Dont Let Bad Poker Ruin Your Life

Poker Math

Math skills are the most basic knowledge; it's day one reading. Anyone who doesn't understand these concepts should not play in a game until they do. Poker is all about pot odds and quick counting.

In common poker parlance, "pot odds" refers to the ratio between what you stand to win and what you're putting in. In other words, if there is $500 in the pot and your opponent has bet $100, your pot odds would be 6 to 1. Why 6 to 1? Well, since there is already $500 in the pot and your opponent has bet an additional $100, that totals $600. Since you need to call $100 to stay in the pot, your odds are 6 to 1. It's a simple way of tracking the idea that the pot gets very large, so that even with a small chance of winning, it's a good move to get to a showdown.

To apply this basic knowledge to a poker hand, first figure out your pot odds, compare them to your actual odds, and then it assists you in making an informed decision as to whether or not you should continue playing the hand.

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).

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.

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 closed cards in the deck.