Question 1

How do I calculate poker odds?

Accepted Answer

1) Count the 'outs' that would win you the pot, 2) count the number of unseen cards in the deck, 3) subtract the number of outs (A) from the unseen cards, and count the remaining unseen cards (B).

Your odds of winning the hand are therefore (B):(A).

You can always use our handy poker cheat sheet as a guide. It can also help to memorize odds for common situations, for example, knowing that a small pair against two overcards before the flop is roughly 50/50 and that a small pair against a big pair is a 4/1 underdog, etc.

Other odds calculations require more effort and practice. It's best to routinely use a poker odds calculator to check what your odds were after the fact, you can then adjust your play based on this information in future on similar hands.

Question 2

How should I calculate odds in my head quickly?

Accepted Answer

The rule of 4 and 2 is the easiest way to know roughly what your odds of winning your hand are.

It's a simple process: first work out how many cards you can hit to improve your hand (outs). For example, if you have a flush draw, there are nine cards you can hit to make a flush.

To know the odds of making your flush from the flop, simply multiply your outs by four. If the turn doesn't bring your card, multiply your outs by two. In this case, on the flop, you have a roughly 36% chance of making your flush by the river (reduced to around 18% on the turn).

Question 3

How to calculate pre-flop poker odds?

Accepted Answer

The best way to calculate precise pre-flop odds is to use a dedicated poker odds calculator. However, here are a few quick tricks to know rough odds on the go: A pocket pair against two overcards (e.g. 66 vs AQ) is roughly 50/50 A smaller pair against a bigger pair (e.g. 66 vs AA) is a 4/1 underdog Two high cards against two lower cards (e.g. AK v QJ) is roughly 60/40 A "dominated" hand (e.g. AK v AJ) is a 3/1 underdog

Question 4

What are pot odds?

Accepted Answer

Pot odds refers to the price of calling a bet relative to the size of the pot. For example, if the pot is $100 and your opponent bets $100, then you must call $100 to win $200 (their bet plus the pot). This means you're getting pot odds of $200 to $100, or 2/1.

Question 5

How do you calculate poker pot odds?

Accepted Answer

To calculate poker odds, you'll first need to know your outs. Outs are the cards that can improve your hand. There are many ways to calculate pot odds but here's a simple way. Rather than using a formula, poker players use the rule of 4 and 2.

The rule says that if you have two cards to come (i.e. on the flop), you can multiply the number of outs you have by four and you'll come to an approximate percentage of making your hand. If you have only one card to come, on the turn, you can multiply your outs by two to reach an estimated percentage.

To calculate pot odds, determine the amount of chips already in the pot vs the amount you must put in to call. This ratio is an expression of your pot odds.

Question 6

What are good odds?

Accepted Answer

Good odds simply means that the pot odds are longer than the odds of making your hand. For example, if you have a flush draw and face an all-in bet on the flop, you will have a roughly 36% chance of making your flush and winning. 36% is a little better than 2:1, so if you have to call a bet of $150 to win $300 or more, you're getting good odds and should call.

Question 7

What are the odds of flopping a set?

Accepted Answer

If you have a pocket pair, you will flop a set roughly one time in nine.

Question 8

What are the odds of flopping a flush?

Accepted Answer

If you have two suited cards, you will flop a flush roughly one time in 118. You'll flop a flush draw around one in 10 times.

Question 9

What are the odds of being dealt pocket aces?

Accepted Answer

On average, you'll be dealt pocket aces once every 220 hands.

Question 10

What are the odds of winning poker?

Accepted Answer

Some common poker hand odds to try and remember, assuming just one more card to come, are open-ended straight draws at 4.8:1, four to a flush at 4.1:1, inside straight draw (belly buster) at 10.5:1, one pair drawing to two pairs or trips at 8.2:1, overcards on a ragged board on the turn at 6.7:1, and drawing to a set at 22:1.

Question 11

How do the odds change with more players?

Accepted Answer

The more players that are involved in the hand, the lower your chances of winning the pot - even if you're a favorite. For example, the most powerful starting Hold'em hand is pocket aces. If you're up against a random hand, you'll be a huge 85% favorite. If you're up against five random hands, you'll still be a huge favorite, but you'll only win the pot 49% of the time on average.

On top of that, the more players in the pot, the higher the chances that they hold some of your outs. If two players have flush draws, they only have seven outs (not nine) to hit their flush and one of them might lose a big pot!

Question 12

How many different hands are possible in Texas Hold'em?

