Bet sizes
12
each with its own page
- Lowest pricefacing a quarter-pot bet16.67%
- Highest pricefacing a 4x-pot bet44.44%
Equity needed for each bet size
Each row below is a bet into a $100 pot that you call in full. The price runs from 16.67% for a quarter-pot bet to 44.44% for a 4x-pot bet, and the pot odds ratio shows the same price as odds.
Open a row for the worked example, the draws that clear that price, implied odds and the outs you need on the flop and on the turn. The price does not depend on the pot: it depends only on the bet as a share of the pot.
| Bet size | Share of the pot | Bet on a $100 pot | Equity needed | Pot odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quarter-pot | 25.00% | $25 | 16.67% | 5 : 1 |
| Third-pot | 33.33% | $33.33 | 20.00% | 4 : 1 |
| Two-fifths-pot | 40.00% | $40 | 22.22% | 3.5 : 1 |
| Half-pot | 50.00% | $50 | 25.00% | 3 : 1 |
| Two-thirds-pot | 66.67% | $66.67 | 28.57% | 2.5 : 1 |
| Three-quarter-pot | 75.00% | $75 | 30.00% | 2.33 : 1 |
| Pot-size | 100.00% | $100 | 33.33% | 2 : 1 |
| 1.25x-pot | 125.00% | $125 | 35.71% | 1.8 : 1 |
| 1.5x-pot | 150.00% | $150 | 37.50% | 1.67 : 1 |
| 2x-pot | 200.00% | $200 | 40.00% | 1.5 : 1 |
| 3x-pot | 300.00% | $300 | 42.86% | 1.33 : 1 |
| 4x-pot | 400.00% | $400 | 44.44% | 1.25 : 1 |
How to use the table
The method has two steps. First add your call to the pot, which gives the pot you play for. Second divide your call by that pot. The answer is the equity you need to break even.
- Pot before the bet$100
- Opponent bets half the pot$50
- Step 1: pot after your call$200
- Step 2: call divided by pot$50 / $200 = 25.00%
With a $100 pot and a half-pot bet of $50, the pot after your call is $200, and $50 over $200 is 25.00%. If you hold a draw that hits more often than that, the call gains over time. The table saves the arithmetic for 12 common sizes.
Where to go next
Use the calculators for any pot and bet, and the outs pages when you want the chance to hit a draw. The call-or-fold pages join the two.
- Pot odds calculator: Enter any pot and bet and get the price.
- Outs calculator: Turn outs into a chance to hit.
- Outs by street: The chance to hit for 1 to 20 outs on the flop and turn.
- Call or fold: One draw against one bet size, with a clear verdict.
How this is computed
Each row is computed from the bet as a share f of the pot. You call the full bet, so the pot after your call is 1 + 2f in pot units and your share is f / (1 + 2f). The pot odds ratio is (1 + f) / f.
The dollar column uses a $100 pot as an input. The figures assume you call the whole bet, no more betting follows, and you win the pot whole when you hit.
Method: the closed form f / (1 + 2f) computed by the GeorgeLiPoker math library, with draw chances counted from the unseen cards.
Updated
Questions
What equity do you need to call a half-pot bet?
You need 25.00%. On a $100 pot a half-pot bet is $50, your call is $50, and the pot after your call is $200. $50 divided by $200 is 25.00%.
Does the size of the pot change the equity you need?
No. The equity depends on the bet as a share of the pot. A pot-size bet always needs 33.33% and a half-pot bet always needs 25.00%, whether the pot is $100 or ten times that.
How do you read the pot odds column?
The ratio compares what is in the pot, bet included, with what you pay. A half-pot bet shows 3 : 1: $150 in the pot for a $50 call. A bigger first number means a cheaper call.
Where do the outs come in?
Your outs set your chance to hit. Nine outs on the flop hit 34.97% by the river, above the 25.00% a half-pot bet needs. Compare your own chance with the table: above it, the call is profitable on the numbers, and below it, you need implied odds or a fold. Each size page lists the fewest outs that justify a call.
Related pages
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