Big Slick Nuts’ Best of the Poker Videos

As I wrote yesterday, implied odds are related to pot odds but often abused.

Implied odds should only be used in some specific situations:

• Playing against an aggressive player.
• Playing against a calling station.
• Specific tactical situations where the opponent will be “priced-into” the pot and required to pay off your final bet, should you hit a winning hand.

All too often, I see poor players justify bad calls very early in tournaments by claiming “pot odds”. Because it is too early in a tournament to possibly have a read on an opponent with any degree of accuracy, there is no way for them to know they will get paid off. Up against a player that has played thousands for tourneys who has no problem laying down T400 in level 2 in the face of an obvious flush or draw, making that pot-sized call on the flop is a bad decision. When you hit, you won’t get paid off. When you don’t, you just lost more chips than you had a reasonable chance of winning.

See for yourself.