Rather than assuming that Poker is a game of luck, you should keep reading this article and realize that Poker is a game of probability and percentages.  Because the methods you use to calculate your odds of winning in a poker game will heavily depend on the game you are playing, and the bets you are placing, this article will only cover the basic ideas behind calculating your odds, and why it is in your best interest.

Poker must be viewed as one extended game instead of many short gatherings. The reason for this is that over the course of thousands of hands, the best hand will win the correct amount of time. Poker, however, is full of small variants (often known and referred to as luck), which causes many people plenty of unnecessary frustration.  In spite of the fact that you are losing when the odds are very much in your favor; the goal of winning poker is still to put yourself in this type of situation as frequently as you can, because when you do, you will win more often than not.

The key is to learn your hands, and the percentages behind those hands showing up.  Then you can figure your pot odds, and maybe even go on to figure out some implied odds, and advanced techniques. Calculating your odds helps you understand the correlation between risk and reward in a numerical format that we all speak, money.  If your math skills are not up to par, do not worry because these are simple calculations.  It does not take much to run these math problems, so that you can figure your odds with relative ease. 

Because the examples to explain the calculation of pot odds are very much lengthy and easy to complicate through the use of the written word, I suggest you search for further reading or a live tutor to help you better understand the principles behind using mathematics to calculate the pot odds. 

In order to understand how to calculate your poker odds, you must understand that poker is much skill, and strategy, and less luck than you believe.  This is a primary reason why the game is now considered a sport, and has many publicly viewable tournaments, and championships.  It may not be considered a sport by many; but honestly, poker being rendered as such is certainly understandable.  It takes the same knowledge, skill, and power as does basketball, or football, and the reward should be equitable.  Calculating your odds and doing so with ease and precision is a very integral part of becoming a successful poker player.