If you’re a poker player, then you have probably heard the term “implied odds.” But what are they, and how can you use them to your advantage? In this guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about implied odds in poker.
Implied odds are an extension to pot odds that can help you decide if a drawing hand is worth calling despite a raise. The implied odds for a hand tell you how much you can win after drawing.
- You have good implied odds if you expect to win more money than your opponent after your draw.
- If you think you won’t be able to get more money from your opponent in future rounds, then you have little or no implied odds.
The implied odds indicate how much money you can expect to win after your draw is complete.
Implied odds vs. pot odds
There are no simple mathematical formulas or rules to determine your implied odds in Texas Hold’em, unlike in pot odds. However, you can calculate how much you must win from all the hands to make calling profitable.
Implied odds can be derived from a thorough understanding of your opponent and the circumstances. If you’ve been playing the game for a while, it’s easier to estimate your implied odds during a hand.
You will learn more about implied odds of drawing hands as you play more. It will eventually become easier to estimate your “implied odds” accurately.
If you’re new to the game or this is your first time encountering implied odds, these are two situations that will help you to understand the concept:
- There are times when implied odds are high
- There are times when there are zero implied odds.
Example of good implied odds
This hand is an open-ended straight draw. If your opponent places a bet on you, you will have good implied odds. This is because if your straight is successful, you will likely be able to get more money from your opponent in later rounds.
Your opponent won’t be able to easily estimate the strength and value of your hand.
Example of low implied odds
You have a straight draw with an open end. Your implied odds of winning this situation are much worse because if your straight is made when the ace or 9 arrives, your opponent will be extremely scared as the board could easily (and clearly) give you the straight. If your opponents have the straight, there is very little chance you will make more money.
The general rule is that the more you conceal your hand, the better your implied odds of winning. Click To Tweet
How can implied odds affect your play?
Implied odds have a knock-on effect against your pot odds. If you predict that you will win more money than your opponent in later rounds of betting, then you can make calls even if your opponent does not give you the correct pot odds.
Let’s say you have the nut straight draw, the odds of you completing the draw on your next card are approximately 5 to 1. If your opponent places a $25 bet, making the pot $100, you have 4 to 1 odds of calling. If you base your decision solely on pot odds, you should not call.
If you believe you have good implied odds, however, you can call. This is because you will make more money if you draw than if you fold.
Some fundamental rules to remember:
- If you have good implied odds you can afford to make a call even if you don’t have correct pot odds.
- You should stick with the pot odds if you have low or no implied odds.
How to calculate implied odds
Even though it is impossible to determine how much you will win with your implied odds, you can calculate how much you need to win to make calling profitable.
To calculate your implied odds, subtract your pot odds from your odds of hitting your draw.
This will give you a new ratio which you can then compare with the amount that you have to determine how much money you must take from your opponent later in the hand.
Example of how to calculate implied odds
Let’s suppose that you have a flush draw and that the opponent bets $10 on a $10 pot. This means that you must call $10 to win $20.
- Odds to win the draw: 4.2:1
- Pot odds: 2:1
- Draw odds – pot odds = 2.2:1
2.2 to 1 is your required implied odds ratio. You get $22 when you multiply the 2.2 by the $10 bet.
To make the $10 bet with the flush draw a break-even play, you must extract $22 from your opponent within the hand.
Conclusion
Implied odds are an important tool for poker players. By understanding how to calculate them and using them in your game, you can give yourself a big edge over your opponents.