So, what are Pot Odds?
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- Pot odds represent the ratio between the size of the total pot and the size of the bet facing you. Keep in mind that the size of the total pot includes the bet(s) made in the current round. For example, if there is $2 in the pot and your opponent bets $1, your pot.
- Pot odds in poker simply means the “price” that it costs you to continue with your hand. For example, if you’re in a hand where the pot is $100 and your opponent bets $50, you’re getting 3 to 1 pot odds to call. The pot is $150 (the $100 that’s already there plus the $50 bet) and it costs $50 to continue. Divide the $150 by $50 to get 3.
In poker, pot odds are the ratio between the size of the pot, including bets made in the current round, and the cost of a call to try to win the pot. For example, if there are 10$ 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.
Pot Odds Table
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%.
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
| Pot Odds | Minimum Equity to Call |
|---|---|
| 1.5 to 1 | 40% |
| 2 to 1 | 33% |
| 3 to 1 | 25% |
| 4 to 1 | 20% |
| 5 to 1 | 16.7% |
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%.
Pot Odds Tables
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!
Chances of hitting, flopping and holding certain hands
These odds are a must know if you want to advance your game to a high level. For exact odds you can check out our poker hand odds calculator. We rounded the number to the nearest decimal for you.
You should know what beats what in poker before trying to apply these odds or playing like you see poker on tv and in commercials.
| Scenarios – Chances of Having Certain Hands | Examples | Probability | ||
| Chances of Being Dealt | ||||
| Pair | 6h 6d | 6% | ||
| Suited Cards | Ah 10h | 24% | ||
| Connecting Suits | 2d 3d | 4% | ||
| Aces or Kings | AA KK | .9% | ||
| Ace King | AhKs | 1.2% | ||
| Ace King Suited | AhKh | .3% | ||
| An Ace | A3 | 16% | ||
| Cards Jacks or Higher not Paired | KJ | 9% | ||
| Not Suited & Not Connected | 9h 4s | .9% | ||
| Bad Beats | ||||
| Bad Beat ex: Aces vs Kings heads up | AA vs KK | .004% | ||
| Chances of Hitting on Flop | ||||
| Pocket Pair Into A Set | JJ into JJJ | 8% | ||
| Pair Turning Into A Set On Turn | 4% | |||
| Hitting Pair on Flop | 32% | |||
| Flopping Four To Flush-You hold 6h7h-flop comes-> | Ah Kh 2s | 11% | ||
| Chances of Board Coming All Same | 5h 5s 5d | .004% | ||
| Number of Players To Flop Odds | ||||
| Situation – Chances someone hit top pair on board | ||||
| 5 players see flop | 58% | |||
| 4 players see flop | 47% | |||
| 3 player see flop | 35% | |||
| 2 player see flop | 23% | |||
| After Flop – Chances of Making Hand | ||||
| Making open straight – You hold 67 Flop comes 8,9,2 | turn 10 | 34% | ||
| Two pair to full house – You- 47 Board 4,7,10 Turn –> | 7 | 17% | ||
| Hitting A Gut Shot Straight | 17% | |||
| Backdoor Flush – You have 1 spade – Board 2s4h8s | 10s 7s | 4% | ||
| Runner Runner Straight | 1.5% | |||
| Hitting Either Gut Shot Straight or Backdoor Flush | 21% | |||
| Pairing An Ace on Turn or River | 13% | |||
| Before Any Cards Are Dealt – Chances of Getting | ||||
| Royal Flush (All Spades) | AKQJ10 | .0002% | ||
| Straight Flush (Any same suits) | 56789 | .0012% | ||
| Four of a Kind (Quads) | 5555K | .0239% | ||
| Full House (Boat) | 33322 | .144% | ||
| Flush (all same suit) =>all hearts | 37K48 | .19% | ||
| Straight | 34567 | .35% | ||
| Three of a Kind | 555AK | 2.11% | ||
| Two Pair | AAKK2 | 4.7% | ||
| One Pair | 77253 | 42% | ||
| Don’t catch anything | 2854K | 50% | ||
Pot Odds Table Games
Why Poker Odds Matter
Why Odds Matter To any good Texas Holdem players these odds come naturally. They may not know the exact percentage but they instinctively know their odds. Referencing this table is a great way to understand your percentages if you are a new player or if you want to calculate your pot odds.
We developed what we believe are the best formulas for calculating pot odds that you will find on the internet. It is the same way the pros calculate their pot odds and we also simplified it for those of you who are not that good at math. Check out the Pot Odds section.