What pot odds are
Pot odds are the price of a call: the share of the final pot you have to put in to stay in the hand. If the pot is 100 and your opponent bets 50, you call 50 and the final pot is 200, so your price is 50 ÷ 200 = 25%. The call is profitable when your equity, your chance of winning the hand, is higher than that price. That single comparison is most of poker math.
Key facts
- Formula: price = call ÷ (pot + bet + call).
- Against a half-pot bet you need 25% equity; against a full-pot bet 33%; against a 2× overbet 40%.
- Turn outs into equity with the rule of 2 and 4: outs × 4 on the flop, × 2 on the turn (the calculator uses exact math).
- Implied odds, chips you win later when you hit, can justify a slightly bad price; they never fix a terrible one.
Equity you need against each bet size
| Bet | Equity needed | Pot odds |
|---|---|---|
| ¼ pot | 16.7% | 5.0-to-1 |
| ⅓ pot | 20% | 4.0-to-1 |
| ½ pot | 25% | 3.0-to-1 |
| ⅔ pot | 28.6% | 2.5-to-1 |
| ¾ pot | 30% | 2.33-to-1 |
| Pot | 33.3% | 2.0-to-1 |
| 1.5× pot | 37.5% | 1.67-to-1 |
| 2× pot | 40% | 1.5-to-1 |
Outs to equity
Exact chance of improving, counting every remaining card. Compare the “by the river” column with the table above when facing a flop bet, and the single-card column on the turn.
| Outs | On the turn | On the river | By the river |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 4.3% | 4.3% | 8.4% |
| 4 | 8.5% | 8.7% | 16.5% |
| 6 | 12.8% | 13.0% | 24.1% |
| 8 | 17.0% | 17.4% | 31.5% |
| 9 | 19.1% | 19.6% | 35.0% |
| 12 | 25.5% | 26.1% | 45.0% |
| 15 | 31.9% | 32.6% | 54.1% |
Not sure how many outs you have? Enter your cards in the poker odds calculator: it lists them for you.
Worked example
You hold a flush draw on the flop (9 outs, 35% by the river). The pot is 120 and your opponent bets 60, a half-pot bet. The price: 60 ÷ (120 + 60 + 60) = 25%. Your 35% beats the price, so calling is profitable; over many such calls you win chips even though you miss the flush most of the time. If the bet were 240 (2× pot), the price would be 40% and the same draw becomes a fold, unless your opponent will pay off a big bet when the flush arrives.
The habit to build: price first, cards second. Count the price of every call, then ask whether your hand clears it. Practise it where mistakes are free: at the play-money tables of Appeak Poker, with the cheat sheet beside you.
Pot odds FAQ
What are pot odds?
Pot odds are the price of a call: the share of the final pot you have to put in. If the pot is 100 and your opponent bets 50, you call 50 to win a 200 pot, so the price is 50 ÷ 200 = 25%. A call is profitable when your chance of winning the hand (your equity) is higher than that price.
How do I calculate pot odds?
Divide the amount you must call by the pot size after your call: call ÷ (pot + bet + call). Against a half-pot bet you need more than 25% equity, against a two-thirds-pot bet 28.6%, against a full-pot bet 33%, and against a 2× overbet 40%.
How do outs turn into a winning chance?
Count the unseen cards that improve your hand, then use the rule of 2 and 4: on the flop multiply your outs by 4 for the chance to improve by the river, on the turn multiply by 2. The calculator uses the exact formula instead of the shortcut: with 9 outs on the flop it shows 35%, not 36%.
What are implied odds?
Money you expect to win on later streets if you hit. A call that is slightly unprofitable by pot odds alone can still be right when your opponent will pay you off after you complete a hidden draw. The calculator shows the break-even point; implied odds are your judgement on top of it.
Does this calculator work for my exact cards?
This tool works from the pot, the bet and your outs, so it fits any situation in seconds. To compute equity from the actual cards, enter your hand and the board in the poker odds calculator, or compare known hands in the hand calculator.
Is the pot odds calculator free?
Yes. It runs in your browser with no download or sign-up, and nothing you enter is sent anywhere.