O8 pot odds

I got this from a post on playwinningpoker.com, for Ray Zee, I believe:


"After the flop, low is unlikely. A king on either of the next two cards and you're looking at a scooper. There is $72 in the pot, assuming both blinds are active players (otherwise a bit more)... Is it correct to see one more card for six dollars? Odds against catching a king on the next card are 43 to 2 against or 22.5 to 1 against. Will there be 6*22.5 = 135 dollars in the pot after one more card? I don't think so. Therefore playing to see one more card is also incorrect."


I am still learning about pot odds, but shouldn't the odds against be 45:2 instead of 43:2? I count 45 cards left out there after the flop. Do you subtract 2 from 45 to get 43, and if so, why? Probably a stupid question.


On another topic altogether, I just got my first AA23 double suited, and it's been a long while. My nut flush came on the flop, no low was possible, of course it won, but there wasn't much action. I wish the threat of the flush hadn't happened so soon...

"I am still learning about pot odds, but shouldn't the odds against be 45:2 instead of 43:2? I count 45 cards left out there after the flop. Do you subtract 2 from 45 to get 43, and if so, why? Probably a stupid question."


43 to 2 against improving is correct for the hand odds. The reason is that 43 cards do not help you while 2 cards help you.


Once you know 2 cards help you and all the rest do not, and once you also know there are a total of 45 cards, yes, you can subtract 2 from 45 to get the number of cards that don't help you.


However, I usually don't exactly think that way. Instead I usually think, "What do I have to add to 2 to get 45?" Then I sort of see the number 43 as what I need to add. It amounts to the same thing as subtracting, I suppose, but I think of it differently. Always have. What I'm doing is guessing at a number I have to add, and then adding it to make sure it is the correct number.


Hope I haven't confused you. Actually, whatever works for you is fine.


Buzz

ODDS: (you know that -- ur right)


odds = inverse of probability minus one

"odds = inverse of probability minus one"


Hi Carl - That's a nice concise way to put it.


Probably a better way to define odds, especially to someone who understands probability.


Thanks.


Buzz