How to Easily Calculate Implied Odds in Poker

08 Jan 2025

Intermediate

This material is for medium-skilled players

Implied odds is a poker term most players are familiar with, but not everyone understands what it really means.

You’ve probably heard players justify questionable decisions by referring to implied odds. However, if you ask them to explain the concept with clear mathematical reasoning, many will struggle.

This situation often arises when you face a bet or raise and your direct pot odds aren't enough to continue.

When you don't have enough equity for an immediate profitable call, you must estimate how much money you need to win on future streets to make your current call +EV despite unfavorable pot odds.

If both pot odds and implied odds are insufficient, you should either fold or consider bluffing.

The formula to calculate implied odds is as follows:

(1 / Eq × C) − (P + C)

This might seem complex at first glance, but it involves only three variables:

• Eq: Your hand's equity against the opponent's betting range.
• P: The size of the pot, including the opponent's bet/raise.
• C: The amount you need to call.

This formula tells you how much additional money you need to win on future streets.

• Note: If the result is negative, it means you already have the pot odds to call without needing implied odds.

The formula is too complicated to use during the game. But there's an easier way: the "difference in odds" method. Here's how it works:

• Calculate your current pot odds.
• Determine the pot odds you need.
• Multiply the difference between these odds by the size of your call.

Imagine the pot is $100, and your opponent bets $50. This gives you pot odds of 3:1. (By the way, you can calculate this using our free Pot Odds Calculator).

You estimate your hand has 10% equity, which means you need pot odds of 9:1 to make an immediate profitable call.

Now, calculate the difference: 9-3=6. Multiply this difference by the size of your call: 6×50=300.

This means you need to win at least an additional $300 from your opponent on future streets to justify your current call.

If you don’t want to calculate manually, use a free implied odds calculator.

Example 1: Facing a Turn Bet

The board is , and your opponent bets $30 into a $100 pot. You hold , relying on a gutshot straight draw and estimating your equity at only 8%.

With pot odds of 4.3:1 and 8% equity, you clearly lack the immediate pot odds to call. Let’s calculate the implied odds using the formula:

(1/0.08×30)-(130+30)=215

This means you need to win an additional $215 on the river for your call to be justified. If the effective stacks are less than $215, this would be an auto-fold.

Using the quick method, your current pot odds are ~4:1, but you need 11:1. Subtracting these gives 11-4=7. Multiply this by the bet size (7×30=210). The result is close, showing the quick method’s accuracy.

Example 2: Facing a Raise

You have  on a paired board , holding a flush draw. You bet 10k into a 14k pot and face a raise to 40k.

Your pot odds are slightly better than 2:1, but with 15% equity, you need 6:1. Let’s calculate:

(1/0.15×30k)-(64k+30k)=106k

You need to win an additional 106k on the river to justify your call. Without position, holding a non-nut flush draw, and facing a paired board, your implied odds are unfavorable. 

Approach implied odds with caution and a healthy dose of skepticism.

Instead, evaluate the situation objectively and consider the likelihood of extracting additional value on future streets.