Pot Odds are simple, and once you master them you
will notice how often it is correct to chase your draw, and how
often you should dump it on the flop, mastering pot odds will save
you a lot of money! Pot Odds: the amount of chips you have
to call compared to the pot and your odds to win. If the pot is
500 chips and you have a flush draw, the guy bets 100 chips, you
should call because your odds of hitting the flush are 1/5, the
bet is 1/6 (100+500) of the pot. If he were to bet 250 chips, you
should fold, because the bet is 1/3 (250+500) of the pot and your
odds of getting the flush are still 1/5.
Disclaimer: Do NOT play tournaments simply by using "pot odds",
far more important things (stack size, payout structure, opponents
stack, blinds) should factor into your decision a lot of the
time. I'm not saying you shouldn't consider the pot odds in a
tournament, but they are much more important in ring games.
In my next segment I will talk about Implied Odds.