Pot Odds Calculations
Be aware of pot odds. You can count the outs, comparing them with the money in the pot to estimate if calling has a positive expected value.
Although it is a subjective estimate, knowing whether the pot is giving you the right odds to take the risk of continued play is the difference between losing and winning poker.
It is particularly important to keep track of pot odds in loose games.
The reason loose games are so profitable is that you can play more hands profitably when you are getting the right price-so knowing the price is critical.
It’s little less important when playing heads-up. Price is critical. It ’s a little less important when playing heads-up.
There it is more important to outplay your opponent than outdraw him. Figuring your pot odds is rather straightforward.
Just count the money that’s in the pot, comparing it with how much it will cost you to remain
in the pot, for the next card.
As an example, four players each put $10 into the pot before the flop.
At the flop, the first player bets $10, the other two fold. The pot has $50 and it costs you $10 to call, so you are getting 5-1 pot odds.
If, in the example, you were second to act instead of last, then it gets a little more complicated.
You are still getting 5-1, but the betting round is not yet over. If both other players call, you
end up getting 7-1.
If one of them gets in a raising war with the opening bettor, you will have to put $40 in the pot before it’s over. The pot will be $ 120, so you will only get 3-1 pot odds.
Comparing your pot odds with your number of outs requires a little mathematical conversion.
To convert the number of outs to your drawing odds, you just compare the number of outs
(good cards) with the rest of the remaining cards (bad cards).
Let us take the case of a somewhat tight game (one or two opponents) where the flop is 9 
7 
5.
We counted the outs as fifteen (when we held A K as our first two cards).
Because there are forty-seven unseen cards, your drawing odds are about 32-15.
Rounded off, that’s about 2-1. As long as these odds are better than the pot odds, we should play this hand.
Pick the Right Table / Picking a Seat / Theories of Poker / Betting Theory: The Odds
A Theory of Starting Hand Value
A Theory of Flop Play: Counting Outs and Evaluating Draws
The Dynamics of Game Conditions / Table Image / Player Stereotypes
Women and Poker / Spread-Limit Games / Double Bet on the End Games / Kill Games
Short-handed Games / Tournaments / No-limit and Pot-Limit Poker
