Pot Odds Calculator

How pot odds work

If the pot is P and you must call B, you need to win the hand B / (P + B) of the time to break even. That share is your required equity. If your real chance of winning is higher than that, calling is profitable in the long run; if it’s lower, folding is. The pot odds are quoted pot-to-bet: 3:1 means the pot is offering three to win one, so you need to be right one time in four.

Worked pot odds examples

Five real spots, comparing required equity against exact draw-completion percentages, to show why the ratio alone can be misleading.

1. Example 1

   Flush draw, all-in on the flop

   Pot is $100, villain shoves $100. You must call $100 to win a $300 pot, so your required equity is 100 / (200 + 100) = 33.3%. A nine-out flush draw with both the turn and river still to come is about 35% to get there, comfortably above what you need: an easy call.

2. Example 2

   Gutshot facing a turn bet

   Pot is $60, villain bets $30 on the turn. You must call $30 to win $120 (the $60 starting pot, plus villain’s $30, plus your own $30 call), so required equity is 30 / 120 = 25%. A four-out gutshot with only the river left is about 8.7% to arrive. That is nowhere near enough: a clear fold, even though the pot is laying a tempting-looking 3:1 price.

3. Example 3

   Open-ended straight draw facing a small continuation bet

   Pot is $100, villain bets $25. You must call $25 to win $150 (the $100 starting pot, plus villain’s $25, plus your own $25 call), so required equity is 25 / 150 = 16.7%. An eight-out open-ended draw with two cards to come is about 31.5%, well clear of what you need, and that is before counting any implied odds from money won on later streets.

4. Example 4

   Combo draw facing a large flop shove

   Pot is $80, villain shoves $120. Required equity is 120 / (200 + 120) = 37.5%. A fifteen-out combo draw (flush draw plus an open-ended straight draw) is about 54.1% with both cards to come, an easy call despite the big bet.

5. Example 5

   Why a good-looking ratio can still be a fold

   Pot is $100, villain bets $80 on the turn. You must call $80 to win $260 (the $100 starting pot, plus villain’s $80, plus your own $80 call), a 2.25:1 price. Required equity is 80 / 260 ≈ 30.8%. A flush draw with just the river left is about 19.6%. The price alone doesn’t tell the story: always compare it to your actual equity, not just to how generous it looks.

Related pages

• Equity Calculator →
• Pot odds lesson →
• Minimum defence frequency →
• Glossary: MDF →
• Every ranked puzzle type →
• Practise pot odds in the ranked Trainer →

Frequently asked questions

How do you calculate pot odds?

Divide the bet you need to call by the total pot after you call: required equity = bet / (pot + bet). If your real chance of winning the hand is higher than that percentage, calling is profitable in the long run.

What is a good pot odds ratio?

It depends entirely on your equity: there is no universally "good" ratio. Getting 3:1 on a call means you need just 25% equity to break even, so even a modest draw can call profitably; getting 1:1 means you need 50%, which only a strong hand clears.

What are implied odds?

Implied odds account for money you expect to win on later streets if you hit your draw, on top of what is already in the pot. A call that loses on raw pot odds can still show a profit once you add likely future winnings, so implied odds refine the decision rather than replace it: work out the raw price first.

What are reverse implied odds?

Reverse implied odds are the mirror image: money you stand to lose on later streets even after you hit your draw, because your hand can complete into something that still loses. A gutshot to the bottom end of a straight, or a small flush on a heavily coordinated board, both carry real reverse implied odds, and they make a marginal call worse than the raw pot odds suggest, not better.

How is pot odds different from MDF?

Pot odds tell you the equity a specific hand needs to call profitably. Minimum defence frequency (MDF) tells you how much of your whole range must continue so a bettor can't profit by bluffing any two cards. They share the same shape of formula, bet divided by pot-plus-bet, but pot odds is about one hand and MDF is about a whole range.

Do pot odds change on the turn versus the flop?

The formula is identical: required equity = bet / (pot + bet). What changes is your hand's actual chance of getting there, since a draw with two cards to come on the flop is worth roughly double the same draw with only the river left on the turn. Use the rule of 4 on the flop and the rule of 2 on the turn to estimate that side of the comparison.

What does "break-even percentage" mean?

It is another name for the required equity this calculator shows: the exact share of the time you need to win the hand for calling to neither win nor lose money in the long run. Win more often than that and calling profits; less often and folding is better.

Should I always call when the pot odds are favourable?

No. Pot odds are a floor, not the whole decision. Reverse implied odds, your opponent's range, position, and how often you will actually get paid when you hit all matter too. Favourable pot odds mean a call clears the raw maths; they do not guarantee it is the best play available.

Is pot odds different preflop versus postflop?

The maths is the same formula throughout a hand. Preflop decisions also weigh three streets still to come, your position for the rest of the hand, and how your calling range plays afterwards, so the raw pot odds number carries less weight on its own than it does facing a river bet with no more decisions left.

Is this calculator free to use?

Yes. No sign-in required, and the quiz tab lets you drill the maths as many times as you like. The ranked Trainer, which grades pot-odds decisions against a full hand and adapts to your rating, is a separate subscription with a 14-day free trial.