Poker Odds Chart Explained
- Poker Odds Chart Explained Calculator
- Poker Odds Chart Explained Percentile
- Poker Odds Chart Explained Interpretation
- Poker Odds Chart Explained Chart
Pot odds is a fundamental and mathematical concept used in poker. Before you understand what pot odds are, take a look at the options below:
Poker Odds Explained – Pot Odds. Poker odds tell you how often an event fails to occur. In other words, how many times you’re going to lose versus how many times you’re going to win. A simple to way to use poker odds to your advantage is to compare them to pot odds and determine whether you’ll be able to play profitably or not. Poker odds chart. The following chart will show you the odds to improve your hand based on how many outs you have. I’ve also included the percentages. If you want to see the detailed math involved with these odds as well as odds for almost any Hold’em situation you can imagine, PokerDope has an excellent page on that. Poker Probabilities Introduction Five to Nine Card Stud. The following tables show the number of combinations and probability for each poker hand using the best five cards from out of 5 to 10 cards.
Option A: If you risk 1 cookie, you will get 2 cookies.
Option B: If you risk 1 cookie, you will get 5 cookies.
Other poker odds charts. For more useful odds charts that you can use for when you are working out whether or not to call when on a drawing hand, use the following tables: Ratio odds chart. Percentage odds chart. Both of these tables give the odds for completing your draw depending on how many outs you have. Texas Hold'em Cheat SheetOdds Based on Outs after the Flop. If after the flop, you have: Two outs: Your odds are 11 to 1 (about 8.5 percent) A common scenario would be when you have a pair and you are hoping your pair becomes a three-of-a-kind (a set).
Which option will you choose? Definitely option B. You get 5 cookies for risking 1 cookie!
What if I replace cookie with 1 million dollars? How will it look like?
Option A: If you risk $1 million, you will get $2 million.
Option B: If you risk $1 million, you will get $5 million.
Notice any difference? The values have changed, but the ratio between the reward and risk is still the same. If you have noticed this difference, you have already grasped the meaning of pot odds!
So, without any further ado, let’s delve into the fundamental concept in poker!
What are Pot Odds in Poker?
Poker pot odds are a mathematical expression of risk and reward. Pot odds tell you how much do you need to risk in order to win a reward. It is the ratio between the reward and the risk.
Reward = Pot to be Won
The pot can be at any point of the game – preflop, flop, turn or river.
Risk = How much you need to risk in order to win the pot
The risk is the size of someone’s bet/raise/re-raise you are facing. It is the amount you need to call in order to win the pot.
Pot odds = Reward : Risk
It is the ratio of the size of the pot (reward) to the amount you have to call (risk).
For example:
If there is $6 in the pot and your opponent bets $3, the pot becomes $9. In order to win the pot of $9, you need to call $3. So, what are the odds?
Reward = $9 (Size of the Pot)
Risk = $3 (Size of the Call)
Pot Odds = $9(Reward):$3(Risk)
= 9:3, which can be simplified to 3:1
Hence, the pot odds are 3:1. You can look at these odds in two ways.
- You need to pay 1/3 of the pot for a chance to win the whole pot
- You will get 3X the reward of your risk
Poker Pot Odds Example
Alert! This can be a bit mathematical but an easy hack to learn the odds quickly is available right after the example.
So, have some patience and continue reading…
In this example, we will not be looking at the hole cards so that you are solely focussed on the concept of poker odds.
Here’s the situation: You are on the Button in a $1/$2 6-max game. The Under the Gun (UTG) calls $2. The Middle Position (MP) raises to $5. Let’s calculate the pot odds.
If you don’t know what positions are, go through this: Poker Positions Explained
Preflop
Total pot (Reward) = $1 (small blind) +$2 (big blind) + $2 (UTG’s call) + $5 (MP’s raise)
= $10
Amount to Call (Risk) = $5
Pot Odds = $10 (Reward):$5 (Risk)
= 2:1
You decide to call, and others fold. The total pot is now $15 ($10 in the pot + $5 your call)
Poker Odds Chart Explained Calculator
Flop
On the flop, the MP makes a half-size pot bet of $7.5. What are the odds now?
