If you’re the kind of poker player whose eyes glaze over when someone mentions pot odds, then you are the kind of player who needs to read this. Pot odds in poker actually aren’t all that difficult to wrap your head around. And if you do, you can see enormous benefits to your play.

So strap yourself in and let’s give you a useful poker lesson that will pay dividends in the future.

1. Pot odds in poker is the cost of the call in relation to the size of the pot

This is the kind of thing that starts to become intuitive after you’ve played a lot of poker. If the pot is huge and someone makes a pretty small bet, it can make sense to call on the off chance that you’ve got the winning hand.

2. You express pot odds in ratios

The most common way to express pot odds in poker is in ratios. That simply means the size of the current pot to the cost of the call. So for example, if you have a £6 pot and the call is £0.60, those pot odds are 10:1.

3. The key to pot odds in poker is using it in relation to your hand probability

To make pot odds work for you, you’ve got to take stock of what you have. How strong is your hand? And compared to the board, what are your chances of winning?

Now work out the pot odds in poker. If there’s a higher chance you’ll win than what the pot odds are, you should make that call. But if your shot at winning is lower than the pod odds, then don’t call.

4. Implied pot odds takes account of the future as well

Of course, nobody can predict the future, particularly when it comes to poker. We’ve all been there, done that and bought the t-shirt. But it’s also true that seasoned players can expect to have a rough idea of what is likely to happen.

So when you take into account what might happen in future rounds of betting, that’s called implied pot odds in poker. This is another thing players often do intuitively, but it’s really good to be conscious of it. And implied pot odds have a handy little formula for helping you decide how to proceed. Add the bets that you expect to gain if you win the hand, excluding your own bets, to the current pot. That, my friend, is your basis for implied pot odds. And it can come in mighty useful.

5. Reverse implied pot odds are essential for aggressive plays

A lot of people run for the hills when they hear the term reverse implied pot odds in poker. But despite the tongue twister of a name, you shouldn’t be afraid to learn what this has to offer you.

If you’re up against an aggressive player, minimum wins and maximum losses will speak to you. And that’s what reverse implied pot odds are all about

Simply put, it’s when you win a minimum amount if you come out on top of this play or else incur maximum losses if you don’t. Essentially, if you go in all guns blazing because you have AA, everyone folds and you win the minimum amount. Alternatively, you do the same thing but someone matches your bets and then beats you with a flush, you’re going to lose a whole lot.

So when you’re thinking about reverse implied pot odds when playing online poker at sites such as Bet365 poker (bet365 bonus code here if you need it), you’ve got to really consider what the other players have and how they’ll react.

All players who sign up to bet365 poker must be of legal gambling age in their jurisdiction. In the UK and Ireland, that is 18 years of age. Always gamble responsibly. Visit Gamble Aware if you need help.

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