How to Calculate Texas Hold’em Outs

Poker outs refer to any unseen cards which could make your existing hand better. Within community card casino games like Texas Hold’em, unseen cards exist after dealing the flop (2 in hand and 3 at the flop). The overall chances of your hand getting better can be calculated at the turn and at the river by dividing the amount of unseen cards, which could help your hand, by the ones that cannot.

For instance, if you have a hand of 2 diamonds and there are 2 more diamonds at the flop, you would be holding a draw for a flush. Therefore, any more diamonds at the turn or at the river could make your hand better. At the turn, 47 unseen cards will exist, 9 of which are diamonds; therefore, your overall chances of getting better would be 47/9 or 19%. In case the card at the turn isn’t a diamond, the calculation would be similar for the river. However, there will be 46 unseen cards instead, 9 of which would out your hand.

Players have to learn basic probabilities in hitting outs and then compare these to offered-up odds by calling bets. For instance, if you have 4 cards near a flush and a single card about to appear, but there is $20 to call to get $40 into the pot, then you will get a 2/1 price on a particular outcome that usually only occurs once every 4.5 times.

Outs have to be calculated with 1 and 2 cards to come to cover the event where bets end at the flop and either your opponent or you choose to go all-in.

Common poker outs

•    4 cards close to a flush (2 cards are to come) = odds of 1.9/1 or 35%

•    4 Cards close to a flush (1 card is to come) = odds of 4.1/1 or 19%

•    4 Cards close to a straight (2 cards are to come) = odds of 2.2/1 or 32%

•    4 Cards close to a straight (1 card is to come) = odds of 4.7/1 or 17%

•    Inner straight draw of 2-3-5-6 (2 cards are to come) = odds of 4/1 or 20%

•    Inner straight draw of 2-3-5-6 (1 card is to come) = odds of 10/1 or 10%