Accepted Answer

If you do not distinguish between suits (which are not ranked in most poker games), then there are 169 different starting hands in Texas Hold'em. The best is A-A and the worst is either 7-2 or 3-2 unsuited, but many other Hold'em hands are considered largely unplayable. If you do differentiate between suits, there are 1,326 possible combinations of two cards. Visit our Texas Hold'em starting hands page for more detailed help.

Question 13

What are outs in poker?

Accepted Answer

'Outs' is simply the technical term for the cards that can make you the winning hand. For example, if you have Ah-Qh against Jc-Jd on a flop of 8h-5h-2c, you can win with any heart, Queen or Ace for a total of 15 outs.

Question 14

How do you count outs in poker?

Accepted Answer

An out is simply a card that will help you win. Look at this example:

If you're planning on winning with a flush and you have four spades, then there will be nine spades left in the deck. So, you can win with any of these nine spades.

There are thirteen cards in a suit, so you can easily calculate that because you have four spades there will be nine left (13 – 4 = 9).

Question 15

What are the chances of winning with pocket aces?

Accepted Answer

Pocket aces are a solid hand that give you a good chance of winning. Your odds of winning depend on the number of people playing, but generally is at a minimum of 25% if each player stays in until the end, and the odds go up as each player drops out of the hand. Learn how to protect your strong hands to prevent worse ones from out-drawing you, and you'll win more with your premium hands!

Question 16

What is the percentage of hitting a set on the flop?

Accepted Answer

The approximate probability of hitting a set on the flop is 12% which isn't too bad, but certainly nothing that you want to rely on while playing the game. 'Set-mining' is the act of calling a bet with a small pair, hoping to hit three-of-a-kind on the flop for a very strong, yet dangerously concealed hand. Given the low chances of success, however, this should only be attempted if your stack is big enough – and the bet you're facing is small enough – that you won't suffer too badly if you don't hit your card.

Drawing Hand	# of Outs	Odds of Hitting by the River	$ in Pot Needed per $1 to Call
Open-ended Straight and Flush Draw	15	54%	$0.85
Inside Straight and Flush Draw	12	45%	$1.25
Flush Draw	9	35%	$1.85
Open-ended Straight Draw	8	32%	$2.10
2x Overcards vs Top Pair	6	24%	$3.15
Two pair to Full House	4	16%	$5.25
Inside Straight Draw	4	16%	$5.25
1x Overcard vs Top Pair	3	12%	$7.35
Pocket Pair to Set	2	8%	$11.50

Drawing Hand	# of Outs	Odds of Hitting by the River	$ in Pot Needed per $1 to Call
Open-ended Straight and Flush Draw	15	33%	$2.00
Inside Straight and Flush Draw	12	26%	$2.85
Flush Draw	9	20%	$4.00
Open-ended Straight Draw	8	17%	$4.90
2x Overcards vs Top Pair	6	13%	$6.70
Two pair to Full House	4	9%	$10.10
Inside Straight Draw	4	9%	$10.10
1x Overcard vs Top Pair	3	6%	$15.65
Pocket Pair to Set	2	4%	$24.00

Size of bet	Example	Pot odds	Equity needed
1/2 pot bet	$1 into $2 pot	3:1	1/4 or 25%
2/3 pot bet	$2 into $3 pot	5:2	2/7 or 29%
3/4 pot bet	$3 into $4 pot	7:3	3/10 or 30%
pot sized bet	$4 into $4 pot	8:4 or 2:1	4/12 or 1/3 33%
2x pot bet	$8 into $4 pot	12:8 or 3:2	8/20 or 2/5 40%

Poker Odds for Dummies

Poker odds chart

On the flop

On the turn

Pot odds table

How odds work

Poker odds tell you the probability of hitting any given card

To calculate odds you first need the number of winning cards, or 'outs'

Using the ‘outs’ to calculate Texas Hold’em poker odds

First calculate how many cards from the deck you can't see:

The unseen cards are then split into winners and losers:

37 cards in the deck that will cause you to lose

9 cards in the deck that will give you a win

37 to 9

4:1

Common poker outs scenarios

The BIG question - should you call the bet?

10:1

But what if I lose?

To summarize everything we have calculated so far:

If this situation came up 5 times during the game, and went exactly as the probabilities suggest, it would look like this:

A lot to remember? Here's a handy shortcut: The Rule of 4 and 2

Cheat sheets

Poker Odds FAQ