Top players use implied odds in their decision-making all the time. This is perhaps the most famous occasion… It was heads-up in the final table of the 1980 WSOP Main Event. Ungar had a 2/1 chip lead when the decisive hand arrived. He was dealt 4♠ -5♠ and Doyle got A♥ -7♠ . The pot was $30,000 when the flop arrived A♦ -7♦ -2♣, giving Brunson two-pair and Ungar a gutshot straight draw.

Brunson bet $17,000 giving Ungar roughly a 2/1 proposition to call the bet. Ungar needed a Three to win the pot, at odds of 10.75/1 on the next card. In this situation pot odds would say that Ungar should muck, but he had his eye on Brunson’s entire stack. He knew if he caught his card he could bust Doyle.

Seeing the problem in terms of implied odds the call cost $17,000 and Doyle’s stack totalled $232,500, giving Ungar implied odds of roughly 14/1.

Ungar called, the Three came on the turn and Brunson couldn’t get away from his top two-pair. The money went in and Doyle failed to make full house on the river. Stuey was crowned world champion – all thanks to the use of implied odds.