How To Calculate Pot Odds

• How To Calculate Pot Odds Texas Hold'em
• How To Calculate Pot Odds In Nl Hold'em
• How To Calculate Pot Odds In No Limit Hold'em
• How To Calculate Pot Odds Quickly
• How To Calculate Pot Odds In Poker
• How To Calculate Poker Odds Texas Holdem

Pot odds, which is the ratio of making or calling a bet compared to the size of the pot, is one of the most essential concepts you need to know to play winning poker. In this reference article, I’d like to explain the concept of pot odds including what it is, how to calculate it. How to Calculate Pot Odds? To calculate the pot odds, you must compare the money that you may potentially win to the money that is required for making the call. You may win 110$ (70$ in the pot plus 20$ from each opponent) and need 20$ to make the call.

So, what are Pot Odds?

• Examples of Calculating Pot Odds For this example Player A, Player B, Player C, and Player D have all just been dealt cards in a $100/$200 Texas Hold’em ring game with Player A on the small blind.
• Pot odds can be expressed simply in ratios, as decimals and as percentages. The example below will show you how to calculate odds as a ration, decimal and percentage simply. Here’s an example: Suppose the pot is $90 the value of the call is $10. To calculate the pot odds, express the pot value and the call value as a ratio i.e.

In poker, pot odds are the ratio between the size of the pot, including bets made in the current round, and the cost of a call to try to win the pot. For example, if there are 10$ in the pot, and your opponent bets 5$, you need to pay 5$ to potentially win 15$. Therefore, your pot odds are 3 to 1.

“Pot odds” is a great tool that many top poker players use when they are facing a decision. By comparing pot odds to the probability of winning the hand, one can deduct if calling is profitable or not. So, it works like expected value, helping you make the right choice, but reduces the necessary calculations.

When faced with a bet, to calculate your pot odds, you only need to compare the money that you will gain if you win the hand, the current pot including your opponent’s bet, to the money required to make the call. Then, to choose the right course of action, you must compare these pot odds to your estimation of the odds against you winning the hand.

If the pot odds are higher than the odds against you winning the hand, it means that when you win, you will be extracting enough of a reward to make the call worth it! On the contrary, if the pot odds are lower than the odds against you winning the hand, the amount that you will be gaining when you win will not make up for the losses. So, in this case, the right action is to fold.

Mathematical Explanation of Pot Odds

Let’s work some simple math to show the reasoning behind using pot odds as a shortcut. If a call has +EV (the same proof applies for -EV), this means that:

EV (Call)= P(win) * $(pot)- P(lose) * $(call) > 0, or

P(win) * $(pot) > P(lose) * $(call), and by deviding by P(win)*$(call)

$(pot) / $(call) > P(lose) / P(win)

So the pot odds (on the left of the equation) are higher than the odds against you winning the hand (on the right).

A Simple Example

We will demonstrate this concept with a relatively simple example.

You are facing two tight opponents. You are holding J♥9♠, and on the turn, the board is 10♥4♠8♣2♦, so you have a straight draw. The pot is 70$, and you have only 20$ more in your stack, while your opponents both have bigger stacks.

The first opponent to act goes all-in and the second opponent calls. So, what should you do?

How to Calculate Pot Odds?

To calculate the pot odds, you must compare the money that you may potentially win to the money that is required for making the call. You may win 110$ (70$ in the pot plus 20$ from each opponent) and need 20$ to make the call. Therefore, the pot is offering you 110 to 20, or 5.5 to 1.

Let’s now calculate the probability against you winning the hand. You have an open-ended straight draw (or up and down, two way). This means that you have two ways of making your straight (hitting a Queen or a seven) or a total of 8 outs. It is clear that one or both players have you beat. You are probably up against some combination of an overpair, two pair or a set. However, whatever your opponents have, all of your 8 outs will give you the nut straight.

Another aspect to consider is the possibility of another player drawing for the same straight. This possibility would make you split the pot when you make your hand and affect your calculations. However, given your starting hand and the fact that your opponents are tight, you are not concerned with one of them holding J9. So you can safely rule out sharing the pot when you hit your draw.

