Online poker is a long-established poker game played on various sites. Poker odds, otherwise known as hand odds, are those strategies that help you identify your chances of winning.
Many players are usually not confident in using poker odds; all the same, it is an essential part of playing and winning online poker, especially with beginners. When picking a site to play on, you can use reputable sites like https://www.legaluspokersites.com/, to know if you are making the right decision at the right price is necessary for determining your success. If you make a wrong choice frequently, you’ll lose a lot of games. To avoid that, here are some hints to help you make the right call and improve your game mastery.
Pot Odds
Pot odds are the ratio between the pot’s size and the bets you place. They are the foundation for making the best decisions compared to the winning odds. Consider the amount you stand to win for bets and the likelihood that you will actually win the pot as winning odds. They determine how much is needed to win to break even and the risk you can take and gives you an idea of how much your opponent may be willing to risk too. It turns poker into a game of skill and is crucial in making the right call.
For example, If you have $20 in the pot and your opponent’s bet is $10, you’re getting 2-1 on your money. You divide the $20 by the size of the best, which is two times your bet.
If the pot has $60 in it and your opponent bet on you is $20, you’re getting a 3-1 chance. ($60 divided by $20). Simple right? Yes, it is, but what is more important is getting the correct pot odds to call.
Making The Right Call Using Pot Odds
Making the right call is quite tricky. To achieve success, getting the right mathematical price to call is essential.
For example, if the pot is $200 and your opponent bets $100, the total pot will be $300 (the final pot). It simply means you are getting 300:100 on a call, that is, 3:1. The Next step is to convert your pot odds into a percentage to determine the equity needed to make the right call and profit.
In converting the pot odds to percentage, find the ratio between the call’s and final pot’s sizes. I.e., 100/300. It will give you 0.3.
In the next step, multiply 0.3 by 100. That is 30%, meaning more than 30% is needed to make a profit when you call.
Pot Equity
Pot Equity means the amount that is yours if you win a poker hand. It will determine your chances of winning compared to that of your opponent.
Example 1: The use of Pot Odds Preflop
Although this example is for over-cash games, it also works for tournaments.
Assume you are playing s $0.25/$0.50, 6-handed online over cash game. A player raises to $4 in the cutoff, and this action folds you in the big blind. In your hand is 7 red diamonds and 5 red diamonds. You can determine if you can profitably make the right call using the following steps.
Step 1: Calculate the final pot size.
$4 (the raise size) + $0.50 (your big blind) + $0.25 (small blind) + $1 (your call size) =$5.75
Note that your call size is $1 because $0.50 is already invested as your big blind.
Step 2: Find the ratio between the size of the call and the final pot.
$0.50/$5.75. = 0.087
Step3: Multiply by 100.
0.087×100 = 8.7%
Step 4: Estimate your opponent’s range and assess whether your 7 red diamonds and 5 red diamonds have at least an 8.7% against your opponent using the cutoff raising capacity as an estimate.
Example 2: The use of Odds in Bluff Catching on the River.
Your opponent’s range is essential if you want to determine whether or not to bluff catch on the river. Bluff catching is making a call with a hand that can win against your opponent’s bluff. Bluff catching is otherwise called ‘Hero call.’
Assuming your opponent is betting 70% of the pot, how frequently must you defend?
Step 1: Calculate the break-even point of his bluff. If your opponent is betting 70% of the pot to win 100% (total pot is 170%). 70/170 = 41.2%.
It, therefore, means that if your opponent’s bluff catch on the river works more than 41.2% of the time, getting profit with his bluff catch on the river, your opponent will defend every time he reaches the river if you do not adjust.
Step 2: Calculate how many times a defense is needed to prevent your opponent from getting a profit. To prevent the bluff from succeeding more than 41.2% of the time, it is analytical that you need to defend around 58.8% of the time. If the defense is more than this, your opponent will stop bluffing and will only value-bet the river if you do not adjust.
Step 3: Calculate your range in defense. This step involves being conscious of what the complete river range is.
Pot Odds Calculator
There are several Pot odds calculators now available online. This calculator makes it easier to determine the right odds. They advise on every hand you play, increasing your chances of winning. They also help to access your strategies after playing and are great for beginners.
Conclusion
Understanding how to calculate odds is vital in online poker. The odds determine if you will succeed or not when making a call and how much profit you might win if you make a successful wager.
Although the pot odds calculator is now available online, making it more accessible, it is advisable to know how to calculate odds to prevent reliance on the online calculator.