I usually just multiply the bet size on any street by the number of players who call that bet. This is not exact if there are raises and folds, but it gets you pretty close (and if there are only 1 or 2 players who call an initial bet then fold to a raise you can add these in).
Example: 1/3 NLHE live. PF: EP player limps, MP raises to 15, CO, BU and BB call, EP folds. Four players called bet, 4x15=60. If you wanted to you could add 4 for the EP player and SB, but I usually don’t bother — there’s rake anyway, so an approximate pot of 60 going to the flop.
Now, BB checks, MP bets 30, fold to BB who calls, EP raise to 100, MP fold BB call. 2 players call 100, so add 200. One bet 30 then folded, so 230 on flop, add to 60 from PF for 290 total.
This actually becomes pretty easy with practice. When you aren’t playing a hand, practice tracking the pot size like this. Usually you will get a very good approximation.
You have to keep saying the number in your head. If you lose track, go back to the last number you remember. If you really have to, you can spread and count the pot.
Keep the main pot amount in your head at all times and do pot calculations live when the bet is made. Adjust the main pot number when you add folded bets to it, and adjust again at the end of the street when you add all the additional bets to it.
You can relax a bit once you have to make sidepots or the pot amount starts getting close to a player's stack size; at that point any additional bets are going to put all remaining players all-in.
If you're dealing with chips that have 0s in their value, you can go by literal chip counts and then multiply the value of the chips. A game I deal uses $20 chips mostly so if someone bets pot, I'll figure it's 17 chips, multiply by 20 in my head and say, "$340." Because I know they are calculating the pot the same way, I'll then say, "17 chips." Just have to remember that $100 is 5 chips when they throw out blacks.
Last edited by DisRuptive1; 10-09-2024 at 01:26 AM.
