Q: I don’t understand what the term “pot odds” means. I always see writers referring to it and feel like I must be missing something. Can you help me out?

A: Don’t feel bad. I remember being confused about pot odds as well.

Pot odds are the odds the pot is returning to you based on the amount of money in the pot and the amount of money you have to risk to stay in the hand.

To help you understand, I have designed an example below.

Pot Odds Examples

In a 3/6 limit Texas holdem game, $24 is in the pot after the turn. One other player is in the hand, and he makes the $6 bet. You have to decide if you should call.

His bet makes the pot $30 and you have to wager $6 to stay in the hand.

The pot is offering you 30 to 6, or 5 to 1, odds on your bet.

This number (5 to 1) doesn’t mean anything by itself. It is important when you compare it to the odds of having a winning hand, either through a draw or currently having the best hand, at the end of the hand.

If you have 4 to a flush and are sure you can’t win the hand unless you hit the flush on the river, 9 cards out of 46 will win the hand. 37 cards don’t help you, and 9 do.

That breaks down to roughly 4.1 to 1 odds. The pot is offering 5 to 1 and your chances of hitting an out are 4.1 to 1, so it is a profitable call over the long run.

You may not hit your flush this time. But make plays with the odds in your favor, and you’ll win more when you hit than you will lose when you miss.

Keeping Records in Poker

Q: I don’t track my play but have decided to start. What should I keep track of for each playing session.

A: It is a good idea to track all of your play at the poker table. You should use every tool at your disposal to become a better poker player and this is one of the often-overlooked ones. Here is a list of things I recommend tracking for each session.

Game (holdem, stud, etc.)
Limit (2/4 limit, $500 buy in no limit ring game, $110 no limit tournament, etc.)
Date
Time started playing
Time quit playing
Beginning stake
Ending cash out
Location (Bellagio, Full Tilt, etc.)
Notes on particular players in the game
Miscellaneous notes not covered elsewhere

As you gather information from many playing sessions, you will be able to see if there is a tendency to play better during particular times of day or at certain limits. Just don’t make any drastic changes to your play until you have enough sessions recorded to produce reliable information.

Do you have a question you would like Wes to answer about poker? If so, send an email to pokerqna@gmail.com with the subject “Poker Question” and you might see your question in a future column.