I can estimate it pretty decently, but I remember enough to be able to replay the hand in my head and add it up if I have to.

I like to calculate the pot after every street and see future bets as percentages of the pot. Let's say the pot's 58 before the flop. Someone bets 30, another player calls, and it's on me. I think of it as a half-pot bet and a call. Since I know the pot was around 60 before the flop, I know it is approximately 60+30+30, or 120, when the action is on me.

Or just play fixed limit poker.

30/120 - half-pot bet?

30/60 is a half-pot bet.

Keep it simple, round to the nearest 5 or 10 on each street.

Just my experience but I don't think I've played in a room that doesn't allow this. I'm jealous though. Seems silly to not allowed a dealer to count it but will allow a dealer to spread it out so every chip is visable and watch the player count it chip by chip.

this.

keeping a running total should be like breathing......you don't even think about it. you just know it.

Obviously anything related to tipping has to go in the tipping containment thread. Post in the Moderation Discussion Thread if you have questions or comments.

In Joathan Little's Strategies for Beating Small Stakes Poker Cash Games he writes the following for calculating preflop pot size: You can figure the size of the pot by multiplying the last bet by three then adding in any additionnal money that is in the pot. On a 1/2$ table, he gives the example of two limpers, one raises to 10 and another raises to 26. So 26 x 3 + 10 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 = $95.

I'm honestly not sure why multiplying by 3 the last bet, but that's what's in the book.

I'm assuming there were 3 players to the flop? There's really no other explanation.

Here is an easy way to keep the pot amount

pf: multiply the raise amt. by the number of callers, and add the bb if he's not in the hand. (I usually leave out the $2 sb as this is easier to round off the pot plus it goes to the rake anyway)
Flop: (the bet amt) X (number of callers) + pf pot = turn pot
Turn: (the bet amt) X (number of callers) + turn pot = river pot

if you wana practice this, do it for all pots even if you are not involved (it's important to do this anyway so you can read what people are doing in relation to the pot)

It doesn't have to be accurate to the exact dollar. If you play 1/2, as long as it's within 5 bucks it's fine (until you can keep track of the exact number).

My room doesn't allow us to spread or count it (even though we have to know the count). The math to figure it out is grade school level, if you can't figure it out or need the dealer to spread the pot online pokeray be the way to go.

So besides Omaha, of course you need to know the count for the rake, but once your over max rake are you still required to keep a count?

Also if a player's tanking while facing a big bet and asks to spread the pot (which is usually not allowed), it's usually a tell that he's calculating his odds on a draw.

This isn't a formula for size of the pot, it's a formula for a pot sized raise. I've always wondered why it's called a pot sized raise, I would think a pot sized raise would just be all the $ in the pot + the last bet. But for what it's worth, this definition of a pot sized raise is the size that gives the last bettor 2:1 on a call.

$7 (3*2+1) open in $1/$2, BB has to call $5 into a $10 pot.

$24 (3*7+2+1) 3! over a $7 open in $1/$2 the initial raiser has to call $17 into a $34 pot.

This.

Find a way that works for you to keep track of the pot and work at it until it is easy as breathing for you. The good players I know effortlessly track pot size - to the dollar in low stakes games - including for hands they are not in. That frees their brains to focus on other important things, such as bet-sizing and studying their opponents for tells and leaks. If you can not effortlessly track the pot size you are giving your strong opponents one advantage over you.

Yes, 3x bet + trail + middle, is the formula for the amount of a bet required to raise 'pot'. As shown, the amount of the raise itself is less and pretty much offers a decent price to most holdings to continue at 2 to 1 or better. GL

Of course you need to keep a count. How else do you know what a pot sized bet or a legal bet is? And when a player says you're taking too much rake (or if you **** up royally and need to return bets) you have to be able to recreate the act.

It's a pot-sized raise because first you call the bet you are facing, then the size of the pot (including your call) is calculated, and that amount is the size of your raise. You can derive all formulas for a pot-sized raise from this.

For example. Pot=x. Player 1 pots it. Player 2 re-pots. So, player 1 bets x. Player 2 calls x to make the pot 3x, so the total bet is 3x on top of the x call, or 4x. So pot-repot is a raise to 4 times the pot. Pot-call-repot is 5 times the pot.

That makes perfect sense, I wasn't considering that technically part of our raise is actually calling the bet. Appreciate the clarification.

addition, maybe a multiplication

I have never worked or played in a room that allows a dealer to announce pot size or spread the pot. Raise is announced and if you try to raise an illegal amount you will be told so.

'Pot' is a legal raise in PLO, so the Dealer 'has' to announce the proper amount of chips that the Player needs to put out. 'Pot' calculation can be a group effort at times and is typically laughable in rooms that actually do play 1/2, not 1-2-5.

Spreading the pot is pretty much a NL thing since Players are not allowed to inquire 'what's in the middle'.

Speaking of 'the middle' .. It can vary from room to room what a Dealer is allowed to say beyond informing a Player what a pot sized bet 'would be'. IMO a Dealer shouldn't tell a Player 'what's in the middle' if they are facing additional action on the current street. Of course the backdoor to this is to have the Dealer clarify how they came up with the pot-sized total of a potential bet.

There are ways to get the information .. you just need to know specifically how to ask for it without the Dealer breaking a rule or two. GL

I've always wondered why they don't use 2x bet + everything you see on table for a simpler explanation. Works out the same, and avoid the step/confusion of leaving out the last bet (the 'trail' above).

The 2x method calculates the 'raise' amount, but then the 'potter' still needs to call the bet they are facing before they can raise.

One of the most common mistakes is counting chips that the 'potter' already has in front of them, which are not included in these calculation methods. (They aren't part of the trail.)

Yes, the 'English' is a little off if you want to get right into it as well. A Player says "I want to bet the pot." Well technically, we need to go with your 2x method since that would produce a 'bet' size that is actually a legal raise. BUT, we all know the Player is trying to 'raise the amount in the pot' and thus apply the 3x method to calculate the total bet size. GL

PS .. Yes, that would be a great 'one time' angle you could pull if a Player stated that exact language, thus reducing the chips you need to put in to call on a draw.

It's actually still the same. It's just subtracts the 'call' from the 3x (becomes 2x) and add it to the trail (becomes 'everything you see' which is trail + last bet).

Example:
Pot = 10
Villain bet =5
Hero pot ?
3x method: 3x5 + leaving out last bet + 10 pot = 25
2x method: 2x5 + everything you see (5 bet +10 pot) = 25

Where 2x doesn't work is this situation where potter already has money in (but 3x is messy also like you said with forgetting to leave out the potter's original bet). But using '1x + everything you see if potter has money in' will work.

Example
Pot = 10
Hero bet = 5
Villain raise = 15
Hero pot ?
3x method: 3x10 (last 'bet' 5 to 15) + leaving out last bet and original bet + 10 pot = 40
1x method: 1x10 (last 'bet' 5 to 15) + everything you see (15 V last bet + 5 H bet + 10 pot) = 40

So you can leave out the whole trails mess if willing to use two simpler visual methods depending on potter has money in.

Oops disregard the second part. Made it way more complicated than needed. Formula is actually same. 2X last bet + everything you see but subtract out amount potter already put in as with 3X.