Party Holdem Poker Com
The Pro's Secret Poker Weapon
One of the most ignored aspects of Texas Hold'em is the pot odds. This is true with non-pro poker players. They may have heard or knew something about pot odds, but they are not taking advantage of what it can do to make their game play even better.
Pros know how and when to use pot odds, and it is an important strategy that amateurs disregard. The fear of calculating complex mathematics that is associated with pot odds is one of the many reasons why most amateurs fail. But the pros know how to simplify and make their lives easy. Quick thinking is the key.
Master players have a technique of calculating their odds in order for them to see right away if the situation is in their favor or not. The simplest and most basic method to calculate the odds is to know 'if your odds of getting the right card to make a good hand are less than the pot odds, then you must place a bet'.
A player should know that there are two aspects were he can make a decision; the odds of getting the right card and the pot odds. The first aspect is simple. Out of the deck of cards, a player gets five, were two of which are his pocket cards and the three his flops.
The forty seven cards in the deck are the ones invisible to him. From the forty seven cards, eight of which are likely to help him, and the thirty five won't. So his odds of getting the card he needs are thirty five [cards that won't help] to eight [cards that can help], or a more simplified 4.4 to 1.
For the pot odds, the principle is to know the size of the pot versus the amount you need to bet on the pot. For instance, the pot value is $50 and the player needs $10 to call the bet. His pot odds will be 50 to 10, or a more simplified 5 to 1.
Compared to the odds of getting the needed cards, it is obvious that the pot odds are better, so the player should call.
A quick and witty mind always helps in making all these calculations before deciding on what to do next. Understanding pot odds and how it will work for you is worth the effort. For an amateur, this could take him to a bigger and better game; hence, the makings of a pro.
