[pittlaw]

OK, I'll take a shot.

To calculate the effective pot odds you are getting, you need to add up all the bets you will likely need to call to make your draw. On the flop, if you plan on seeing the river and your opponent will bet the turn, you will need to put in one small bet and one big bet, or 3 small bets.

So, if you are playing 2/4 limit and flop a draw that is 2:1 against by the river, how much would you need in the pot to call? If you figure that you will need to call 3 small bets, you would need the pot to be $8 (because if he bets on the turn, that will make the pot $12 and give you the 2:1 pot odds you need to break even).

Look, effective odds and implied odds are two separate concepts that complement each other. For example, if you were sure that your opponent would call a bet on the river if you make your draw, you would need smaller pot odds (or, rather effective odds) to make a call profitable.

So, in essence, you want to calculate the effective odds the pot will be laying you if you are going to the river. You do this by adding the total amount you will have to invest and compare the total amount you will probably win if you make your draw. If this ratio is greater than the odds against making your draw, you can call profitably.