Using the poker pot odds chart, we know that 3:1 is equivalent to 25% equity. This can be confirmed by adding up the total pot going into the turn, including your call. Then simply take the amount you have to call and divide it by the total pot ($25 divided by $100, which makes 0.25, or 25%).

Figuring pot odds (the pot is all the money that has been

1. Because the chance is less then 1%. You will need 3 specific cards, assuming there are still 11 cards in the deck, the chance is (11/50)(10/50)(9/50). Now you also have to take into account that there is a chance that one of the other players has one or two of the cards you need.
2. So, playing in the poker room, you’ll have plenty of time to calculate your odds and outs of winning. Pot odds are the ratio of the chips (money) in the pot to the size of the bet you should call. There are 9 $ in the pot and your opponent bets 1 $. So you have to place 1 $. Thus, the odds will be 10:1 – because in the pot there are 10 $ (9 $ plus 1 $ of your opponent), but you have to place 1 $. Knowing the pot odds, we compare them with the chances of winning (see chart.

bet for a single game) is one of the most misunderstood and misused concepts for beginning poker players. In this section, simple and straightforward computations are used. And for all examples, unless otherwise noted, Texas Hold'em is the poker game being played. For a comprehensive look on how to play Texas Hold'em, click here.
Learning how to calculate pot odds puts the concept of risk and reward into a numerical computation. For those of you who aren't confident in your math skills, don't worry. It is not complicated, and with a little practice you will be able to figure your pot odds in no time. The following examples will illustrate pot odds. We will use a minimum bet of $1 and a maximum bet of $2 Hold'em for simplicity.
You are betting last of the six players in the pot for $1 each to see the flop. This makes the pot $6. You hold A-Q, and the flop comes K-Q-6.

©2006 Publications International, Ltd. A pair of queens with a possible ace-high flush.

The first player bets $1, two players call, and two players fold to bring the total in the pot to $9. It is now your turn to act. You must decide whether to fold, call, or raise. At this time you should assume that at least one of your opponents holds a king and that your hand must improve in order to win.
Now you must decide how many unseen cards can help you win. These cards are called your 'outs,' and this terminology will be used from here on. (One question that is often asked is: 'The other players have cards in their hands that cannot come to me on the turn or the river, so how can I count them in the cards that will improve my hand?' The answer is: You must count all cards that can help you because you have no way of knowing what cards are in your opponents' hands, even if it is quite likely that they hold certain cards. Therefore, all unseen cards need to be counted.)
Because you have a pair

Poker Odds Calculator

of queens, you must assume that if either of the other two queens hit, it will improve your hand to make you the winner. There are also three remaining aces that will improve you to two pair. This makes five outs. In addition, if any club hits, it will give you an ace high flush. So you have nine other outs (the remaining clubs). This gives you 14 outs. Now you have seen five cards (your hole cards and the three on the flop) out of a 52 card deck. This leaves 47 unseen cards before the turn. This means that 14 out of 47 cards can come on the turn and improve your hand, and 33 will not help you at all. This makes the odds roughly 2.4 to 1.
The easiest way to figure this is to see how many times your 14 outs will divide into the 33 cards that will not help you. You don't have to figure this out exactly to know if it is correct to call or not.
Because 2 times 14 is 28, which is a little less than 33, and 3 times 14 equals 42, you know the number is closer to two than three, or your odds of winning are closer to 2 to 1 than 3 to 1. This means that for it to be correct for you to call, there must be at least 2.4 times the amount you must call in the pot. In other words, the amount you must risk, in this case $1, must have a reward of at least $2.40 when you hit your hand. In the example above, there is $9 in the pot, and you have to call only $1 to see the turn. Since the pot is offering you 9 to 1 odds, the correct play is to call or raise, which we will discuss shortly.
Pot odds boil down to percentages. The pot must be large enough to pay enough extra on the times you do hit your hand to make up for the losses when you don't. The key is to get your money into the pot when you have the best hand. If you use pot odds correctly, you will be well on your way to becoming a lifelong winner.
Continuing the above example, you call the bet on the flop, increasing the pot to $10. The turn card is 8, which does not improve your hand. You still have the same number of outs, 14, but one less unseen card, 46. Notice that your pot odds are almost the same, roughly 2.3 to 1. The first player bets $2, making the pot $12, and the other two players fold. The bet you must now call is $2 into a $12 dollar pot. This reduces down to 6 to 1 odds (12 divided by 2 equals 6, and 2 divided by 2 equals 1). Once again the correct play is to call. Notice that at this time, if you don't improve on the river, you can fold, and if you do improve, you can bet or raise.
The above example is fairly simple, but what has been said is not everything you must consider.
Actually, after the flop you can improve on either the turn or the river cards. This means that you have 14 outs two times, which if you consider both the turn and the river, your pot odds are actually .95 to 1. Any time your pot odds are less than 1 to 1, you are a favorite to win. In this case the correct play is often a raise instead of a call.
Some players use the combined odds for both the turn and river while others use them separately. If you use the turn odds on the turn, reevaluate the situation after the turn card is revealed, and use the pot odds on the river separately. The problem when using the combined odds is that you almost have to call on the turn to see the river even if you don't improve. This can lead to a dangerous mindset, and you can become a calling station. First, consider each situation by itself, and then, add in other factors.
In the next section we will discuss more about pot odds, including implied odds and raising to give yourself correct pot odds.