Total Pot = $15 (already in the pot) + $7.5 (MP’s bet)
= $22.5
Amount to Call = $7.5
Pot Odds = $22.5:$7.5
= 3:1
You decide to call, and the total pot is now $30 ($22.5 in the pot +$7.5 your call).
Turn
On the turn, the MP makes a quarter of a pot-size bet of $7.5. What are the odds now?
Total Pot = $30 (already in the pot) + $7.5 (MP’s bet)
= $37.5
Amount to Call = $7.5
Pot Odds = $37.5:$7.5
= 5:1
You decide to call, and the total pot is now $45 ($37.5 in the pot + $7.5 your call).
River
On the river, the MP makes a full pot-size bet of $45. What are the odds now?
Total Pot = $45 (already in the pot) + $45 (MP’s bet)
= $90
Amount to Call = $45
Pot Odds = $90:$45
= 2:1
The pot odds on the river is now 2:1. So, if you call, you will get 2X the reward for your call.
As you can see, the odds increase or decrease on different streets. By using the poker odds, you get a clear picture of the reward you will earn for the risk you take.
A Shortcut to Know Your Pot Odds
An easy way to know the odds is to know how much is in the pot and the percentage of the pot your opponent bets.
- What’s the Pot Size?
- What Percentage of the Pot is Your Opponent Betting?
For example, if the pot is $100 and your opponent bets $25, you can say that he is making a 1/4 pot-size bet or he is betting 25% of the pot.
You can save this chart or print it and paste it on a wall next to your computer.
Why are Pot Odds used in Poker?
Pot odds tell you the ratio between the reward and the risk. It helps you to understand how much you need to risk to win the reward. But the real question is, “Is it worth the risk?” For that, you need to compare your card odds with the pot odds.
What are Card Odds?
It is the ratio of cards in the deck that you don’t want to the cards that you want. In other words, it is the ratio of unwanted cards and outs. If you don’t know what outs are, you can click here: How to Calculate Outs in Poker.
Poker Odds Chart Explained Percentile
Card Odds = Cards we don’t need : Cards we need
Let’s look at the example below to understand this concept better:
Your Hand: 7♦ 6♦
Flop: 8♦ K♣ 2♦
Your opponent bets $25 into a pot of $100. The total pot is $125. You need to call $25 for a chance to win $125.
So, the pot odds are $125:$25 or 5:1.
In this scenario, you have 9 outs to complete your flush draw. Let’s calculate the odds now.
- A deck has 52 cards.
- We know 5 cards out of those 52 cards – Our 2 Hole Cards and 3 cards on the Flop.
- 52 – 5 = 47. There are 47 cards in the deck that we don’t know.
- There are 9 outs that will help us to make the flush. We need those 9 cards (outs).
- 47 – 9 = 38. We don’t need those 38 cards.
- Card Odds = Cards we don’t need : Cards we need
- Card Odds = 38:9
- 38:9 can be simplified as 4.2:1 or roughly 4:1
The card odds tell us that the odds of hitting a diamond-suited card is 4:1. This means that there is a possibility that a diamond-suited card is in the deck once every 4 cards. In other words, for every 4 times, you won’t hit a diamond, 1 time you will.
Compare Pot Odds with Card Outs
The golden rule is that thepot odds should be greater than the card outs. When the odds from the pot are bigger than the odds of hitting an out, you will be winning more money than losing in the long run. So, the reward should be bigger than the risk.
Pot Odds > Card Outs
In the above example, we have the following odds:
Pot Odds = 5:1
Card Odds = 4:1
Pot Odds > Card Outs
We should call here as the pot odds are greater than card odds.
