When you watch poker on TV, you hear the term pot odds thrown around all the time. What in the world does it really mean? Well, hopefully, after you read this column you’ll not only know what pot odds are, but you’ll also understand how to quickly calculate pot odds and apply them to your game.
Step 1 – Figuring the Pot Odds
This is the easy part. You count what's already in the pot and add it to the amount of the bet you are facing. You then compare that sum to the amount your opponent has bet. So again, if there was, for example, $200 in the pot and your opponent bets $20, your pot odds would be 11 to 1 ($220/$20= 11 to 1).
Okay, so now that you know what your pot odds are, it's time to figure out if you are getting the right price to continue playing the hand.
Step 2 – Figuring Your Actual Odds
This can be a little more difficult depending on the situation. You can find a table of actual odds in almost any poker book on the market. Another option is to pick up some simulation software that will calculate the odds for you. But since you obviously won't have access to a book or software right there on the spot, here’s how to figure out your actual odds while seated there at the table.
The first thing you need to do is count your outs — meaning the number of remaining cards that will improve your hand. Then compare that number to
the total number of unseen cards still in the deck. Source: amcostarica
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