For more information on poker odds and winning at poker, try the following links:

• To see all of our articles on poker rules and advice, go to our main article on How To Play Poker.
• For an introduction to the game, skim over these Poker Basics.
• So you think you've got the best hand. Maximize your winnings with these Poker Betting Tips.
• Have you calculated that your hand is a loser, but you think you can fake out the opposition? Be sure you know How to Bluff in Poker.

Using mathematics and probability inpoker is one of the most useful (yet underused!) skills for earning profit over the long run.

Adding these skills to your arsenal will help to support the decision-making process. For instance, adding certain calculations to your game will enable you to determine whether making a call, raise or fold in any given situation is the most profitable play in the long run (also referred to as +EV). While there are a few different calculations which can help you to elevate your game, one of the most fundamental is factoring in pot odds.

This article aims to explain what pot odds are, how they work, and how to incorporate them into your game.

What are poker pot odds?

Pot odds are the immediate odds you are being offered when you call a bet in poker. This is often called the “reward-to-risk” ratio and it calculates how much you stand to win immediately in relation to what you have to risk by calling a bet.

In the case of pot odds, the math is telling the player whether a call, raise or fold is a mathematically sound play, given the risk-to-reward ratio.

Take, for example, a hand in which you have contributed a huge proportion of your stack pre-flop and you are now heads-up. You have a made hand and are convinced that your opponent hasn’t connected. Now, if your opponent was to put in a bet on the river which was a mere fraction of the overall pot, you would call, right? Of course. This is because the “risk-to-reward” ratio is telling you that it makes sense to contribute just a few more chips for the chance to win the whole pot. Let’s dig a little deeper and find out exactly what this calculation looks like.

How to calculate pot odds?

Pot odds = [pot size]:[amount to call] where pot size includes any and all bets on the current street (pre-flop, flop, turn or river) as well as the amount in the middle. The final sum is expressed as a ratio.

Pot odds example

Poker Pot Odds Formula

The pot is £400 and there is a £200 bet in front of you. You would follow the steps below to determine your pot odds:

Pot odds = [pot size]:[amount to call]

= [£400 + £200]:[£200]

= £600:£200 = 3:1

Pot odds = 3:1

What do pot odds really mean?

So what do 3:1 pot odds really mean? Well, in a nutshell, it means that you are required to put 25% more money into the pot if you decide to call. This is because the final pot size would be £800 and our call is £200 (800/200 is 25%).

We use pot odds to ensure we only call bets when we are getting good pot odds. While it’s best to use pot odds in conjunction with implied odds (we’ll cover this another day), equity and position, you can still use this calculation to see whether a call is preferable or not. As a rule of thumb, the bigger your pot odds, the better price you have for calling. In the above example, for example, it would be far more attractive to call a bet that gives you odds of 4/1 or 5/1.

Scenario

Let’s do a simple pot odds exercise to help you learn how to quickly determine pot odds ratios and percentages.

Question

Villain bets £50 into a £50 pot and it is your turn to act. What are your pot odds ratio and percentage?

Answer

If you said 2:1 or 33% give yourself a big pat on the back. Here’s how it is calculated:

Pot odds calculation

Pot odds = [pot size]:[amount to call]

Pot size = £50 pot + £50 bet = £100]

= £100:£50 = 2:1

2:1 pot odds ratio

Pot odds % calculation

Pot odds – call size/pot size

Pot size = £50 + £50 + £50 call = £150

= £50 / £150 = 1/3 = 33%

33% pot odds

How to calculate hand percentages

Unlike pot odds, it can be extremely difficult to calculate hand percentages during a fast-moving game. This is often frustrating for poker players when they’re trying to make a quick decision or wondering what went wrong.

Enter, the Grosvenor Casinos Poker Calculator. Using the “Monte Carlo” algorithm, this awesome tool estimates the percentage of making a hand by simulating what could happen in any given scenario. The calculator then runs all the possible outcomes based on what each player has at the time.

Online Poker Odds Calculator Free

Try out the Poker Calculator for yourself to get yourself ready for our upcoming Goliath tournament.

Check out here more tips to learn how to play poker

Comments

Poker Pot Odds Chart

comments