Pot Odds

Poker pot odds represent a mathematical ratio between the size of the pot and the cost of calling the bet. They are one of the fundamental poker principles that you should learn from the start.

Luckily, calculating pot odds is easy as this is a very basic and easy-to-remember formula. It is the ratio between the total pot (accounting for all bets made during the betting round) and the amount you need to pay to make the call.

For example, if there is $10 in the pot and your opponent bets $5. So, you need to call $5 to win $15. If we write this as a fraction, we get 15/5 or 3/1, which means that your pot odds here are 3 to 1.

Once you figure out what pot odds you’re getting, you need to decide if your hand has enough equity to justify calling the bet. In this scenario, you need to have a hand that you expect to win at least once in three times to make the call at least break even.

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