If you need to put all your chips in and then hit on the river to win, there may be a consideration beyond pot odds, namely the subjective value you put on your tournament life. For instance, do you really want to risk your life as say a 4:1 dog because the pot odds are say 5:1 or 6:1? Or even 10:1?
The math says you should because you'll be EV+ over the long run. However, the math doesn't take situational variables into account. For example, what if there probably isn't a long term; i.e. you're in a situation you probably won't be in again? Let's say you're heads up in the WSOP main event, and you're behind but not desperately short-stacked. The pot odds are 6:1, and if you win the hand, you'll have a strong chip lead. However, the hand odds are 4:1, which means you'll come second 80% of the time if you call. |