I have a non-math brain - help!

[thealu]

I have zero propensity toward math. I've been playing hold'em for over a year and have read and studied several books. I have a winning record in low-limits but I know I'm making tons of mistakes. I rely on basic methods to decide whether to call/fold etc which mostly comes down to: "there's 3 people still in the hand and the pot's pretty big and I have six outs. I'm gonna call." There must be some simple method for me to play a little more accurately than that. I can figure out my outs easy enough, but turning the number of outs into an odds fact and then figuring out the pot odss and comparing the two is too confusing to me. I understand the concept completely. I just can't do the math. I've tried. My brain just doesn't work in that way. What do I do to play more correctly?? Is there a simple method some of you use?

There must be others around here who are math deficient.
thanks for any advice --

thealu

[ropey]

thealu,

I have come up with a rough simple way of calculating the % of hitting your outs postflop...

1. If you have two cards coming (you've just seen the flop), multiply your # outs by 4.
2. If you have one card coming (you've just seen the turn), multiply your # outs by 2.

For example, if you have a pair with an overcard, you may consider 5 outs...well, you would be approximately 20% to hit an out with two draws. If you miss the turn, you are now about 10%...so the pot would need to be giving you around 10-1.

This works reasonably well to get a rough %, but keep you also need to be aware of the money in the pot, and of course, what you need to beat.

-ropey

[balkii]

[ QUOTE ]
I rely on basic methods to decide whether to call/fold etc which mostly comes down to: "there's 3 people still in the hand and the pot's pretty big and I have six outs. I'm gonna call."
thealu

[/ QUOTE ]

Well if you play online the pot size is already counted up for you so its a little bit easier. But if you play live (i've only played live once, so i dont really know) I think this is how most people do it. Some people like to count every bet as it goes into the pot, that would give me a headache. In most low-limit, the pots become so big preflop you're gonna have the odds to call for a six-outer nearly everytime on the flop, and most of the time on the turn.

You don't really need to do the math, you just need to memorize the odds for your basic draws:

Flush draw: 4.22:1. As you can see you can probably always call for a flush draw, even when its two bets to you because there will usually be 4x your bet in the pot.

Open-ended straight draw: 4.88:1. Almost the same, closer to 5:1 though.

Two overcards(six outs, this is also the same as an OESD on a two-flush board): 6.83:1

Middle pair/overcard kicker : 8.4:1

Gutshot draw : 10.75:1

Unimproved pocket pair: 23:1

those are the main draws you will need to know. just memorize the numbers, and it should be clear to you when to call. You can see the pot doesnt need to be that big to call on a flush draw, but it needs to be frickin huge to call with an underpair trying to hit a set.

Hope this helps

[thealu]

Just wanted to thank you guys for the responses. I appreciate the help.

thealu