A Look at Poker Pot Odds and Size and Positioning

Before we bet aggressively we fist ask ourselves whether the pot size deserves the risk. Then we ask our chances of actually winning the pot. These are important things to resolve when dealing with poker pot odds and size.

To make matters simple here, we define pot size as how much money is in the pot. The pot is where all bets in the game are placed. If we look at the pot and observe closely we would note that it has actually 3 major parts: The amount of money by now is in the middle(first), the total bets placed in the current bet round(second), and the bets that will still come in currently (third). Here, we have a good idea of the poker pot odds and size.

When 4 players, for example, decide to call the big blind which has $4 we end up with $16 total in the middle. Then, say, we act last as the button and the flop comes, prompting the first player, Harry, to bet $10 into the pot. The next player, Greg, calls and the third player, Louis, decides to fold. Being last to act, we first see the current poker pot odds and size.

As to pot size we have $36--$16 in the middle (the first part), then Harry's and Greg's $20 (second part). There's no third part because we're the button player - the last to act. As to the pot odds, we have good chances basing on our positioning - we have the advantage of seeing all the action and weighing the poker odds and size better.

If, say, we're second to act - which isn't good - and 4 players call the $4 big blind (making a total of $16) and Harry bets $10, we conclude on a quick decision. To do this we have to see the poker pot odds and size. The pot size is actually $16 plus $10 plus an unknown value. Why is this? Since we're the second player we have yet to see the bets of 2 other players Greg and Louis. Would they call, raise, or fold? All we know are the bets we and Harry put. So we have incomplete info on pot size. On pot odds, being second to act, we have a slim chance.

Thus, we see that our poker pot odds and size calculation is largely guess work and mostly based on our poker instinct built on our experience when we have poor positioning.