Calculating pot odds error
Apologies if this is too basic of a question. I am working through From the Ground Up and reviewing some hands. Realized I have been calculating pot odds wrong.
For example,
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SB: $2.03
BB: $2.48
Hero (UTG): $2.10
CO: $2.00
BTN: $2.00
SB posts SB $0.01, BB posts BB $0.02
Pre Flop: (pot: $0.03) Hero has Qc Jd
Hero raises to $0.06, fold, fold, SB raises to $0.26, fold, fold
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I thought to calculate pot odds, we divide the amount of money we have to put in the pot to make the call by the total size of the pot once we make that call.
So if there is $200 in a pot, someone bets $100, the total pot size would be $200 (initial pot), $100 (their bet), $100 (my call) = $400. So pot odds would be 100/400 = 25%.
For the above hand, I'd be at $0.09 (initial pot), $0.26 (their bet), $.20 (my call) = $0.55. So pot odds would be $0.20 / $0.55 = .36.
PT4 is showing me that at this point the pot odds are 1.42:1 = 41%.
What am I doing wrong here?
Thank you all for your time.
6 Replies
You are double counting their blind in the initial pot and their bet
While the sports betting world has moved away from 'true' Odds in lieu of a more user friendly format poker doesn't lend you that luxury.
In your $100 example your Pot Odds are 3 to 1 .. then you can convert it to a percentage if you want. (Most people do.)
Yes .. Pot is 0.14 (your 6 + SB 'call' 6+ BB fold 2) plus the 0.20 SB raise .. 0.34. This gives us pretty easy math here (rounding) with Pot Odds being 20 to 35, which reduces to 4 to 7 (or 36%).
So now it's time to range your opponent and see if you come up with EV=36% or higher with QJo from in position .. B v SB. You are +EV here against all under-pairs .. not a favorite, but +EV. GL
Thank you both for the explanations.
your odds are 3 "to" 1... or 25%... 1 dividend by (3 plus 1)
also, odds can be quoted as (in this situation) as 4 "for" 1.. same thing
my bad.. i think op knew this
is the helpful poster's answer of 36% pot odds correct? 20/34?
i think it's 20/54... 36% or something like that.. no calculator
if you use the 20/34 example, you'd need 100% odds if someome offered fair coin flip... whereas someone bets
$100 into heads-up coin flip pot, you can call with up to $100...pot odds of 50% include my $100 in denominator
For Pot Odds it's 20 to 34
For % it's 20/54
In the other OP example the Pot Odds are 100 to 300 .. or 25%
The long form of Pot Odds is "I'm putting in X to win the existing pot of Y"
Yes, you do also get your bet back (X), but that's not how ODDS are stated ..GL
