Help with numbers

[JDO]

Thanks for the response, it is greatly appriciated. Now another few questions:
Let me see if I have this right: (In simple English) When I am drawing to a hand, I am an underdog (4.2:1) to catch my hand, so I need to determine how big of an advatage I am getting from the pot to over-come my disadvantaged position (4.2:1 or greater.
However, I keep thinking about the problem this way. Say you are playing the lotto and the odds are 1:X that you will win. If the pay out is larger than X then it is a good bet to buy a ticket, right?
If I translate this to the flush example I am 1:5.2, to catch my hand (win the lottery) and then I need greater than [5.2 times (the bet)] to make the draw worth calling.

Both of these make sense to me, thanks for you help getting me past this little hang up.

[BruceZ]

Say you are playing the lotto and the odds are 1:X that you will win. If the pay out is larger than X then it is a good bet to buy a ticket, right?

Correct, from a purely EV point of view.


If I translate this to the flush example I am 1:5.2, to catch my hand (win the lottery) and then I need greater than [5.2 times (the bet)] to make the draw worth calling.

You're confusing odds and probability. The probability is 1 in 5.2, but the odds are 4.2:1, so you need greater than 4.2 times your bet to call.

[JDO]

Break through! Thanks a ton.