Pot odds are one of the most talked about elements of poker, yet is still misunderstood by many players. First, pot odds are important if you are a player that uses poker math to his/her favor. If you are a player that makes plays on instincts and tells, then knowledge of pot odds may not be as important to your game. I think that pot odds are important, but not as important as implied odds, which is a far more complex and detailed idea.

To figure out your pot odds you have to take a second and do some simple math. You have to find out if the amount of money you are placing into the pot is less that the percentage of the time that you will hit your hand. This means that you have to know how many outs that you have in any given hand. To figure out your odds you must first put your opponents on a range of hands. If you have two pair and you believe your opponent has a made straight, then you have 4 outs, 2 outs for each of your pairs. You can find charts online that tell you the number of outs you have for any hand. The next step is taking these outs and figuring out the percentage of the time that you will win. To find this number you have to take the number of outs you have divided by the number of unseen cards. While this method will give you a precise figure, there is a much easier way to figure your percentage. It is called the 4 and 2 method, which was introduced by Phil Gordon I believe. To use this method you take the number of outs you have on the flop and multiply by 4. To figure your odds after the turn, then multiply your outs by 2. If after the flop you have the nut flush draw, then you have 9 outs. 9 x 4 = 36. So you will hit your flush 36 percent of the time. If you do not hit on the turn, the you have 18 percent chance to hit your hand. 9 x 2 = 18. This is how to figure the percentage of the time that you will hit your hand.

After getting this number, you take this number and compare it to the money in the pot to get your pot odds. In the previous example of the flush draw, you have a 36 percent chance to hit your hand. This is roughly 2 to 1. If there are 1000 chips in the pot and your only opponent in the hand bets 800. You have to call 800 into a pot of 1800. You are getting about 2.2 to 1 on your call. If this number is greater than the ratio of your percentage to win, then the pot odds are profitable in this given hand. If after the turn you have not hit your flush, you now have an 18 percent chance to win. There is now 2600 in the pot after your call of 800. This time your opponent bets 2000. You now have to call 2000 into a pot of 4600. You are getting a little better that 2.4 to 1 on your call. However, you will hit your hand only 18 percent of the time, or a little better than 5 to 1. So calling after the turn is not a profitable play anymore. Yes, this can be very confusing, but if you figure it out, you'll be able to make solid decisions about when it is profitable to call and when folding is the correct play.

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