Implied Odds
What the term "implied odds" refers to is the number of bets you think you can get out of your opponent if you make your hand. This is a very critical calculation in determining whether or not to make a call, especially in limit hold 'em.
Example: If you know making your flush will yield a check raise on the turn, and a call on the river from your opponent, then you have 3 implied bets.
The mistake that many poker players make is calculating the probability that they will get the card(s) that will give them the best hand. Without taking into account the implied odds, you will end up folding too many pots that you should have called. Basically, the more implied bets you think you can get, the better the odds to call become.
It took me years before figuring out that I was actually not calling enough pots. This was a strange concept to me, because we all seem to be taught the tighter the better, and to fold whenever you are losing. As a side note, making a call in limit poker has nothing to do with the "tight" or "loose" descriptions of a poker player, it is simply math. |
Determing the Number of "Outs"
An "out" in poker refers to the number of cards that can come that will make your hand a winner. It is fairly simple to do, but is very important in being able to determining the correct call or fold decision. Example: If you have the nut flush draw, you have 9 outs (cards of that suit) that will give you the best hand. If you have a backdoor flush draw (3 cards of the same suit after the flop), that counts for an estimated 1-1.5 additional outs. A backdoor straight draw (3 cards in order) counts for roughly the same thing. These are the out values that should be used when determining whether or not to call a flop raise. Also note that the turn and river should be thought of as completely independant events when calculating odds. Not adding these backdoor draws is a nother critical mistake that many players make. |
|
