Poker Odds - Why Pot And Implied Odds Are Important

Like all card games, poker is a game of probabilities. Put simply, you need to assess each situation for what it is.

If you stand a good chance of winning a lot of money for relatively little investment then go for it.
If you stand a small chance of winning some money for relatively high investment then pass on the opportunity.

It is difficult to compute the odds during a game because you are often limited for time but with experience it will come. You may find it easier to use a poker calculator. These are software programs that sit on top of most poker room software and analyse the probabilities for you as the cards are played.

Poker players use the term pot odds to show the cost of calling to stay in the hand. Let’s say that the pot has $100 in it and you need to play $10 to call and stay in the hand. That is basically a 10 buck investment to potentially win 100 bucks.

If you had 3 hearts and the final card was to be played then you stand a 1 in 4 chance of getting that monster hand. With a 1 in 4 chance it obviously makes sense to pay this $10. You might not get the flush (you probably won’t) but in the long run you will win from these kinds of decisions.

On the other hand, if the pot only contained $15 then risking $10 to win $15 based on a 1 in 4 chance is not worth it at all.

These odds show why it is important to bet aggressively. Not only will this improve your odds of not being beaten by an opponent’s hand but it will also make the pot much more attractive compared to your investment. Do not let other players cheap access to the pot.