How Do You Calculate Outs in Poker?

In poker, an “out” is any card that will improve your hand. There are many ways to calculate outs, but the most common is to multiply your number of outs by two, then add one.

For example, if you have a flush draw (four cards of the same suit), you have nine outs: any one of the nine remaining cards of that suit will give you a flush. Multiply 9 by 2 and add 1, and you get 19: there are 19 ways to make your hand with one card to come.

If you’re drawing to a straight, you have eight outs (any one of the four remaining cards of the straight). But because straights are harder to make than flushes, you don’t multiply by two; you just add one.

So your odds of making a straight are 8-out-of-37, or about 1-in-5.

There’s a shortcut for calculating odds when you have an inside straight draw (four cards to a straight with one gap in the middle). In this case, you have four outs: any one of the four cards that will complete your straight.

But because there are only four cards that can help you, and because straights are harder to make than flushes, the odds are 4-out-of-37, or 1-in-9.5.

PRO TIP:When calculating outs in poker, remember to also consider the potential of improving your hand with a combination of the community cards. Your outs are not just limited to cards that will give you a winning hand but also cards that improve your current hand. For example, if you have four-of-a-kind, your outs are any fifth card that would give you a higher four-of-a-kind.

Outs aren’t just useful for working out your odds; they’re also useful for making decisions on the flop and turn. If you have a flush draw and the flop has three cards of your suit, you have what’s called a “flush draw.” With nine outs and two cards to come, your odds of making a flush are approximately 19-out-of-45 (19/45 = 0.

42). That means that if you’re getting paid off at 2-to-1 odds (you bet $1 and get paid $2 if you win), it’s worth calling.

Similarly, if you have an open-ended straight draw on the turn (four cards to a straight with two gaps), your odds of making the hand are approximately 8-out-of-19 (8/19 = 0.42).

So if someone bets $1 into a $1 pot on the turn, it’s worth calling if you’re getting 2-to-1 pot odds (you bet $1 and get paid $3 if you win).

One final note: when people talk about “outs,” they’re usually talking about their chance of making their hand on the river. But outs can be useful on any street.

The turn is often where players make or lose the most money; knowing how to calculate your outs can help you make better decisions on the turn and throughout the hand.