Andy Blokh, the professional poker player, whose prizes in a total sum have passed for a long time a mark in one million dollars (in 2006 only for 2nd place in tournament HORSE 50 000$ series WSOP he has got one million dollars), a member of the Full Tilt Poker band, gives us advise how to play in such difficult poker theme – potential chances.
The majority of the constant poker-players have good idea about chances of pot – when the certain quantity of counters in pot justifies the call, but many poker-players do not go further these calculations, forgetting to think how draw will go further if they make a call. Speculating on the course it is necessary to consider chances for pot not only at the current moment of the game (pot odds), but also potential ones (implied odds).
Shortly speaking implied odds are the data displaying the information on quantity of money at a possible prize of your hand. In other words implied odds are your general winnings divided for the sum which you have put in pot. For example, you have 7-8 diamonds on hands, on the table two diamonds lie, in pot of 1000 counters and your contender still does the rate on 500 counters. You are almost assured that the opponent has the top-pair, so neither the seven, nor the eight on river will really help you. That means that you only 9 misses for flash gathering, means, to make a call you need the chances for pot (pot odds) 4 to 1, but in your situation there are only 3 to 1. And here now it is necessary to pay attention to how many counters are there in a stack of the contender, that is how many counters he can give you more if on river you receive the flash, it is calculation of potential chances for pot (implied odds). Let the contender still have another, say, 1500 counters, then it means, that if on river you get the diamond you will take away the pot of 3000 counters, in other words, your potential chances of pot make 6 to 1, and it is quite enough to draw flash on river.
It is easy to count the size of potential chances if it is limit Texas Hold’em as you know the exact size of rates, it means, that on river you can get from the contender an additional one – two rates. Calculation of implied odds becomes more difficult in pot-limit and non-limit Texas Hold’em as it is possible to increase the size of pot by practically any possible sum.
As well as in other aspects of poker, for more exact definition of potential chances of pot you need to know against what contender you play. Whether the player is loose or tight? Whether he will accept the rate on river with top- pair and bad kicker or with an average pair? You should use your knowledge of the contender as much as possible for definition of his potential payment of your collected hand. You should assume, how many counters from the stack he is ready to put on river, perhaps your experience of the previous games with this opponent will help you.
Implied odds are more complex approach to decision-making at the table, than simple definition of chances of pot (pot odds). You consider not only your position in draw in present time, but also estimate, what will take place further, consider the future courses in the poker parties. Here is the difference between chances of pot and potential chances of pot.
If you contemplate not only your present state, but also future development of the hand, you will think, as the professional player in poker.