Poker Odds
May 15 2008
When drawing to a higher hand in poker, there are mathematical equations that are used to determine whether your draw is a practical one or not. Pot odds are a comparison of the size of the bet you have to call to the percentage of the total pot. That percentage is compared to the percentage that your hand has to hit one of its outs in order to make a winning hand.
If you have a hand like:
and the flop is:
you would have just under 37 percent to win against a hand like
So the size of the bet you can call, if you put your opponent on this hand, should not exceed that percentage of the total pot, including the bet.
You can calculate basic pot odds by counting your possible outs compared to the cards remaining in the deck, and converting that ratio into a percentage. But top players try to put their opponents on a hand before calculating their odds.
That will only apply if you are head-to-head with the bettor. When there are multiple players in the pot, your draw odds have improved because the pot will be bigger, making the bet a smaller percentage of the pot. The ideal goal of implied odds is to make the decision that an opponent, who is positioned after you, will call the bet if you do. You’re implying that they will, and you base your calling decision on the predicted pot size, including the chips that have not been put in there yet.
Implied odds work best when you have a loose player or two at the table that you can count on staying in the hand with you. They’re a judgment call and sometimes they can backfire on you, but with experience, implied odds decisions will win you big pots.
Need more? Find everything you need to know about poker in the Bodog Online
Poker Guide!
