Don\'t count the bets, then.
The good news is, in reality, you really don't need to count the pot that much/often.
I mean, if you flop a flush draw, you essentially always have the odds to call (the exceptions, of course, are when the flop gets checked around, and it's a couple bets to you on the turn in a small pot).
You almost never have the odds to call for a runner-runner flush (except in the hugest of pots).
You almost always have the odds of drawing to an open-ended straight. IF there was a preflop raise, you usually have the odds to draw to a gutshot.
Obviously, these are just a few of the most common examples. And, if you are pondering a semi-tough call on the river, is it gonna change your mind that often if the pot is 9 big bets or 11 (it shouldn't, since your win percentage only needs to be 1.7% higher in the 9 Big Bet pot).
And, if you aren't counting the pot because you are paying close attention to the hand, then in a tricky spot where you do want to know the size of the pot (say, maybe when you have an overpair, know it's no good in a huge pot, and want to know if you can call for the two outer), then because you've been paying close attention, you can call "time", recreate the action in your head, and count the bets there, on the spot.
Josh
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