Someone explain pot odds to me

I don't feel like buying a $20 book.

Pot odds is when you calculate whether or not it's worth it to call. You compare how much money you have to put into the pot vs how much is already there to how many outs you have to improve your hand vs how many cards are left. If the number of outs to cards left is higher than cost of call to pot size, then you're getting "good odds" and should make the call (this means that in the long run, if you do this consistently you will make more than you will lose).

...I think.

Easiest way is to go by an example. The first is very simple.

The pot is $20. Someone bets $10 after the turn card. Now there is $30 in the pot. If you call and win, you will get $30, 3 times what you put in. If you lose, you will lose $10 (Money in the pot is NOT yours even if you put it in, it is in the pot.) This is "1 to 3" pot odds, or 33% (for some people percentages are easier)

Okay, cards wise, you are holding two spades and the flop/turn shows two more spades, giving you a 4 card flush draw. Let us assume that your opponent has a higher pair than your cards or has trips, or has something that you can not beat with out the flush. Now start counting cards.

First the number of cards that you don't know, you know your cards (2) and the flop+turn (4), so there are 6 cards you know and thus 46 cards that you don't know. Now count the number of spades remaining in the deck. You know two are in your hand and that two are on the flop. Since there are a total of 13, that leaves 9 remaining in the deck. Thus, on the river, you have a 9/46 chance of hitting your flush. Or just over 20% chance of hitting. Thus, in this case you are NOT getting odds to call their bet.

-------- End Example 1 -----------------

Now consider the same as above, except that your oponent holds two pair. This affects your pot odds because there are certain spades that will give you your flush, but will ALSO give him his boat. Thus, you can't count those cards as outs.

http://www.pokertips.org/strategy/drawing.php

someone delete this thread

Easiest way is to go by an example. The first is very simple.

The pot is $20. Someone bets $10 after the turn card. Now there is $30 in the pot. If you call and win, you will get $30, 3 times what you put in. If you lose, you will lose $10 (Money in the pot is NOT yours even if you put it in, it is in the pot.) This is "1 to 3" pot odds, or 33% (for some people percentages are easier)

Okay, cards wise, you are holding two spades and the flop/turn shows two more spades, giving you a 4 card flush draw. Let us assume that your opponent has a higher pair than your cards or has trips, or has something that you can not beat with out the flush. Now start counting cards.

First the number of cards that you don't know, you know your cards (2) and the flop+turn (4), so there are 6 cards you know and thus 46 cards that you don't know. Now count the number of spades remaining in the deck. You know two are in your hand and that two are on the flop. Since there are a total of 13, that leaves 9 remaining in the deck. Thus, on the river, you have a 9/46 chance of hitting your flush. Or just over 20% chance of hitting. Thus, in this case you are NOT getting odds to call their bet.

-------- End Example 1 -----------------

Now consider the same as above, except that your oponent holds two pair. This affects your pot odds because there are certain spades that will give you your flush, but will ALSO give him his boat. Thus, you can't count those cards as outs.

pretty good explanation. to simplify it a bit, are hitting your flush rougly 1 in 5 times. that means in order to call, you need to be putting in 1/5 of the current pot or less to make this call. the reason for this is that if you make this exact call 5 times, you will hit once, and if you are getting better than 5 to 1 pot odds then over those hand you come out ahead.

play limit for a week. you'll pick up on pot odds real quick.

This is "1 to 3" pot odds, or 33% (for some people percentages are easier)
Quick point of clarification, 33% is laying 3 to 2 odds (25% is laying 3 to 1.) :)

How is 1 to 3, 25%? You stand to lose $10, you stand to gain $30...

3 to 1 against means for every 3 times you lose you win once.

So then the correct way of saying what I wanted was 2 to 1 odds....

Yeah, I didn't even see that in his post. 2 to 1 against = 33%.

Okay, I have been saying my pot odds/ any odds for that matter wrong for a very very long time.. heh, learn something new every day :)

Yeah, I didn't even see that in his post. 2 to 1 against = 33%.
Quick point of clarification, I fucked up too! LOL, you're right of course, 33% is 2 to 1 against (66:33 = 2:1). :)

You guys are confusing.

Just remember this:

1. If you have a 4 flush or open end straight draw on the FLOP, you want the pot to be roughly 3x your bet to make the call. (closer to 2x is about even money, but 3 is a typical rule of thumb)

2. If you have a 4 flush or open end straight draw on the TURN, you want the pot to be roughly 5x your bet to make the call. (again closer to 4x is about even money, 5 is typical rule of thumb)

3. If you have both a 4 flush AND an open end straight draw on the flop, you are essentially even money to hit.

4. If you have top pair or a set, and feel someone is drawing to a flush/straight, you want to bet 3/4 pot to full pot to make them pay too much to continue drawing. Theoretically they are making an error by calling this bet.

Of course these odds assume your flush or straight will win the hand. If you have the bottom end of a straight or a lower flush it's time to make a judgement call.