Pot odds refer to the ratio of the amount of the pot in relation to the amount of the bet required in order to stay in the pot. If a player must call on a $10 for a $30 pot, his pot odds are 3 to 1. To have a positive expectation, a player’s odds of winning should be higher than his pot odds.

If his odds of winning is equal to his pot odds, and he plays the pot for four games, his expected return is to break even, meaning the player will lose 3 games and win once.