Card Odds Chart
It may be very difficult to do the addition and division to find the card odds while playing poker. You can save this card odds chart or print it to paste it on the wall. The chart has the common draw scenarios with the poker outs that you might face while playing poker. With a bit of practice, you will remember the important card odds.
* The last column All-in on the Flop (2 Cards to Come) is in a situation when you or your opponent go all-in on the flop. In an all-in situation, you don’t have to call bets on the turn or river. So, you will see 2 cards till the river. Seeing 2 cards instead of 1 improves your odds.
Let’s look at the example below for a quick exercise.
Your Hand: 7♦ 6♦
Turn: 8♦ K♣ 2♦ J♠
You have a flush draw with 9 outs.
Bet Size #1
Your opponent makes a quarter of a pot-size bet of $25 into a pot of $100. The total pot is now $125. You need to call $25 for a chance to win $125.
Pot Odds: 5:1 ($125:$25)
Card Odds: 4.1:1 (Look at the chart)
Pot Odds > Card Odds
Here, you can call as the pot odds are greater than the card odds. This means that you will be winning more money than losing in the long run.
Bet Size #2
In the same example, if your opponent makes a full pot-size bet of $100 into a pot of $100, the total pot becomes $200. You need to call $100 for a chance to win $200.
Pot Odds: 2:1 ($200:$100)
Card Odds: 4.1:1 (Look at the chart)
Card Odds > Pot Odds
Here, the card odds are greater than the pot odds. Although you might hit a flush on the river, calling here won’t be profitable in the long run. So, it will be wise to fold here.
Calculating Pot Odds Using the Percentage Method
Another way of calculating odds in poker is by using the percentage method. There are three simple steps in calculating the odds using the percentage method.
Step 1: Calculate the Final Pot
This is the major difference between the ratio method and the percentage method. In the percentage method, you need to add your call amount to the total pot to calculate the final pot. For example, if there is $6 in the pot and your opponent bets $3, the total pot becomes $9. Now add your call amount, which is $3, to calculate the final pot.
Total Pot = $6 (Already in the pot) + $3 (Opponent’s Bet)
= $9
Final Pot = $9 (Total Pot) + $3 (Call Amount)
= $12
Step 2: Divide the Call Amount by the Final Pot
Call Amount = $3
Final Pot = $12
3/12 = 0.25
Step 3: Multiply by 100
Multiply by 100 to get the percentage.
0.25 X 100 = 25%
So, the pot odds are 25%.
Poker Pot Odds Example Using the Percentage Method
Alert! This can be a bit mathematical but an easy hack to learn the odds quickly is available right after the example.
So, have some patience and continue reading…
Let’s review the example without looking at the hole cards to find the odds percentage.
You are on the Button in a $1/$2 6-max game. The Under the Gun (UTG) calls $2. The Middle Position (MP) raises to $5. Let’s calculate the odds.
Preflop
Total pot = $1 (small blind) +$2 (big blind) + $2 (UTG’s call) + $5 (MP’s raise)
= $10
Amount to Call = $5
Final Pot = $10 (Total Pot) + $5 (Call Amount)
= $15
Pot Odds = $5 (Call Amount) / $15 (Final Pot)
= 0.33
0.33 X 100 = 33%
So, the pot odds are 33%.
You decide to call, and others fold. The total pot is now $15 ($10 in the pot + $5 your call)
Flop
On the flop, the MP makes a half-size pot bet of $7.5. What are the odds now?
Total Pot = $15 (already in the pot) + $7.5 (MP’s bet)
= $22.5
Amount to Call = $7.5
Final Pot = $22.5 (Total Pot) + $7.5 (Call Amount)
= $30
Pot Odds = $7.5 (Call Amount) / $30 (Final Pot)
= 0.25
0.25 X 100 = 25%
So, the pot odds are 25%.
You decide to call, and the total pot is now $30 ($22.5 in the pot +$7.5 your call).
