Calculating Poker Odds: A Beginner's Guide

If you are new to poker, one of the first concepts to master is odds. Understanding how odds work will help you make better decisions at the tables, thus maximizing your chances of long-term success.

What are odds in poker?

In poker, the term "odds" usually refers to pot odds. However, as we will see, there are other types of odds as well.

📝 Definition: Poker odds are ratios that compare two events: the likelihood of something happening versus it not happening.

You will understand this better with the examples below.

Different types of odds in poker

Here are the main types of odds you need to know.

Pot Odds

📝 Définition : Definition: Pot odds compare the amount of money you need to invest to stay in the hand to the total size of the pot after your opponent's bet and your own.

In other words, it tells you the amount you are risking compared to what you could win.

Example :

You are on the turn and you check. Your only opponent (other players have folded) bets 20 chips into a pot of 60 chips.

What are your pot odds in this situation?

Here is the formula to calculate pot odds as a percentage:

\(\frac{\text{Your bet}}{\text{Pot} + \text{Opponent’s bet} + \text{Your bet}}\)

In our example:

\(\frac{20}{60 + 20 + 20} = 20\%\)

In this situation, the pot odds are therefore 20% (we will see later why calculating pot odds is important).

Drawing Odds

📝 Definition: Drawing odds represent the chances of completing your hand (for example, a straight or flush draw) versus not completing it.

It is the ratio of the number of cards that help you (called "outs") to those that do not.

Example :

Suppose you have an open-ended straight draw on the turn.

Illustration of a poker table with card images showing an open-ended straight draw. — A seven or a queen on the river would give you a straight...

In this situation:

You have 8 outs that help you complete the straight (four 7s and four queens).
There are 38 cards that do not help you. This number comes from the following formula: 52 cards in the deck - 2 hole cards - 4 board cards - 8 outs = 38 cards.

The drawing odds are therefore 38:8, or about 5:1. This means that for every time you complete your straight, you will fail to complete it 5 times on average.

Converting Odds to Percentages

An odd (e.g., 5:1) can also be expressed as a percentage using the following formula:

\( \text{Percentage} = \frac{1}{\text{Odds} + 1} \times 100 \)

For example, for odds of 5:1:

\( \text{Percentage} = \frac{1}{5 + 1} \times 100 = 16\% \)

👉🏻 Generally, it is more practical to use percentages, especially to easily compare odds with each other as we will do in the rest of the article.

Image of a Greek woman thinking in front of mathematical writings. There are also poker chips in the image. — You might think that converting 5:1 into 16% in your head at a poker table isn't easy. The good news is that there's a simple trick to directly calculate this probability, which we detail in this article.

There is a third type of odds, called implied odds, which we will discuss later.

Comparing Pot Odds and Drawing Odds

💰 Comparing pot odds and drawing odds is an excellent way to make profitable decisions in poker.

Assuming you estimate that you will beat your opponent when you hit your draw, the rule is simple:

If the pot odds are higher than your drawing odds: calling to try and hit your draw is not profitable in the long term.
On the other hand, if the pot odds are lower than your drawing odds: calling becomes profitable in the long term.

Practical Example:

Let’s take the above example, assuming you believe you are sure to win the hand if you complete your straight draw.

All the players in the hand have folded except you (Hero) and Villain.

You check. Your opponent (Villain) decides to bet 20 chips into a pot of 60.

As seen above, this gives you a pot odds of 20%.

Similarly, as detailed above, the probability of completing your straight draw is about 16% (drawing odds).

➡️ Therefore, your probability of winning (16%) is lower than your pot odds (20%): it is more profitable for you to fold your hand rather than call.

Understanding Implied Odds in Poker

In poker, there is a third type of odds that is very useful: implied odds.

What are Implied Odds?

📝 Definition: An implied odds in poker is an estimate of the future gains you can achieve if you complete your hand.

Unlike pot odds, it takes into account not only the money already in the pot but also the money that your opponent might add in future betting rounds.

How to Use Implied Odds in a Poker Game?

Let's take our example above (open-ended straight draw on the turn) to illustrate how considering implied odds can lead you to make a better decision.

Imagine that if you complete your straight and bet 50 chips on the river, you think your opponent will definitely call.

The potential pot you are aiming for then goes from 100 chips to 150 chips (100 chips on the turn + 50 additional chips on the river).

Your implied odds are:

\( \text{Implied Odds} = \frac{20}{150} = 13{,}3\% \)

This time, the pot odds (implied) are 13.3%, which is lower than the probability of completing your draw, which was 16%. Calling your opponent's bet is now profitable!

💬 Tip: Implied odds are particularly useful against less experienced players who are inclined to call big bets, even with mediocre hands. Learn to identify them, and you can exploit this weakness.

Tools to Calculate Poker Odds

If you find it difficult to calculate odds manually, don't worry. Many free tools are available to help you calculate them.

Online Odds Calculators

These tools allow you to enter the cards that you and your opponents hold, and they automatically calculate pot and drawing odds for you. Among the most popular options are:

⏱️ Of course, you won’t have time to use these tools while playing online poker games. These are tools to use “off the tables” when you are working on your game.