What are Reverse Implied Odds in Poker?

Reverse implied odds are extra chips you expect to lose after you hit, because the hand you make is second-best. You call, you complete, they still have you beat, and the leftover stack goes the wrong way.

This is not pot odds. Pot odds price this call. Regular implied odds are extra you win if you hit. Reverse implied odds are the tax when you hit and still lose.

What reverse implied odds are

• Extra you lose when you hit second-best.
• Not pot odds. Not regular implied odds.
• Often zero when you draw to the nuts or they are all-in.

When you do not have reverse implied odds

Reverse implied odds are the extra chips you expect to lose when you hit a second-best hand. But they do not apply in every situation. Recognize when they are absent so you can call or raise more freely.

• You are drawing to the nuts. If your draw completes to the absolute best possible hand, you cannot lose more money on later streets. For example, a flush draw when no higher flush is possible, or a straight draw to the nut straight. You might still lose to a full house if the board pairs, but if your draw is truly to the nuts, reverse implied odds are zero.

• Your opponent is all-in. Once your opponent is all-in, there are no more bets to lose. You only risk the amount you call now. If you hit a second-best hand, you lose the pot you already invested, but you do not lose additional chips on later streets. So reverse implied odds are effectively zero.

• You have the nut blocker or the board is dry. If you hold the ace of the flush suit, you know your opponent cannot have the nut flush. On a dry board like K♠7♦2♣, your top pair is less likely to be outdrawn, so the risk of paying off a better hand is lower.

• Your hand is well-disguised. If your draw is hidden, your opponent may not put you on it, so they may not bet into you when you hit. This reduces the chance you lose a big pot to a better hand.

Three common leaks that come from ignoring reverse implied odds:

• Calling with a weak draw that can make a second-best hand, like a low flush draw when a higher flush is possible.
• Calling with a marginal made hand that can be outdrawn, like top pair with a weak kicker on a coordinated board.
• Overvaluing implied odds when your opponent is unlikely to pay off, but ignoring the times you pay them off when you hit second-best.

The second-best-hand tax

Do not paste a pot-odds half-pot table as the whole lesson. The 25% half-pot row lives on the pot-odds page.

Worked reverse-implied example

1. Take: second-best-hand tax. You are in the big blind with K♠Q♠ on a J♠9♠4♦ flop. The pot is 30 bb and your opponent bets 20 bb. You call, planning to fold if the turn bricks. The turn is the 8♠, giving you a king-high flush. Your opponent bets 40 bb into 70 bb. You call, but the river is the A♠. Your opponent bets 80 bb. You call and lose to the A♠-high flush. You invested 20 + 40 + 80 = 140 bb total, but you only won when you hit the nuts. The reverse implied odds here are the 80 bb you lost on the river when your second-best flush was dominated. In a typical spot, you should have folded the turn or river when the flush completed and your opponent showed aggression, because your hand is only a bluff-catcher at that point.

2. Don't: drawing to the nuts or opponent all-in. You hold A♥K♥ on a Q♥7♥2♦ flop. The pot is 50 bb and your opponent moves all-in for 100 bb. You have the nut flush draw and overcards. You call. Even if you miss, you lose nothing extra beyond your call. If you hit, you have the best possible hand. There is no second-best hand to worry about, so reverse implied odds are zero. Similarly, if you are drawing to the nut straight with 9♠8♠ on a 7♠6♦2♣ flop, any 5 or T gives you the nuts. You can call a bet without fear of losing more later, because your made hand is unbeatable. In these spots, you only need to consider your direct pot odds and implied odds, not reverse implied odds.

Frequently asked questions

What are reverse implied odds in poker?

Extra chips you expect to lose when you hit a second-best hand. They are not pot odds and not regular implied odds. When do you not have reverse implied odds?

When you are drawing to the nuts, when they are all-in, or when they will not pay a bigger hand. Then the second-best-hand tax is not this call. How do reverse implied odds differ from implied odds?

Implied odds are the extra chips you expect to win when you hit your draw. Reverse implied odds are the extra chips you expect to lose when you hit a second-best hand. Implied odds make calls more attractive; reverse implied odds make them less attractive. Why do reverse implied odds matter more in multiway pots?

In multiway pots, the chance that someone else has a better hand increases. If you hit a second-best flush or straight, you are more likely to lose a big pot to another player who also hit a strong hand. This raises your reverse implied odds. Can reverse implied odds apply to made hands?

Yes. If you have a marginal made hand like top pair with a weak kicker, you can lose a lot when your opponent has a better kicker or a set. The extra chips you lose when you are outkicked are reverse implied odds. How do I calculate reverse implied odds?

You cannot calculate them exactly. You estimate the average amount you expect to lose when you make a second-best hand. For example, if you think you will lose an extra 50 bb on average when you hit your flush but lose to a higher flush, that 50 bb is your reverse implied odds. Subtract that from your implied odds when deciding to call.