Turn
On the turn, the MP makes a quarter of a pot-size bet of $7.5. What are the odds now?
Total Pot = $30 (already in the pot) + $7.5 (MP’s bet)
= $37.5
Amount to Call = $7.5
Final Pot = $37.5 (Total Pot) + $7.5 (Call Amount)
= $45
Pot Odds = $7.5 (Call Amount) / $45 (Final Pot)
= 0.17
0.17 X 100 = 17%
So, the pot odds are 17%.
You decide to call, and the total pot is now $45 ($37.5 in the pot + $7.5 your call).
River
On the river, the MP makes a full pot-size bet of $45. What are the odds now?
Total Pot = $45 (already in the pot) + $45 (MP’s bet)
= $90
Amount to Call = $45
Final Pot = $90 (Total Pot) + $45 (Call Amount)
= $135
Pot Odds = $45 (Call Amount) / $135 (Final Pot) = 0.33
0.33 X 100 = 33%
So, the pot odds are 33%.
A Shortcut to Know Your Pot Odds Percentage
An easy way to know the odds is to know how much is in the pot and the percentage of the pot your opponent bets.
- What’s the Pot Size?
- What Percentage of the Pot is Your Opponent Betting?
For example, if the pot is $100 and your opponent bets $25, you can say that he is making a 1/4 pot-size bet or he is betting 25% of the pot.
You can save this pot odds chart or print it and paste it on a wall next to your computer.
How is the Percentage used in Poker?
In the percentage method, you need to find the card equity and compare it with odds percentage to make a decision. Card equity is as same as card odds. Instead of using a ratio, it is expressed in percentage.
How to Find Card Equity?
Card equity can be accurate if you know what range of hands your opponents are holding. There are many equity calculators available online. Since this is an introductory chapter on poker pot odds, we will teach you the simplest way to calculate card equity.
On the Flop Waiting for the Turn – Number of Outs X 4
On the Turn Waiting for the River – Number of Outs X 2
Let’s look at the example below to calculate the equity.
Your Hand: 7♦ 6♦
Flop: 8♦ K♣ 9♠
You have an open-ended straight draw with 8 outs.
Equity = 8 outs x 4
= 32%
Turn: 8♦ K♣ 9♠ 2♥
Equity = 8 x 2
= 16%
Poker Odds Chart Explained Interpretation
Compare Pot Odds with Equity
The golden rule is that theequity should be greater than the pot odds. When the equity is greater than the pot odds, you will be winning more money than losing in the long run. Here, the reward is bigger than the risk.
Equity > Pot Odds
Let’s look at the example below to compare the odds and equity.
Your Hand: 7♦ 6♦
Turn: 8♦ K♣ 2♦ J♠
You have a flush draw with 9 outs.
Bet Size #1
Your opponent makes a quarter of a pot-size bet of $25 into a pot of $100. The total pot is now $125. The final pot is $150 (total pot + call amount).
Pot Odds: 17% (25/150 X 100)
Equity: 9 (outs) X 2 (Turn)
= 18%
Equity > Pot Odds
Here, you can call as the equity is greater than the pot odds. This means that you will be winning more money than losing in the long run.
Bet Size #2
In the same example, if your opponent makes a full pot-size bet of $100 into a pot of $100, the total pot becomes $200. The final pot is $300 (total pot + call amount).
Pot Odds: 33% (100/300 X 100)
Equity: 9 (outs) X 2 (Turn)
= 18%
Pot Odds > Equity
Here, the pot odds are greater than the equity. Although you might hit a flush on the river, calling here won’t be profitable in the long run. So, it will be wise to fold here.
An easy way to find out how much equity is required for you to call is to find out the percentage of the pot your opponent bets. Remember these odds against your opponent’s bet sizes.
