How to Calculate Pot and Hand Odds in Limit Hold 'Em Poker
Determine the total amount of money in the pot., Divide by the amount you need to call., Pot odds are fixed; there is no actual calculation.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Determine the total amount of money in the pot.
If you are playing pot limit or no limit poker, you should already know this number. -
Step 2: Divide by the amount you need to call.
Pot odds are invariably a function of calling or folding, rather than betting.
In the simplest terms, if the bet is $1 to you, and there is already $4 in the pot, your pot odds are 5:1. , However, 'implied odds' should be added in for the most accurate picture.
In the scenario above, although your pot odds are 5:1, if there are 2 other people in the hand 'behind' you that haven't acted yet, and they each have $1 in their hand, waiting for you to call so they can call (bad poker etiquette), your implied odds, for just this round of betting, instantly rise to 7:1, as an example.
Implied odds are calculated, since they are basically imaginary, and encompass more than just the scenario above, which is vastly simplified; in the scenario above, if the second person waiting to call behind you instead raises, you have to start all over. -
Step 3: Pot odds are fixed; there is no actual calculation.
Detailed Guide
If you are playing pot limit or no limit poker, you should already know this number.
Pot odds are invariably a function of calling or folding, rather than betting.
In the simplest terms, if the bet is $1 to you, and there is already $4 in the pot, your pot odds are 5:1. , However, 'implied odds' should be added in for the most accurate picture.
In the scenario above, although your pot odds are 5:1, if there are 2 other people in the hand 'behind' you that haven't acted yet, and they each have $1 in their hand, waiting for you to call so they can call (bad poker etiquette), your implied odds, for just this round of betting, instantly rise to 7:1, as an example.
Implied odds are calculated, since they are basically imaginary, and encompass more than just the scenario above, which is vastly simplified; in the scenario above, if the second person waiting to call behind you instead raises, you have to start all over.
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Alexander Palmer
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