Okay bear with me here, I'm trying to actually get a good grip on the math behind cards (and I've never liked math) and I'm a little hung up on counting the pot. As far as books go the one's I've seen so far recommend counting the pot in bets as opposed to $ which makes sense. However I'm not really getting this whole big/small bet thing. I've seen count the small blind as a 1/4 bet and the big blind a 1/2 bet. Or count the sb as a 1/2 bet and bb as 1 bet but any time it mentiones a big bet it never really says what the hell a big bet is. I like the idea of the sb being a 1/2 bet and the bb being 1 bet so I'd rather stay with that unless someone has an easier method. Now on to the counting part, (try not to laugh too much at me here) if someone just calls the blind... that's still just another 1 bet, if so what is a big bet?
#2. If someone raises 3x the blind is that another 3 big bets, or just 1 big bet?
#3 If someone reraises how many friggin big bets is that!?

Okay now on to the flop... lets assume the flop hits and someone bets a quarter of the pot, still just one big bet?

The problem I'm having is I'm not exactly sure what equals a big bet. Nothing says what a big bet is. Double the blinds, 4x the blind, half the pot, the pot? If someone can explain this to me as if I were a third grader it would be a great help.

In no limit there is no such thing as a big bet, just count in terms of bigblind. This is used preflop. In no limit after the flop, just express in fractions of the pot. eg 1/2 pot size bet.
#2 If the blinds are 1/2 and you raise 3xbb you raise to $6total.
#3 It depends on how much they friggen reraise.


#4http://pokerforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=12

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“There's no sense in being precise when you don't even know what you're talking about.” - John von Neumann

I cant wait for PP100's answer here!

Big blind is half of a big bet... do the math...
Maybe I did'nt get the question, but you are supposed to be able to do it from there.

KJ

Ignore KJ, there is no such thing as big bet in NLHE games.

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“There's no sense in being precise when you don't even know what you're talking about.” - John von Neumann

Ok...I'll try to break it down and if I'm wrong, I'm sure somebody will correct me here...

A) This only works in Limit poker (because we're talking big bets...Bonch is right for NL...

B) You count two different ways through-out the hand. PF and after the flop, everything is small bets (SB from here). After the turn and river, you count everything in Big Bets (BB from here).

C) Big Blind is concidered a SB. Small Blind is concidered 1/2 the big blind (!/2 a SB and 1/4 a BB). Keep in mind that in some games, the small blind is a little less (or more) then exactly 1/2 SB. IE: In PokerStars $.25/$.50 LHE game, the small blind is only $.10.

D) To count the SB preflop, you add 1 for everybody who calls the big blind. A raise is concidered 2 (a reraise 3 and so forth). Jst count if UTG Calls (that's 2 1/2 SB in the pot right there), UTG+1 raises (that's 4 1/2 SB in) folds to button who calls (6 1/2sb) small blind calls (8SB) and big blind folds (8SB) and UTG Calls (9SB total PF).

E) Keep adding after the flop in the same manner...once the Turn hits, take your SB count, divide it by 2 and that's your BB count and start counting the bets again...in the same way.

F) The reason it's easier to count bets instead of actual money in the pot as it helps with figureing your pot odds easier (If, after a bet, there's 5BB in the pot, you know you have 5:1 pot odds to call).

G) It also helps when moving to different levels of play...ie: if you're used to figuring the odds using total money in the pot at a 1/2 table, and you move to 2/4, you have to get used to thinking of those numbers, however if you're doing it by bets, it doesn't matter...a BB is a BB when it comes to odds.

I hope this helps.

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Trons
JstTrons
Toyotatruck

Now if someone bets half the pot after the flop (1 big bet?) will it be 6:1 odds to call? In theory that is only 1 more big bet right, or is it 2.5 more bets (7.5:1?) But it dosen't seem like calling half the pot is a 6:1 odds anymore. This is the area where I get a little fuzzy. Or going off what Bonch said with no big bet's in no limit do you just divide the pot by what the blind is? What I can't understand is how you figure out what your pot odds are at any given point in time during a NL game to help determine if it's worth continuing the hand. I'm reading a book now called "Weighing the Odds in Hold Em Poker". It discusses using the DIPO method (do I have pot odds) which seems like a fairly easy computaion if I can figure out what bet's in the pot equal what.

In limit holdem (well most games you find), there are two levels of betting, the small level is before the flop and after the flop and the big level is on the turn and river. Thus, the blinds are 1/2 a small bet fro the small blind and 1 small bet for the big blind.


You can't make a big bet after the flop, only a small bet (i.e. equal to the big blind). When you keep track of the pot you can either use small or big bets, it's up to you. 1 big bet equals 2 small bets so on the turn and river you put in two small bets with a bet (i.e. 1 big bet).


NL is a different game and you need to focus on money, not the blinds. This is strictly due to fact that there is no small or big bet. As for continuing a hand using pot odds in NL, let me give you a clear, easy example. There is 1500 in the pot and your one opponent bets 200 on the turn. You have Ax suited with two of that suit on the board and no pair on the board. You have one draw to the nut flush which will win you the hand. You have a 17% chance of hitting to make your flush. You need to put in 200 into a 1700 pot which is 8.5:1 odds (12%). So you should call. This is a good call because it is the end of betting. If there is another opponent, he can raise and ruin your pot odds. Although it depends how much he raised and if there were any calls back to you. You need to recalculate now. You see how the blinds are irrelevent in this example.

Jokers, you have an overcard to the board, pleas consider this.

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“There's no sense in being precise when you don't even know what you're talking about.” - John von Neumann

Okay now this is making sense, BIG thanks guys. Now for the magic question when it comes to NL, is there an easier formula to actually convert the money bets into percentages (besides dividing 200 by 1700 or 1 by 8.5 using Jokers example). I'm familiar with the outs x 2 formula that someone had a thread here on all I need to do is figure out a way to make the pot odds as easy to calculate. Again any help is much appreciated if I have to rely on long division to compare pot odd percentages to "outs" percentages I'm gonna need a calculator at the table wheneverI play.....would that be a tell?

Right. Depending on the texture of the flop and my assessment of my opponents cards, I could add some more outs because of this.