Introduction to Holdem Odds

Texas Holdem Odds are easy but critical to understand if you are going to be successful. One of the most important parts of texas holdem odds is pot odds. Understanding pot odds will inform your poker decisions and help increase your positive expectation when you play.

Texas Holdem Odds: What Are Pot Odds?

In any gambling game, the player with the edge is the one who stands to win more over the times he wins than he loses over the times he loses. If you will lose five dollars every time a certain horse loses but win $25 every time he wins, the horse only needs to win more than one time out of six for you to come out ahead. In other words, if you think your horse will win one time out of five, or 4-to-1, but the odds on the horse are 5-to-1, you have a winning bet with that horse.

Texas holdem odds and pot odds follow the same idea. If you will win a $25 pot more than one time out of six and it only costs you five dollars to play, you should put in that five dollars every time. If you are 4-to-1 to win a hand that is laying you 25-to-5 or 5-to-1 pot odds, you have positive expectation.

You will lose the hand four times at five dollars per loss for -$20, but win the fifth time for $25, rendering you five dollars ahead. If you only stand to win a $15 pot, the pot is laying you only 3-to-1. You'll lose the -$20 but only win $15 for a net loss of five dollars. In this case, you should fold rather than put in the five dollars. It's very important to use the holdem odds to your advantage.

Things to Know About Holdem Odds

Of course, the cards are ignorant of Texas Holdem odds, so you may lose a situation in which you are 20 percent to win six, seven or eight times in a row. However, over the long term, if you play the holdem odds correctly, you should come out ahead.