Introduction To Pot Odds
Posted February 5, 2009 – 2:34 am in: PokerWhile poker is a game that uses luck, it is also a game of skill. Before Doyle Brunson’s Super/System came out in the ‘70s, few people realized just how much skill was involved in poker, which enabled players like Brunson to reap huge rewards.
As poker players became more sophisticated, poker theory became more advanced. Books emerged that gave aspiring pros critical tools to success. Today you will find the most advanced poker tools online. For example, if you play at party poker you can use a Free online party poker calculator that most certainly will improve your game close to perfection. But what if you are seated at a live table? Let’s look at some of the basic theory behind calculating pot odds.
Odds in General
All games of chance are about odds. Professional gamblers are always looking for an edge, that is to say, they are always trying to create a situation in which the odds are in their favor.
If someone thinks something has a 25 percent chance of happening, they will need to get better than 3-to-1 odds for it to be worthwhile to bet on that thing happening. This is how casinos make their money. They know a certain craps roll will come up one time out of nine, and offer players 7-to-1 if they roll it. That extra roll is where the casino makes its money.
Pot Odds in Poker
In poker, the same idea applies. The amount that is in the pot vs. the amount you have to put in to win represents the pot odds. For example, if there is $50 in the pot and you are facing a $10 bet, your pot odds are 50-to-10, or 5-to-1.
If you win the pot, you’ll win $50, so you can afford to lose in this situation five times and win it only once and still break even. If you think you have a better than 5-to-1 shot at winning, put in your money.
Calculating Odds
How do you know if the pot odds make the bet worthwhile? Sometimes, you can’t. If you are drawing dead and don’t know it, no amount of pot odds are worth a call.
You can however, make rough approximations. If you are facing a 5-to-1 proposition, you need to win around 17 percent of the time for your call to be correct. If you think that there is a 17 percent chance that your opponent is bluffing, that you have the best hand or that you can catch a card that will give you the best hand, you have a call.
If you don’t like to keep the math in your head like the old timers, there is always a poker software out there to help you improve your online play And calculation of online texas hold em odds as well.
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