In poker to play decently you need to know how to calculate pot odds, the secret lies in knowing how to calculate them as quickly as possible. But what are they? Let’s find out together.
The Complete Guide to Pot Odds
In Texas Hold’em, mathematics plays a fundamental role. Experienced players know that in poker you need to know how to use all the possibilities available to win with your hand. We are not talking about being experts in mathematics but about very simple techniques to implement which if perfected make the poker player a true champion.
- How many chips are there in the pot?
- How many chips do we have to put in the pot if we want to keep playing?
- What are the odds of being successful?
These are the three key questions to consider. In summary, if the odds that the pot offers us are greater than those of our hand then we must continue playing. Along with that you can make use of the microgaming casino no deposit bonus codes given.
To help you understand better, we give you a brief example:
We are playing in a $ 2 / $ 4 No limit game. At one point the player throws $ 13, other calls and you call with a J-10 of clubs, the FLOP is 7-8-A with A and 7 of clubs. The first player bets his $ 20, the second player calls and the decision falls to you, what do you do? It’s time to calculate the pot odds! As it happens, the pot amounts to $ 79, you have to pay $ 20 to win or 4 to 1 odds for your play. With this short example we have already answered the first two questions.
For the third question just look at the outs and that’s it. Speaking of mathematics, if you know 5 of the 52 total cards in the deck it means that 47 are still unknown, 12 of which will allow you to win the shot.
How is the calculation done?
47 cards divided by 12 and you will find the odds which are 3, 9 to 1. If you want and have to justify the call the pot must be at least with this value. Calculating pot odds is not impossible but it will help you make better decisions in a poker game. Regardless of the negative starting odds, these types of odds take into account future bets.
For example, you find yourself on the flop and to continue playing you have to pay a very high amount and therefore your probability of winning is reduced, in these cases the call is the most correct action.
Practice makes perfect
Once you have learned the basic principles of calculating pot odds in poker it is time to put it all into practice at a poker table. One of the best methods ever is to log into one of the many Italian legal rooms and compete with other players in free poker tournaments. By doing this, you can train and learn to play without spending any real money.