Pot Odds and Calling a Raise from the Big Blind

[blinde]

Hi. I'm having a conflict between my intuition and (lack of) knowledge of pot odds.

My understanding is that the pot odds for two higher cards (AKo) vs. two lower cards (27o) is about 1.7:1.

Assuming your opponent probably does not have any pair (e.g., everyone folds around to the button and he raises), why wouldn't it be automatic to call a 3xBB raise?

50/100 blinds, Button raises to 300, SB folds, BB action. Costs 200 to call for a pot of 450. That's 2.25:1 pot odds.

Why is this routinely folded, even with a 2xBB raise?

[JoshuaD]

You're mis-using the term pot odds.

Pot odds are the odds the pot is laying you. If the pot is 10BB's, and you have to call 2BB's, you're getting pot odds of 12:2, or 6:1.



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Assuming your opponent probably does not have any pair (e.g., everyone folds around to the button and he raises), why wouldn't it be automatic to call a 3xBB raise?

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That's a huge assumption. You can't make that.

But even if you did, the reason you don't always call here is because it's really hard to navigate with your hand after the flop. With a hand like 72o, you'll often be flopping bottom or middle pair, and an opponent who's going to be betting into you almost every time.

You might be getting the proper immediate odds, but you're implied odds suck. You'll pay him alot when you're behind, and he'll pay you only a little when you're ahead.

[k_squared]

Is this a No-limit game? because if so then you really need to be careful!

If not then how did the pot get to be raised from the button to 300? what happend to 200? In a limite game, to be in the Big Blind and facing a bet 3 times the big blind you have to have at least 5x the big blind already in the pot, and now you aren't merely calling one rasier, but a raiser and a re-raisier. And as soon as you start adding multiple opponents the chance for a hand like 2-7o to win starts to rapidly diminish.

if this is a no-limit game then the reason is simply that the disadvantage of having a hand that weak out of position is just wany to much to overcome for you to be investing in it, even though it might win win 1 out of three times if we just showed the hands down it will win significantly less due to the fact that you will be FORCED to fold on the flop much more often than you would like... unless you plan on betting that hand out of position which would get very costly... unless you are facing the right opponents

-k_squared

[NMcNasty]

Don't get into the habit of calculating pot odds alone. You should calculate pot odds along with implied odds for almost every decision except when its an allin situation where you don't need to. In those situations a lot of people really don't understand pot odds. If someone was allin for 3x the big blind, you somehow knew they didn't have overcards (which of course is impossible), then it would be the correct play to call from the big blind with 27o. If you have a suited connector in the big blind you should call an allin of 3x the big blind even if you think your opponent could have a pocket pair.

[New York Jet]

[ QUOTE ]
My understanding is that the pot odds for two higher cards (AKo) vs. two lower cards (27o) is about 1.7:1.


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Understand that the odds you are talking about assume you will see all 5 cards (all-in situation), not just the flop. BTW, AKo vs. 72o is closer to 2.1 to 1.

<font color="green"> New York Jet </font>