Poker Pot Odds: Why They're Vital For A Winning Player

Poker pot odds, just what are they?

When we are referring to pot odds we are actually talking about a crucial element in the game of poker. The pot odds are determined by evaluating the size of the pot and the bet that is about to be made. Let's take a little example for clarification purposes: the size of the pot is $20 and a bet of $5 has been made and now you are about to call it. The pot odds in this case will be 20/5 that means odds of 4:1. If the call would be done for $10 instead of $5, then you would get pot odds of 2:1. Generally, the pot odds are identified by dividing the size of the pot to the amount of the bet when all bets of the round are equal.

The size of the pot

You must always be aware of the size of the pot if you are planning to calculate the pot odds. When playing in a Limit room, the odds will also depend on the numbers of the bets in the pot, instead of the actual amount of the pot. For double bets like some games of hold'em have when on the river you will count twice, that means two small bets for each double bet. If the limit is put only on the pot or if you are playing no-limit hold'em, then the amount of bets is a little harder to calculate and the resulting pot-odds will be more as a guideline than as exact facts, but you still have to try and calculate them at all times.

Using pot odds

In order to use the pot odds, you first have to know them for your game. After you calculated your pot odds, they must be evaluated in a direct connection to the value of the cards you are holding. This includes evaluating the hands of the other players too, and making a plan or a statistic of the outcome of your own hand, calculating the chances you can get to have the best hand in the game.

Let's say you are playing hold'em and are currently on the flop, having a flush draw. Your opponent is most likely to have at least a high pair. The cards you should concentrate on are the outs, the nine cards that can give you a flush once you already can see four of the cards that will be used in your flush. The chances to get the card you need on the turn or on the river are of about 35%, or 1:2 for you, so in order to be sure you are making the right choice, you calls on the flop should be made only if they are based on 2:1 pot odds.

The implied odds

The term of implied odds asks for a calculation of the pot you are most likely to win if you do win. The implied odds are relative and dependent on the evaluation that you provide the game with. They are the relation between the actual size of the pot and the expected final size of it. Let's consider one player bets in a limit game $5 and the pot is $20, so if you call your implied pot odds would be of 5:1 because you are betting a fifth of the expected winning. This is where we should tell if your opponent is either going to call or raise later on the game. Then the implied odds can get to 6:1 or 8:1 depending on the future bets that you must predict.