Conclusion
It might be a little overwhelming for the first time to grasp the concept of pot odds. However, with a bit of practice, you will get used to it. We recommend you to save all the charts or print them and paste it on the wall to take quick decisions. Poker is a mathematical game, and if you get your numbers right, you will always win money in the long run!
Poker odds tell you how often an event fails to occur. In other words, how many times you’re going to lose versus how many times you’re going to win. A simple to way to use poker odds to your advantage is to compare them to pot odds and determine whether you’ll be able to play profitably or not.
What Are Pot Odds?
Pot odds are used to determine whether your decision is profitable or not. In fact, most of the poker theory revolves around the basic concept of pot odds. You always have to consider risk and reward and, no matter what, you always make decisions based on poker odds to some degree.
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Calculating Pot Odds
Calculating pot odds is about learning whether it’s beneficial to risk $X in order to win the pot when your probability of winning is Y%. The amount in the pot to the amount you have to call is your pot odds. In other words, the ratio of pot to involuntary bet.
Here’s the calculation: (Pot + Bet) / Bet = Pot Odds
Example:
With $2000 in the pot, your opponent bets $1500. What are your pot odds? Here’s the calculation: ($2000 + $1500) : $1500 = 2.3 : 1
So your poker pot odds are 2.3 to 1. The easiest way to understand what this actually means is to translate the ratio into a percentage. Here are two ways of doing it:
- The pot odds ratio is 2.3 : 1, so you calculate the sum of those numbers (in this case, 2.3 + 1 = 3.3) and then calculate 100% : 3.3 = 30,3%.
- Another way of translating the odds ratio into a percentage is to calculate the sum of the numbers in the ratio (2.3 + 1 = 3.3) and then calculate (1 : 3.3) * 100% = 30.3%.
The percentage tells us the minimum amount of time we need to win the pot in order to turn a profit. So in the example above, you need to win at least 30.3% of those situations in order to justify your call. If you win less than 30.3%, calling would be unprofitable.
And that is the basic idea of any poker hand: to figure out whether you win the hand often enough to call, bet or raise profitably.
Example #2: You’re on the button. There’s $500 in the pot. Your opponent bets $400. You suspect your hand beats the opponent in 40% of these situations, so how to figure out whether you can call profitably?
- ($500+$400):$400 = 2.25:1
- 100%:(2.25+1) = 30.8%
- You would make a profitable call in this situation.
To become a winning player, the goal should be to learn how to calculate poker odds during actual play, not just afterward (although calculating them at any point is a good start). This is surprisingly easy, as most of the time you’re going to be in one of these situations, so memorize them and you’re well on your way:
Odds | Percentage | Situation |
2 : 1 | 33.3% | When someone bets full pot. In other words, when there’s $100 in the pot and someone bets $100, you get 2 : 1 pot odds. |
2.3 : 1 | 30.3% | When someone bets 3/4 of the pot. In other words, when there’s $100 in the pot and someone bets $75, you get 2.3 : 1 pot odds. |
2.5 : 1 | 28.6% | When someone bets 2/3 of the pot. In other words, when there’s $100 in the pot and someone bets $66.6, you get 2.5 : 1 pot odds. |
3 : 1 | 25% | When someone bets half of the pot. In other words, when there’s $100 in the pot and someone bets $50, you get 3 : 1 pot odds. |
5 : 1 | 16.6% | When someone bets 1/4 of the pot. In other words, when there’s $100 in the pot and someone bets $25, you get 5 : 1 pot odds. Usually used to not to go to the showdown when a player senses that his opponent is either going to check or fold.Also used when your opponent refuses to believe that you will call a bigger bet but wants to get some money out of you. Remember that you only have to win over 16.6% of these situations. |
Implied Pot Odds
Poker Odds Chart Explained Chart
Implied odds are used estimate the money that can be won (or lost) during the later stages of a hand. They consider what happens on future streets and give you a more realistic idea of your odds of winning. Calculating implied poker odds requires more skill and experience because you need a good idea of how the opponent is going to react in the future. Should you predict an opponent’s actions inaccurately, you’ve also made inaccurate calculations, which in turn affects your bottom-line negatively.
