What are pot odds and how will they benefit your game?

This thread is for anyone either new to the game or if like me have been playing for a few years and just thought it was only a phrase to make it more interesting/in depth on poker shows/videos.

Pot odds are what makes a hand worth playing or not. Is it worth entering this pot with this size to call and this much to win?

I played with pot odds primarily last night and ran quite deep in the tournaments. Although I did not win any cash(just due to bad luck and sucky hands) I am definitely going to always use pot odds from now onwards!

So here is an example say you have 6000chips it's your call on the button and the blinds are 75/150 there are a few callers nobody raised and the pot stands at 750. You have say 78 off if you call you are getting 5/1 pot odds so you should definitely call making it 6/1.

For another example say you have 10000 hold J10 of diamonds the short stack goes all in everyone folds and the call is 1000 for you in the big blind. (Blinds are at 500/1000 he went all in for 2000) you are getting 2/1 with a decent enough hand to call this hopefully win the hand and improve your stack.

Take these examples and use them wisely poker is entirely situational. If the short stack is a tight player and you are in middle position with KK you should never just call you should probably at least reraise x3 their bet or go all in. To avoid it being tempting to other players. If your hand is not good enough to be beating much like Q5 I'd just fold that. Why re-raise and face another all in from the button? Then you need to fold anyway.

My final example is the most important say you have K10 in a late position it's action galore in front of you although you are short. What is it even beating that has raised behind? Now with pot odds in mind unless you are getting at least 2/1 to call and it's not for more than half your stack it's a fold even with 2/1 pay attention to your opponents. How many hands are they playing? What hands are they raising? Do they check raise? are they aggressive? etc.

So the call comes to you blinds are 300/600 and it's 1800 to call with a pot size of 2700 you have say 3100chips this is easily a fold. Unless your hand is at least QQ or AK suited. As 1800 only goes into 2700 once for it to be a profitable call it should be at least a 3600+ pot. If you hold a monster in this spot I.E QQ or better go all in.

Just thought I'd share more stuff I've learned by using pot odds you have an even better edge against newbies and donks. Enter less pots recklessly and lose less chips extend your tournament life and hopefully place or even better take it down!

Last thing remember just because everyone just called this doesn't mean they don't have a big hand like AK or better. Only call when you get the right price to if you have a "plan" or a good hand at least 45,67,89,910 and for suited at least Jx,Qx,Kx and so on. Why enter a pot with a hand that has no kind of potential to win.  :-bd

Some good tips bigdk.  Thanks very much.

thanks mate, pretty good read :)

Some good tips bigdk.  Thanks very much.

thanks mate, pretty good read :)

Thank you! Not a problem with online poker being so difficult to even make the money everyone could use some tips to assist their game. ;)