How do I add up pot bets. For instance, say the blinds are 10/20 and bets double at the turn. Is betting 10 on the flop considered a .5 bet or 1 bet? On the turn, when bets double, when i bet 20, is that 1 bet or 2 bets?

Thanks

Everything is measured in terms of BBs. That is the size of the bet on the turn and the river. Before the turn, it is measured in terms of SBs, or small bets. 1 bet is considered 1 bet after the turn most often.

whatever you want to use as long as the ratio of $$ in pot to the bet you need to call is known.

like Zim said, preflop and flop you talk in termns of SB (Small Bets) and Turn and River BB's (Big Bets)


I'd suck live since I don't do a good job of counting as I go...
They'd get tired of me asking "How much is in the pot" ?

Just count the bets as they go in the pot preflop and on the flop, those are your small bets, then divide that number by 2, and continue counting the bets on the turn and river, those are your big bets. That way you know your odds vs whatever your hand is.

so if the blinds are 10/20, and theres 100 in the pot at the river, theres 5 big bets in there?

And say theres 40 after the flop and turn, if i divide by 2, i get 20, then i add this to amount in the pot after the turn and river to calculate the big bets?

40 after flop....
so 4 SB's or 2 BB.

then add the bets that come in on turn and river to the 2 to get total BB's

like u said, i think

edit: then leave table, that's too tight

What I do when I play live is start with the blinds, I minus the rake as I go along too. Where I play they collect the SB ($1) from the 3/6 tables and leave the BB. So every pot starts with $3, or 1 SB. Then you just add from there, and pay attention when the dealer takes more rake out. You can add either in totals of $, or SB's and BB's. It's generally easier to use SB's and BB's. Up until the turn, you should know how many SB's are in the pot. As soon as the turn card comes, you split that number in half to get the number of BB's in the pot and keep counting.

so if theres 100$ in the pot after the river with blinds 10/20, there are 5 big bets in the pot?

Not only would they get tired of you asking, it would be horrible for table image. Most people who play live are either clueless and/or don't care and they'd think you were taking the game way too seriously.

Incidentally, counting the pot really isn't all that difficult once you get used to it. You just have to pay attention to how many people saw the flop if you're in the hand, then add any additional bets to that number of people if you need a pot odds calculation on the flop. Then, divide everything in half on the turn. All you really need is to be paying attention.

huh, were you talking to me?

no. If blinds are 10/20 then you are playing at a 20/40 table so there are 2.5 BB in the pot

So, since the pot amount is given online, I have to divide that number by 40 to get the amount?

you got it.

its important to recognise the difference between bets and blinds.

1 Big blind = 1 small bet

however because pot odds are a ratio, it is good practice to use amount to call vs pot size, so with the $100 pot and $4o bet you are getting 100:40, which equals 2.5:1.

If you start thinking this way whenever you make the transition to Pot Limit and No Limit you don't need to change you thinking to calc pot odds