Poker Pot Odds
What are Pot Odds and what
should you know about them?
Well,
Pot Odds is the ratio of what is
already in the pot to the amount you
would have to bet to stay in the
hand. So, if there are $36 in the
pot, and you would need to bet $6 to
stay in the hand, the pot odds are
36 to 6, or 6 to 1.
Why
would you need to know this?
One
example of using pot odds is when
your hand is not yet the best hand
at the table, but it could be if the
right card comes up next. For
instance, with four cards on the
board you hold four clubs. The odds
of completing the flush on the river
are roughly 5 to 1 against you. That
means for you to bet there should be
at least five times the bet amount
in the pot. If the bet to you is $2,
then there should be at least $10 in
the pot to make it worth calling.
Suppose
there were $24 in the pot when you
were making that decision. The odds
of landing that club and getting the
best hand at the table were 5 to 1.
The pot would pay you 12 to 1
on your bet. That makes calling the
bet the right decision to make. You
may not land your club and win the
hand, but over the long run playing
this way will be to your advantage.
Another
instance of using pot odds is after
the river, when the final bet comes
to you. If the pot holds $40, and
the bet in front of you is $4, you
can use pot odds to decide what to
do. The pot is laying you Ten to One
odds. ($40 against your $4 bet).
Even though you feel your opponent
may have the better hand, do you
think he is ten times more
likely to have a better hand? If so,
fold. If not, call the bet and see
his cards.
There
are plenty of times at the poker
table when you will be asking
yourself, "Is it worth staying in
this hand?". Being able to use pot
odds will help you answer that
question correctly more often.
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