#4 Pot Odds

Pot Odds:  Odds you are getting to call verses the size of the pot.

There are two aspects of “pot odds” to consider.  One is calling due to the size of the pot and your chances to hit the winning hand.  The second is calling due to the size of the pot after all cards have been dealt including the flop, turn and river.  To understand “pot odds”, you must understand “outs” and your odds to hit, so I would expect that you have read and understand the section called “Outs and the Rule of 4 and 2”.

Example #1:  You have A10 suited clubs and raised before the flop 4 times the blind to 200 chips.  The two blinds call making the pot 600 chips.  The flop comes out J38, two of them clubs.  The first player to act bets the pot and the player following calls.  The pot is now 1800 chips and you are left to decide whether to call 600 or not.  The call is a 3 to 1 call.  600 chips to call for 1800 chips.  Your odds to hit your flush is about 36% and about 64% to lose or just over 3 to 1.  Because the odds to hit your flush and the odds to call are about the same, it is a good pot odds call. 

Example #2:  If the first player had bet 1400 chips and the second player folded, the odds would have been 1400 chips to call for 2000 chips making your odds 1.4 to 1.  Your odds to hit remain the same but your cost to hunt for those cards has gone up.  Over many games making the same call you will lose more chips than you ever gain.

Example #3:  If the first player bet 100 and the second player called, the pot is now 800 chips and you have an 8 to 1 pot odds call compared to your 3 to 1 odds to hit.  Those are tremendous odds.  Those are the odds you dream you have every hand.  So not only do you have the opportunity to call to hit your flush cheaply there is room for you to raise and maybe bluff them off the hand without losing your odds.

The second part of pot odds is calling after all the cards are dealt and no more cards will be seen.  If the pot is 2000 chips, and the bet is 50.  The odds to call are 40 to 1.  Quite honestly I will call with 7 2 offsuit into any board with those odds.  However, it is important in certain games such as cash games not to make that call when you know you are beat.  There are times you are 100 percent positive you are beat and by not putting in that last little bit, you save yourself some money.  In tournament situations when you have a good size stack and the bet is small to the size of the pot, consider making that call if you think you have a shot to win the hand.  Just don’t call off your chips on bad odds and finally decide to make that call because it’s a good pot odds call.  That makes no sense.  The key is, don’t throw good money after bad, consider the hand and decide whether you have a shot at winning the pot.