So, you have 8 cards that will make you win. The remaining 38 of the total 46 unseen cards will make you lose. The odds are 38 to 8 against you making your winning hand or 4.75 to 1. the pot odds you are being offered are better (5.5 to 1), making it a good call. This means that, even though you are an underdog to win the hand, the pot is offering enough of a reward to make the call worth it.

Calculating the Expected Value for Validation

You managed to reach the correct decision without doing the extra math of calculating the expected value. For demonstration reasons, the expected value of a call is:

EV = P(win)*$(win)-P(lose)*$(lose) = (8/46)*110 – (38/46)*20 = 2.61$

So on average, you win about 2.6$ each time you make that call.

Working with Percentages Instead of Odds

There are many software products, like Flopzilla or Equilab, that calculate your equity against an opponent’s range in terms of percentage. You can check out the tutorial on Hand Ranges to learn how to work with ranges. Whether you work with such software, or you are just accustomed to using percentages, you may want to be able to convert pot odds into percentages you can work with. Let’s look at how to do this.

To compare pot odds to equity percentages, you need to convert your pot odds to a percentage of your bet versus the final pot size, including your call. To do so, you have to:

First, divide the amount of the call by the size of the final pot. For example, if the pot is 10$ and you are facing a 5$ bet, you need to divide 5 (your call) by 20, the final pot amount, so you get 0.25.

Second, convert this into a percentage. By multiplying with 100, you can convert your result into a percentage you can work with. So, 0.25 equals 25%.

How To Calculate Pot Odds Texas Hold'em

Now, to see if calling is +EV, you need to compare this percentage to your equity. If your equity is higher, the call has a +EV!

Conversion Table

An Example Using Pot Percentages

Let’s take a look at a different example, this time using percentages.

A solid opponent raised preflop from the middle position, and you called from the button with K♥Q♥. The flop was A♥5♥4♠, and your opponent check-raised all-in your semi-bluff flop bet.

There is 80$ in the pot, including your bet and your opponent’s all-in, and you have to call 40$ more to match his bet. What should you do?

Let’s calculate your pot odds in terms of percentage. To do so, you have to:

First, divide the amount of the call by the size of the final pot. So 40/120 = 0.33

Second, convert this into a percentage. We multiply 0.33 by 100 to get our percentage, 33%.

Now, we have o try to calculate your equity against your opponent’s range of hands he would go all-in with. You estimate that your opponent open-raises from middle position with a 15% range, like bellow.

Using Flopzilla we can see that, even if your opponent does not bluff and goes all-in with top pair or better, or a flush draw, like bellow, your equity is over 37%.

Since your equity against his range is higher than 33% (your pot odds in percentage), calling is +EV!

In a Nutshell

Using pot odds is an excellent way of making quick estimations on the table and choosing the right course of action. Even when there are subsequent betting rounds, pot odds are useful as they can help you understand the value of what is already in the pot relatively to your stack. However, when there are subsequent betting rounds in the hand, you need to consider the possibility of winning extra bets when you hit your hand. This concept is known as implied odds, in contrast to the expressed odds that the pot is offering you at any given moment.

In the next tutorial, we will present the concept of implied odds and how it is used to make educated decisions when there are further betting rounds. Please leave any comments or questions that you may have!

This tutorial is part of the Advanced Poker Strategy Course. You can continue to the next tutorial on Pot Commitment!

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

We’ve put together a list of top poker tips used by the pros to help you play your best in every hand. Adding these invaluable 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.

Take a look at the list of premier poker skills to master, below. We’ll explain exactly what pot odds are, how they work, and how to best 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

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

How To Calculate Pot Odds In Nl Hold'em

= £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 Odds 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. If you’ve not given it a go, try it out! It could give you just the edge you need, especially with out annual Goliath tournament never being far away.

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How To Calculate Pot Odds In No Limit Hold'em

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How To Calculate Pot Odds Quickly

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How To Calculate Pot Odds In Poker

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