How Do You Calculate Poker Odds
By the cards in your hand and remaining cards in the deck. Let us say you have a pair. There are 50 outstanding cards in holdem. 2 of them will give you a set and there are 3 cards to a flop.1 divided by 25 is 0.04 which comes out to 4%. Pot odds are the ratio between the size of the pot and the size of the bet. For example, if the starting pot is $10 and a player bets $5—half the pot—then the pot size is now $15 and a player is facing a $5 bet. The pot odds are 15:5 and ideally you want to reduce the right side of the ratio to one.
- If you flop an open-ended straight draw this gives you eight outs (eight possible cards that will complete the hand), so you'll hit your hand by the river 31.5% of the time. Just make sure you're getting pot odds (the value of the pot versus the value of your bet) to see the next card.
- We always put our opponent on a range of poker hands, and with our Texas Holdem Odds Calculator, we can calculate the odds of us winning against that entire range. Once calculated, you can copy/paste the results and share on social media or post in a poker forum.
Using mathematics and probability inpoker is one of the most useful (yet underused!) skills for earning profit over the long run.
We’ve put together a list of top poker tips used by the pros to help you play your best in every hand. Adding these invaluable skills to your arsenal will help to support the decision-making process.
For instance, adding certain calculations to your game will enable you to determine whether making a call, raise or fold in any given situation is the most profitable play in the long run (also referred to as +EV). While there are a few different calculations which can help you to elevate your game, one of the most fundamental is factoring in pot odds.
Take a look at the list of premier poker skills to master, below. We’ll explain exactly what pot odds are, how they work, and how to best incorporate them into your game.
What are poker pot odds?
Pot odds are the immediate odds you are being offered when you call a bet in poker. This is often called the “reward-to-risk” ratio and it calculates how much you stand to win immediately in relation to what you have to risk by calling a bet.
In the case of pot odds, the math is telling the player whether a call, raise or fold is a mathematically sound play, given the risk-to-reward ratio.
Take, for example, a hand in which you have contributed a huge proportion of your stack pre-flop and you are now heads-up. You have a made hand and are convinced that your opponent hasn’t connected. Now, if your opponent was to put in a bet on the river which was a mere fraction of the overall pot, you would call, right? Of course. This is because the “risk-to-reward” ratio is telling you that it makes sense to contribute just a few more chips for the chance to win the whole pot. Let’s dig a little deeper and find out exactly what this calculation looks like.
How to calculate pot odds?
Pot odds = [pot size]:[amount to call] where pot size includes any and all bets on the current street (pre-flop, flop, turn or river) as well as the amount in the middle. The final sum is expressed as a ratio.
Pot odds example
The pot is £400 and there is a £200 bet in front of you. You would follow the steps below to determine your pot odds:
Pot odds = [pot size]:[amount to call]
= [£400 + £200]:[£200]
= £600:£200 = 3:1
Pot odds = 3:1
What do pot odds really mean?
So what do 3:1 pot odds really mean? Well, in a nutshell, it means that you are required to put 25% more money into the pot if you decide to call. This is because the final pot size would be £800 and our call is £200 (800/200 is 25%).
We use pot odds to ensure we only call bets when we are getting good pot odds. While it’s best to use pot odds in conjunction with implied odds (we’ll cover this another day), equity and position, you can still use this calculation to see whether a call is preferable or not. As a rule of thumb, the bigger your pot odds, the better price you have for calling. In the above example, for example, it would be far more attractive to call a bet that gives you odds of 4/1 or 5/1.
Scenario
Let’s do a simple pot odds exercise to help you learn how to quickly determine pot odds ratios and percentages.
Question
Villain bets £50 into a £50 pot and it is your turn to act. What are your pot odds ratio and percentage?
Answer
If you said 2:1 or 33% give yourself a big pat on the back. Here’s how it is calculated:
Pot odds calculation
Pot odds = [pot size]:[amount to call]
Pot size = £50 pot + £50 bet = £100]
= £100:£50 = 2:1
2:1 pot odds ratio
Pot odds % calculation
Pot odds – call size/pot size
Pot size = £50 + £50 + £50 call = £150
= £50 / £150 = 1/3 = 33%
33% pot odds
How to calculate hand percentages
Unlike pot odds, it can be extremely difficult to calculate hand percentages during a fast-moving game. This is often frustrating for poker players when they’re trying to make a quick decision or wondering what went wrong.
Enter, the Grosvenor Casinos Poker Odds Calculator. Using the “Monte Carlo” algorithm, this awesome tool estimates the percentage of making a hand by simulating what could happen in any given scenario. The calculator then runs all the possible outcomes based on what each player has at the time. If you’ve not given it a go, try it out! It could give you just the edge you need, especially with out annual Goliath tournament never being far away.
With all that math and problem solving considered, whether you enjoy playing for fun or to improve your game, Poker is a proven positive exercise for the mind. You won’t believe some of the cognitive benefits of Poker.
And if you’re looking to up your game or are new to Poker, you should definitely check out these top Poker tips delivered by real pro players.