Simply put, you calculate whether it’s a good decision to commit money into the pot based on how often you’re going to fold in the future (and lose no additional bets) and how often you’re going to hit your draw and make more money in the future (and win additional bets).
So the idea is the same as with pot odds except you also consider future bets. It’s easier to calculate implied poker odds in fixed limit Hold’em since you know how much your opponents can bet. In no-limit, need to correctly predict an opponent’s bet sizes. In pot-limit, you know the maximum your opponent can bet.
Example: You’re on the turn. You check and your opponent bets. There’s $30 in the pot (including your opponent’s bet) and you have $10 to call.
You get 3:1 pot odds.
If you call now, you expect the opponent to call your bet on the river each time you hit your draw, but only when the bet is max. 75% of the pot. You, on the other hand, are going to check/fold each time you fail to hit your draw.
You’re on a flush draw, and therefore you have 9 outs out of 46 remaining cards, meaning 5.1:1 odds of hitting your draw.
By simply looking at pot odds, you would either fold or raise (hoping to bluff your opponent out of the pot). But what about implied odds? As mentioned, the opponent calls your bet 100% of the time, so how much is the minimum you have to be able to bet (and get called) in order to make the play profitable?
Obviously you haven’t got very good pot odds at all. What about implied pot odds? The actual challenge when determining implied pot odds is to calculate the amount of money that you think you can likely win, and the amount of money that you absolutely have to win in order to make profit.
You have 3:1 odds and you need better than 5.1:1 odds, so you need to improve your odds by at least 2.1:1. In this case, 2.1 multiplied by the amount to call ($10) is $21. By getting your opponent to call your bet when it’s more than $21 every time you hit your draw, you would play profitably.
And how do you make sure of that the math above works? Here’s how:
0.836*10 = 0.164(30+x)
8.36 = 4.92+0.164x
-0.164x = 4.92-8.36
-0.164x = -3.44
0.164x = 3.44
x = 3.44/0.164 = 21
You multiply the amount you have to call by the times you fail to hit your draw and also multiply the amount in the pot and the money you need to win to justify a call (“x”) by the times you do hit your draw. Then you simply figure out what “x” is.
75% of the pot, which the opponent calls every time, is $30. You would make a profitable play here, since the opponent had to be willing to call $21 or more.
If the example above was hard to understand, please re-read it until you get it. The conditions were simplified for the sake of the example (the opponent always calls when bet is max. 75% of the pot, for instance–this is rarely the case).
Value of nut draws:
Nut draws are more valuable mainly because of two reasons:
- A player might end up in situations where he and his opponent both hit their draws, and if you’re the one with the nut draw, you’ll be able to make a lot of money out of that hand.
- It can go the other way around, and you’ll be in huge trouble if both of you hit your draws, but your opponent’s got the nut draw.
Overestimating implied odds:
Many players often learn about implied poker odds and start justifying every other situation with “plus, I’ve got implied odds” without doing the math. You need to go through the calculations 100s of times before you can make educated estimates on your implied odds, and even still, you should keep doing them until the day you stop playing poker for real money.
Determining correct implied odds relies on how well you can analyze opponents. Unless you have a good idea of what the opponent is going to do, use basic pot odds. Implied odds work only if you can make an educated prediction on how your opponent is going to react.
Can you sell it?
The success of your implied odds decisions also depends on your skills to extract money from your opponents. Players have different success rates in different situations (because of their image, for example). While one player might be able to get his opponent to commit the needed $21+, another player might not. You truly need to understand your capabilities.
Odds, Math, and Poker
Poker isn’t just about math but it’s all about odds. What are the odds of your opponent folding, calling or raising? What are the odds of you hitting your outs? What are the odds of your opponent hitting his outs? On some level, you’re always thinking about odds.