Pot Odds - A Guide

Pot odds are an extremely important concept in poker, but many players misunderstand the term. By learning what pot odds are, and how to analyze them, you will find yourself making much easier decisions at the table. This article will help you do exactly that.

Pot odds is the relationship of the size of the pot and the bet that is made. For example, if the pot is $20, and a $5 bet is made, there is now $25 in the pot. Since you only have to call $5, you are getting 5:1 pot odds.

Keeping track of pot size in Limit Hold'em is fairly easy: you just have to count the amount of bets put into the pot, then multiply by the bet size. When you reach the turn however, remember that bets are now double size, so count two bets for every bet that is made.

In No Limit Hold'em it gets a little harder, but you always have to know how much money is in the pot. Many online poker sites will display the pot size for you, so that makes it simple. If you are at a casino, you can ask the dealer to count the pot for you if you have a crucial decision to make.

Once you calculate your pot odds, you have to relate it to your hand. If you have a draw that you are going to hit 1 out of every 3 times, then you have 3:1 odds to hit it. The only way you'd want to call a bet in this situation is if the pot was giving you 3:1 odds or better.

Another form of odds that are important is implied odds. Implied odds is when you calculate in future action to your equation to decide whether to play or not. For example, if you have a set, and are sure your opponent has a straight, then you have implied odds to play. If you make your full house, you are sure to win a huge pot off the player with the straight. This gives you extra reason to call, even if you are getting lower pot odds than your actual odds to hit the card.

Now you should have a great understanding of pot odds and how to use them in poker.