With all this new information, tactics and pro-player tips at your disposal, why not join us for the ultimate test of skill and a straight face at the prestigious GUKPT? Or, if you’re feeling brave, take on Goliath – the UK’s biggest ever live poker tournament.
In the meantime, we’ve got plenty of fantastic live poker games online for you to hit the felt and hone your card skills.
Keep it Fun
We’re here to help you keep it fun – remember to set your deposit limit. Click herefor more details on the safer gambling tools available including reality checks and the ability to take a break from your gaming.
We’ve also made it even easier to find our Safer Gambling tools from the home page of our website and there’s loads of information available at GamCare. You can also call the National Gambling Helpline, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on Freephone 0808 8020 133.
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Poker is a card game that has really captured the imaginations of a lot of TV viewers and gamblers in recent years. In order to be a successful poker player, you will need to be able to quickly calculate poker odds.
Calculating poker odds is essential in order to evaluate your chances of winning any given hand. To be able to do this you need to know how many outs or ways to win your current hand has. Knowledge of this helps you immensely and will become second nature after a little practice.
Becoming a good poker player means that you will need to work out poker odds quickly. This might sound like a complicated affair, but once you get the hang of it you will find it to be quite easy. Here you will learn everything you need to know about calculating odds in poker and how to use this skill to your advantage.
Calculating Poker Odds
In order to calculate the odds when playing poker, you need to look around at what you know. For example, you know which cards you have and what the community cards are, but there are many unknown variables in the form of other players’ hands.
You will be well aware of how many cards there are which can help you win your hand. These cards are known as outs. For example, you might have two clubs in your hand and there might be a further two among the community cards right after the turn card has been dealt. There are 46 more cards, including those of any opponents, and 9 of those cards are clubs which would help you get your flush. The chances of winning at this point are 37 to 9 or close to 4/1.
You need to consider what an opponent might have. What could he have that’s better than your hand? Let’s assume that one of the community cards is the ace of diamonds. You can assume that he perhaps has an ace and is chasing three of a kind. Only 2 cards will see him win from the 46 remaining. The odds of him winning are 46/2 or 23/1. Your chances of winning are greater, but it is based largely on assumption. He could be chasing the same flush as you or he could already have three of a kind.
It can be tricky, but knowing your own odds is a huge boost. Many players don’t even consider this part of the game at all and it will give you a distinct advantage.
You can calculate the probability of victory after the turn card has been dealt in the following way:
Total unknown cards minus the total number of outs, divided by the total number of outs.
Using the above example: 46-9/9 = 4.1
Poker Odds Chart
The probability is 4.1/1.
Your ability to quickly calculate poker odds in this way will really help your game.
Total Number of Outs
In the above example you have 9 outs and if your opponent is looking for an ace, as you suspect, he has 2. The more outs you have, the bigger chance you will have of winning. Your odds are smaller than your opponents and the lower the better when it comes to poker odds.
If you have only 1 out then the odds will be 45/1, but if you have 18 outs the odds decrease to a much more favourable 1.6/1.
Knowing how many outs you have is essential for being able to accurately calculate your odds of winning. It is purely speculation when it comes to calculating your opponent’s odds – they could be bluffing too, don’t forget – but if you assume they have a better hand than you when calculating their theoretical odds, you give yourself a greater chance.
Draw Poker Odds Calculator
Knowing When You Should Call
Calculating your odds is one thing but applying this knowledge to when you should call is a different matter. You still need to keep a level head. If your odds are 1.6/1 you don’t want to scare away other players and immediately go all in, for example.
Before calling you should look at what’s in the pot and decide if it’s worth your while. Winning is important, but so is getting good value for money.
If we use the above example once more with odds of 4/1, you would want to see that kind of return on your money if you were to call. Let’s say the pot contains $50 and your opponent bets another $10 to make it $60. You would then have to part with $10 to call. A $10 bet to potentially win a pot of $60 is odds of 6/1. A 6/1 payout for a bet that is worth 4/1 is of course great value and you should absolutely call at this point.
Conversely, if the pot was below $40 it would mean that you were getting poor value for money and the best course of action would really be to fold.
Winning Isn’t Guaranteed
Just because you know you have really good odds and you suspect your opponent has a hand with higher or worse odds doesn’t mean that you will win. 4/1 means you will win 1 in 4 times – that means that 3 times you will lose in the same circumstances. And even though the odds on your opponent winning are 23/1, it doesn’t mean that it’s impossible for him to win rather than you.
Bear in mind that poker odds are an indicator of who is most likely to win, but not who will actually win.
Knowing Your Odds
Poker is an odds-based game, of that there is no doubt. As well as being able to calculate the odds of winning with the hand you have and the odds of your opponent winning with the cards he has, you should also know the odds of some of the most common hands in poker.
Here are some of the most common poker hands and their odds on the turn:
- Open-ended straight – 4.8/1
- Flush – 4/1
- Inside straight – 10.5/1
- Two pairs – 8.2/1
- Three of a kind – 22/1
You should study a poker hands chart in order to learn the odds on different hands and commit them to memory in order to help you become a better poker player.