What Does It Mean to Be Pot Committed?
When your pot odds are better than the odds of winning the hand, you are pot committed.
Compare the size of the pot to your remaining chips, not the size of the pot to the size of your opponent's bet.
The situation depicted in the image can be described as follows – you need to put in one chip to win five, and you will win one out of five times (your opponent will win four times). This means it is worth calling because losing four times will result in a loss of 4 chips, but winning once will give you 6 chips (5 already in the pot and 1 that you put in).
Example of Being Pot Committed
Suppose you and your opponent each have $200 before starting the hand. The pot is $300 after the turn, so each of you has $50 left. If at this stage of the game you have at least top pair, you are pot committed and should not fold on the turn or river.
– The ratio of chips in the pot to your remaining chips is 7-1 ($350-$50) (don't forget to add your remaining chips to the total amount in the pot).
– You almost certainly have a better chance than 7-1 (12.5%) of winning this pot, even if your opponent usually bets or calls only with strong hands.
In the given example, our pot odds are better than the odds of winning the hand, so we are pot committed and should not fold our hand. Although it may not seem like you often have the best hand, probabilities show that in the long run, folding in such a situation will lose you more than calling.
When Are You Not Pot Committed?
The biggest mistake inexperienced players make is justifying bad decisions by using the term “pot committed.” Here is a bad definition of “pot committed”:
“A player must call a raise because most of their chips are already in the pot.”
The fact that you have put most of your chips into the pot does not make you pot committed. It is especially important to evaluate your chances of winning the hand.
An Example of Why It Is Not Enough to Look Only at How Much Is Invested in the Pot
Suppose you reach the river, and $999 of your initial $1000 is already in the pot. Your opponent reveals a Royal Flush, which beats your full house. Then the opponent puts in their last $1. Should you call? Of course not! You have a 0% chance of winning the pot and a 100% guarantee of losing $1. Such a situation will have a -$1 expected value (EV) in the long run.
The fact that $999 of your initial chips are already in the pot means nothing in this case. Remember, your chances of winning the hand are one of the factors that determine whether you are pot committed. You cannot rely solely on the chips already in the pot.
To be pot committed, your pot odds must be better than the probability of winning the hand.
How to Use the Pot Committed Factor During the Game?
1. Avoid building large pots with hands you are not prepared to go all-in with.
2. Do not think you are pot committed every time you put a lot of money into the pot. Folding may not be pleasant, but it is better than losing even more money.
3. Use math and probabilities to determine whether you are pot committed, not your gut feeling.
4. Having specific information about your opponent's play and assigning a range of hands will help better evaluate your chances of winning.
A very good rule to follow when playing poker is – it is not advisable to put 1/3 of your chips into the pot and then think about folding. The point is that if you put 1/3 of your chips into the pot and then fold, it means you are investing too much money with poor hands.
Why 1/3? Because if you put 1/3 of your chips into the pot, it means you or your opponent can make an all-in bet, and that bet will not exceed the size of the pot. So if you have a good enough hand, never fold it. Your chances of winning must be less than 2:1 (33%) for you to fold; otherwise, you are pot committed. However, the fact that you do not have a strong enough hand in such a situation means you made mistakes in your play up to this point.
From the very beginning, you must have a plan for how you will play each hand. You must know the size you want the pot to be (or not to be). Without a plan, you will often find yourself in situations where you do not notice that 1/3 of your chips are already in the pot, and you are still unsure about the strength of your hand.
Pot Committed – A New Concept or an Excuse?
Reading the article, you might get the impression that some advice contradicts itself. On the one hand, it is said that you cannot use the concept of being pot committed as an excuse to put more money into the pot, but on the other hand, it is stated that you cannot fold when you are pot committed.
In reality, it is trying to help two different groups of players:
1. If being pot committed is a new concept to you, it is trying to say that folding when you are pot committed is a mistake.
2. If being pot committed is a familiar poker factor but is used too loosely. Such players are advised to consider situations more carefully when they think that putting all their money into the pot is the only option.
Choose which group you belong to and use the appropriate advice.
Summary of Being Pot Committed
Do not fold if you are pot committed.
Follow these guidelines:
– You are pot committed when your pot odds are better than the probability of winning the hand.
– Do not use the concept of being pot committed as an excuse for bad play. Use mathematical calculations to determine if you are pot committed.
– Avoid situations where you put a third of your chips into the pot and then fold.
The rule about putting 1/3 of your chips into the pot is useful to remember, but the main idea is to learn to plan your hands correctly. If you learn to respond and bet correctly based on the strength of your hand, this rule will never be violated.
The decisions you make pre-flop and on the flop will determine the events on the turn and river. If you do not understand these principles, you will find yourself in very difficult situations where you are pot committed with hands that you would never have considered going all-in with pre-flop.
