Poker odds part III: Reverse implied odds, how to calculate them and more

Within what we know as implied odds we can find the reverse implied odds. These, like the implied odds, take into account the fact that you could still receive money in future bets if you tie your hand, but in reverse, hence the inverse. That is, they take into account the money you can lose.

Implied pot odds are those odds that take into account the size of the pot and also the money you could win in subsequent betting rounds, and can also be calculated in reverse, taking into account losses and not wins in relation to a pot bet.

Reverse implied odds: what are they?

To calculate the implicit pot odds, you have to divide the sum of the current pot and the future bets of other players by what the bet will cost you. This is the basis for obtaining a result that, instead of taking into account the potential winnings, calculates the losses.

Reverse implied pot odds, on the other hand, are the pot odds that take into account possible future losses in case you get the outs, but still come out behind, something that happens more often than it seems. When should reverse implied pot odds be taken into account? When with the best hand your winnings can be minimal, but with a bad hand you can lose everything.

Reverse implied odds come into play when you get a dirty out. Dirty outs occur when you are not dealt the best hand of the table, creating inverse implied odds that you must discount. How can we know that we have inverse implied odds? For example, when we tie our hand on the turn, since it will mean that we have not been given the best hand because we have tied it postflop.

In case you have suited connectors (two cards of the same suit in your hand), you have an exceptional chance that your opponents will pay you with a made hand when you complete your project. If this happens, your implied odds will only be limited by the suspicion of a table with three cards of the same suit. If they are suspicious, they will be wary and will soon curb their ambitions in the hand.

But if this is not the case, if you have only one flush draft card in your hand, your implied odds will be terribly wrong. At a table where only one color scares the others you don't have a flush draw, and no one would pay well for that.

Calculating Reverse Implied Odds: how to do it

Contrary to what happens in poker with some odds and other mathematical elements, the reverse implied odds involve some complexity because they go beyond a mathematical formula. In fact, to make good decisions for your projects it is not enough to calculate the odds, but you will have to calculate the implied pot odds and the reverse implied pot odds to base your plays on real odds.

To the formula you use to calculate the implied odds you have to incorporate the type of opponent for whom you are studying the odds and the texture of the table, as well as taking into account the possible projects of your opponent. For example, in the case of double pairs or a major pair, you depend on the outs and how much yours help the opponent.

The position also has a lot to say in the odds calculation, we never tire of saying it. This can help you to have clean outs and avoid reverse implied odds. If you end up having them, you will have to deduct them from your implied odds calculation.

Keep in mind that, in order to make a correct calculation, you must get your valuations right. A bad reading will cause you to play with wrong implied odds, which will affect your game.

What can be helpful is to have an idea of what kind of plays or circumstances can give you an idea of how likely you are to get a dirty out and, therefore, reverse implied odds.

In a consecutive order, starting from 100% implied odds and going all the way to 100% reverse implied odds, we can classify: gutshot on a multicolor board, highest flush draw, gutshot on paired board, weak flush draw, gutshot t on a board with two cards of the same suit, double pair draw, trio draw, major pair draw and weaker draws.

Keep in mind that your reverse implied odds will be defined by how good your preflop hand is, so knowing how your hand sits in the bracket defines your IO (implied odds) and your RIO (reverse implied odds).

If you were interested in this article, do not miss these posts to complete your knowledge about implied odds:

• Poker odds part I: definition, types and basics for beginners
• Poker odds part II: implied odds and how to calculate them
• Pokerodds part IV: pot odds and differences with implied odds