could someone explain pot odds?

[KingAustin 0]

I dont really understand pot odds and was wondering if someone could give a clear and precise definition. Maybe give an example hand so us beginners can understand it more.Here's what I think it is, but not sure. You calculate the size of the bet compared to the size of the pot, then you see what the odds of your hand to win? something like that, maybe? Ahhh, now I've just confused myself more!!any help would be nice. thanks for your time.

[goldie79 0]

Check this out:http://teamfu.freeshell.org/poker_odds.html

[mreevit 0]

Say if you have a flush draw. You are a 4:1 dog to make it by the turn and about a 2:1 to do it by the river. So you need the pot to compensate.So on the flop if the bet is $20 to you, there has to at least be $80 in the pot not including your call. The more the better. The idea is if you do that same gamble over and over again you will break even. If there is more than 4:1 in the pot, you are making a profit regardless if you win that particular hand. Incorrect thinking: you are a 2:1 dog so you can call a 2:1 bet. You must think of your effective odds because if you miss your hand you will have to re-draw. You can consider it by each card and 4:1 is sufficient, but if you are taking the odds of making your hand to the last card, then you must also take the pot odds to the last card. Thinking like this you can add an extra bet on the turn which you will have to call and an extra bet on the river which you will gain if you make your draw, but fold if you lose. So if you are getting 3:1 for the pot on your 2:1 flush draw your thinking should go along the lines of this:The pot is laying you 60:20 (3:1), but if you miss you will have to redraw on the turn. The betting doubles so make that 5:3 (3+2:1+2), and add the river bet which you will gain and you are at 7:3 which is 2.33:1. Not as good as your original 3:1 odds may seem, but your call is still correct.A little off the topic:If there is a bet to you and you are drawing you should raise! If you raise, your opponent will most likely check to you on the turn, you can check as well and take a free card, this way you save a bet(only call 2 small bets, in the other example you call 3 small bets). So in the above example if you raise you are getting 3:2 on the flop but you will save a big bet on the turn. Assuming you will make or call a bet on the river if you make your hand and that your opponent will call that bet your odds are now 5:2 or 2.5:1, which is a tad better than 2.33:1, which in the long run shows more of a profit.For more in-depth discussion on this topic and many other great ones, I highly recommend "The theory of Poker" by David Sklansky.

[Greentvdinner 0]

Lou Krieger wrote an excellant article on pot odds entitled "Pot Odds Made Easy". I've included the URL below.http://www.cardplayer.com/poker_magazine/a...d=13913&m_id=88

[Patman 0]

Heres an example of pot odds, and is a situation which you can apply to a typical situation. There is a way to play poker almost entirely mathematically, but its not all the wise. On the turn, the board reads something like Ac Jc 8c 4c. You hold pocket jacks. Your opponent, who you surely think has the flush, bets 15$ into a 100$ pot. Now your thinking, ok he has the flush gotta lay this down. But since you are so sure your opponent has made his flush, and you have your set of jacks you should still call. Heres why, since you opponent made a measly bet of 15$ into a 100$ pot he is giving you 1.5 to 10 odds on your money. Since you have 10 outs to improve (3 outs for each card on the board pairing for the boat, and 1 for the quads) you have about a 23% chance of improving. Since you have 23% chance to improve, and the odds are 1.5 to 100 (think of it as 15%) you should mathimatically call this bet.Someone correct my logic here if you think it is wrong. This may not be the greatest example, but hopefully you got something out of it.

[KingAustin 0]

Lou Krieger wrote an excellant article on pot odds entitled "Pot Odds Made Easy". I've included the URL below.http://www.cardplayer.com/poker_magazine/a...d=13913&m_id=88

oh man!!!! that site is awesome!!! Holy crap, thanks for sending that link! This will help me out so much, especially that table!! That's going in my bookmarks so I can use it while playing online :-)