Holdem Strategy 2 - Pot Odds
When you see a flop, you will generally be in one of three situations.
Situation #1: Your hand totally misses the board.
  Your Hand |
   Board |
You have nothing, so you should check and fold. Another possibility is to bluff.
Situation #2: You hit the flop well and hold a strong hand.
  Your Hand |
   Board |
In these situations, you should generally bet or raise.
Situation #3: You have a drawing hand
The third possibility is that you currently do not hold a strong hand, but it is possible for you to make a strong hand if the turn or river brings you a good card. This situation is known as “drawing.”
Your Hand |
  Board |
In this situation, a spade will make you a flush, and an Ace or King will bring you top pair.
When you are drawing, there are several tools that will help you make your decisions. One important tool is “pot odds.” Calculating pot odds is fairly simple. First, you must count the number of outs you have. An out is a card that will improve your hand.