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Pot Odds
Poker is fundamentally a game of math and probabilities, which is why it's crucial for poker players to pay close and constant attention to the essential calculations and numbers of the game – at least if these players have any intentions of turning a profit.
It's not heavy-duty math or complicated probability theory you're facing here. Not at all. If you can add, subtract and do simple division, you'll be just fine – as long as you know what to look for. Calculating your pot odds is one of the things you have to be able to do to succeed in poker. It's vital if you want to make the right decisions at the table, and if you don't fully understand and know how to calculate and take advantage of pot odds, you're bound to throw away a lot of money on bad decisions. Pot odds are all about … odds. That is, the odds you're getting on your money when entering or staying in a pot And it's far simpler than you may think. Especially if you for a moment forget that this is a game of cards and instead think of it as a simple bet. Just like you may know it from the world of sportsbetting. Your pot odds is simply a number describing how many times you'll get your money back, if you invest it in a pot (call or raise a bet) – just like as if you were betting on a game of soccer or a tennis match. An example:
The Americans have another way of expressing odds more intuitively correct.There's $10 in the pot and your opponent makes a $5 bet. The pot is now $15, and you have to decide if you want to fold or call the bet by investing $5 in the pot. If you call, you'll pay $5 to potentially win the $15 currently in the pot. Had this been a bet at a bookmaker your odds would be said to be 4.00, because traditionally the bookmakers include your own stake in the odds, since you are of course also getting your original investment of $5 back on top of the $15 pot. They would describe the situation sketched above as you getting odds "3:1" (or "3-to-1") on your money – that is, your getting three times your bet back plus your bet. This way of expressing pot odds is predominant in poker. Back to the example:
Why is this important then?You're paying $5 to win the $15 in the pot, and like we just went over, this means you're getting odds 3:1 on your $5 bet. Your pot odds are therefore 3:1. It's important because your pot odds define the limit to how much you should invest in a pot compared to the strength of the hand you're holding. It's basic math really:
This calculation is crucial to making the right decisions in poker, and if you're able to correctly calculate your pot odds and compare them to your winning chance, you'll always be able to make the right decisions at the table.Pot odds 3:1 means that you need to call a fourth of the pot, you can potentially win. You are in other words risking 25% of the total amount you will potentially win. Pot odds 3:1 therefore means that for every four times you make this call, you have to win once to break even. So in order for a call to be correct here, you need a hand that has at least a 25% winning chance. If you estimate your hand to have less than a 25% winning chance, you should fold. Of course you might get unlucky and see your opponents beating you several times against the odds, but in the long run probability and math will always defeat luck. And if you make sure the probabilities are on your side by making the right decisions based on your pot odds, you'll be very successful at the poker tables. ALWAYS REMEBER: Pot odds = Investment divided by the pot size.
Your winning chance MUST exceed your pot odds.
Learn more about the equally important and surprisingly simple way to calculate your winning chance her:Winning Chance Back to Beginners |
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