If you enjoy a good game of poker in any traditional, online, or live casino, you have probably by now got the gist of some basic odds calculations. However, there is so much more to poker besides the must-know basics. If you are looking for options to outperform in the game of poker, you ought to calculate poker odds, simplify the process and enhance your chance of winning. When you speed up your game by figuring out the odds, you won’t spend as much time making the best decision and strategically leveling up your game. Whatever you perform in poker you have to face the odds and the statistics and probability attached to it. Here is a thorough guide on how to calculate poker odds and get better chances at winning.
Table of Contents
What are poker odds?
To proceed with some of the hacks, first of all, we need to get to the bottom of what exactly poker odds are. Poker odds are the ratio of the amount or the size of the pot compared to the amount of money that you have to bet or pay. Poker odds are the odds that you are “given” by the pot in order to make your call. For instance, if there had been $10 in the pot, your pot odds would be 5-1 because you have to call a $2 bet. Understanding and calculating poker odds is of utmost importance and it’s one of the skills that every poker player needs to comprehend and master. Check out some renowned online casinos and learn more here to see how pot odds relate to the size of the bet.
How to calculate poker pot odds
It can be relatively easy to understand poker pod odds as they are commonly expressed as a ratio. The end goal, though, is to compare pot odds to pot equity, and that is actually expressed as a percentage. Therefore, the best way to calculate pot odds is by calculating the percentage. If you calculate your pot odds directly as a percentage, you won’t need any additional conversion to compare your pot odds to equity. So, here is a clear example of how you can calculate poker odds in percentages: if your pod odds are, for instance, 2:1, the percentage would be 1 divided by 2+1, or 33% pot odds. In plain words, if your opponent bets $50 into a $100 pot, the pot odds would be 25%, which means that you would be investing $50/$200.
The memorization hack
Some people find it hard to automatically calculate the percentage, or they don’t find that skill as easy, then they can acquire some other poker odd hack – memorization. By memorizing poker odds, at least standard bet sizings, you would be able to avoid all unnecessary calculations. It is rather simple to memorize a few pot odds in this manner when you are facing some standard bet sizings:
| Bet size (%) | Pot Odds (%) |
| 25 | 16.67 |
| 40 | 22.22 |
| 50 | 25.00 |
| 75 | 30.00 |
| 100 | 33.33 |
| 200 | 40.00 |
According to the table, if your opponent would bet $50 into a $100 pot, you could memorize this notion without using any calculating as you would always get 25% pot odds.
The equity hack
If you are a poker mastermind or simply good at math, you may want to implement the “rule of four and two” for calculating poker pot odds. What’s more, this is also another easy way to get your equity and all you need to do is memorize this rule: On the flop, multiply your outs by four, and on the turn, multiply your outs by two. To get this straight, when you have a flush draw or nine outs with two cards to come, this would mean that you have a 36% chance of making a flush. And then with one card to come, your equity will be 9 outs x 2 which is 18%, and so on. Here you have an overall chart for poker odds with equity:
| Pot Odds | Equity |
| ½ | 50% |
| ½.5 | 40% |
| 1/3 | 33% |
| 1/3.5 | 30% |
| ¼ | 25% |
| ¼.5 | 22% |
| 1/5 | 20% |
| 1/6 | 16% |
| 1/10 | 10% |
The Implied Odds Hack
Implied odds in poker are calculations that are most included but at the same time utterly challenging. Implied odds are outlined as the relationship between the size of your current pot and the pot you are expected to win by the end of the hand. Here is an example: if your opponent bets $20 into an $80 pot and your call determines your pot odds of 5-1 which means that you’ll be risking $20 to win $100. On the other hand, if you guess your opponent to call a bet or even rise if you make your hand, then your implied odds are 6-1 or 7-1.
Why is calculating odds important
Having the skill to calculate odds in poker gives you a significant edge over the opponent. Whether you are playing in a brick-and-mortar casino or an online one, being able to quickly calculate odds in your head will help you get the right call.
There are no fast hacks or rules in poker that will give you the outcomes you wish, at least not immediate and huge. By learning how to calculate poker odds you would master this game to the fullest.
