are books available that still only skim the surface of this topic. Hopefully you get a high level understanding of the concept and can build on that. Combine this with understanding poker tells, how to combat tilt, and managing your poker bankroll and you’re already way ahead of the pack!

• Poker Odds Calc

• Poker Pot Odds

• Implied & Reverse Implied Odds