[wheeloftime]

is there an easy way to calculate pot odds? i hate using the calculator. would rather learn to do it in my head. because the program wont always be available, especially if i decide to do a live tourney, which i would like to do. how do you calculate your pot odds?




ode to the poker gods.

[poka902]

I think the the best odd indicator out there is listen to your gut feeling on the hand that you have in front of you. I doubt that there is any program around that can tell you what other players are betting on and if there is well i still would just go with what i feel my starting hand is worth.

[SuBBaToMiX]

An awesome Odds Calculator is MagicHoldem. It has worked well for me. I use it all the time when I Play online. Do a google search on magicholdem and download the free trial.

[vukojebina]

Calculatem pro.

But yes again like they many have told you before, you have to go with instincts also.

Well ring games are more math and odds... you can trust your heart and instincts, but chasing flush with bad pot odds is wrong play all the time, no matter what your gut tells you.

The main problem with calculators is that no calculator will show you the implied odds. Better invest money in some books. Sklansky's books for ring games and Harringon's books for tournament play.

In tournaments instincts are the game and calculators are mostly useless.

And now to calculating them in the head. Easy game:

Count the odds... let's say you have two spades. And there are 2 spades on the board. the card that will make your flush is a spade. You can see a total of 4 spades. There are 13 spades in deck. So there can be 9 more spades in the deck. That means 9. On the flop multiply that number by 4. 9x4 = 36 and that means you have about 36% of hitting your flush on turn and river. On turn you multiply outs by 2.. 18% chance of hitting your flush.

Count the outs - cards that could help you and multiply by 4 on flop and by 2 on river.

Watch that you don't count the same card that could help you twice. That will be mostly when you have straight flush draw. And don't count the odds that don't help you like you are chasing a straight with 98 the board is 67A with 2 spades - so this means a T or 5 can make your straight so that is 8 outs - but 5 of spades or T of spades can also make a flush, so that card doesn't really help you - so actually you have only 6 outs if you think the other guy is chasing a flush.