Outs in Poker: Definition, Importance and Calculation

In poker, “outs” are the cards in the deck that can improve your hand and your chance of winning. Drawing these “out” cards can strengthen your hands during the upcoming betting rounds.

Imagine holding two hearts in your hand; the flop reveals two more hearts. You’re now on a flush draw and need one more heart to complete a flush.

Now, the deck has 13 cards in each suit, including hearts. You’ve already seen four hearts (two in your hand and two on the flop), and nine more remain in the deck.

These nine hearts are your out cards or outs.

Why Are Outs Important in Poker?

Outs directly influence your decision-making during a poker hand. Once you identify your outs, you can determine the odds of improving your hand and pot equity.

As a result, you can make informed choices about whether to call, fold, or raise.

How Outs Influence Your Decisions

Knowing your outs helps you assess the risk versus reward of staying in a hand.

Let’s say you’re on a draw, like a straight or flush draw. Estimating your chances of hitting the winning card helps you decide if a bet is worth the potential payoff.

Outs, Odds, and Pot Equity

Your odds represent the likelihood of hitting one of your outs.

Imagine you have nine outs to complete a flush. With this information, you can calculate your odds of making the flush on the turn or river.

Pot equity is your share of the pot based on the probability of winning. You can calculate your odds and understand whether the pot odds justify your bet.

Also read: What is Equity in Poker?

How Outs Prevents Costly Mistakes

Let’s explore an example scenario to understand how outs can stop you from making a serious error.

Let’s say you’re holding 6♠ 7♠, and the flop is 8♠ 9🔶 2🧡. You’re on an open-ended straight draw, needing a 5 or a 10 to complete your straight.

That means you have 8 outs – four 5s and four 10s.

The above information helps you calculate your equity or the probability of improving your hand.

How to Calculate Outs in Poker

Calculating outs is an essential skill that helps you assess your chances of improving your hand. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Identify Your Best Possible Hand

Look at your hand. Think of the best hand you can make per poker rules with your hole and community cards.

For example, if you’re holding a flush draw, your best hand would be a completed flush.

See more: Poker Odds Calculator

Count the Remaining Cards in the Deck

Make a note of the number of cards still in the deck that can help you form your best poker hand. These are your “outs.”

Example:

• You’re holding A🧡 9🧡, and the board shows K🧡 7♠ 3🧡.
• Now, any hearts from the deck will help you complete your flush.
• The deck has 13 hearts, and you’ve already seen four. (2 in your hand and 2 on the board).
• So, your outs are (13 – 4) hearts 9 outs.

Subtract Known Cards

Subtracting the cards you have already seen (hole and community cards) gives you your current outs. However, your opponents may have shown more cards during the hand.

You should also subtract those seen cards to derive updated outs as the game progresses.

Consider Multiple Draws

If you have more than one potential draw, such as a flush and a straight, count the outs for each draw separately.

Then, check for cards that improve both probable hands (overlapping outs). It may be a bit challenging, but you’ll gain more confidence with practice.

Learn more: What is Draw Poker?

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Double-Counting Cards:

A single card can complete multiple draws, as we just discussed above in the last step, such as a flush and straight.

In such cases, count that card only once.

Imagine you’re on a flush and an open-ended straight draw. You don’t add all the outs for each; you adjust for overlap.

For example, count 5♠ and 10♠ once if they complete multiple draws.

The Rule of 2 and 4: Simplified Odds Calculation

Odds mean knowing the likelihood of improving your hand by drawing a card that helps you win. This method measures how often something will happen, like completing a flush or straight.

It gives you a sense of the probability or percentage of your outs appearing during the game.

The Rule of 2 and 4 helps you estimate odds quickly without a calculator or complicated math.

Below is how the rule works:

• On the Flop: Flop means two cards are yet to come. Multiply your outs by 4 to figure out your chance of completing the draw by the river.
• On the Turn: It means one card to come. Multiply your outs by 2 to estimate your chance of forming your hand on the river.

The result you get is the percentage or odds.

Example 1: Flush Draw on the Flop

You have A🧡 Q🧡, and the flop is 7🧡 9🧡 2♠.

• You need one more heart to complete your flush.
• Your outs are (13 cards in the deck – 4 cards you’ve already seen) = 9 outs.

Using the Rule of 4 (Flop):

You can find out your odds by multiplying outs by 4.

So, you have a (9 x 4) = 36% chance of completing your flush by the river.

Example 2: Straight Draw on the Turn

• You have 6♠ 7♠, and the board is 8🔶 9♣ 2♠ K🧡.
• You need a 5 or 10 to complete your straight.
• There are 4 fives and 4 tens in the deck.
• Total outs = 8 cards.

Using Rule of 2 (Turn):

You can find out your odds by multiplying outs by 2.

So, you have a (8 x 2) = 16% chance of hitting your straight on the river.

Why Know Your Odds

Knowing your odds helps you decide if it’s worth risking more chips. For example:

Let’s say you have a 16% chance of making your hand in Texas Hold’em poker and the pot odds are in your favour. In such a scenario, it is always better to continue.

Conversely, a 2% chance might make folding a better option to preserve your chips.

Always consider pot odds to make your final decision. Calling may be the right choice if pot odds are greater than your odds of hitting your hand.

Examples of Outs in Common Scenarios

Let’s explore a few instances of outs you are likely to come across in games like Texas Hold’em poker.

Common Mistakes When Calculating Outs

Be mindful of the common mistakes players sometimes make:

Counting Dead Outs:

Some cards may improve your hand but not enough to stand up to stronger opponent hands. For example, forming a lower pair is of no use if your opponent has a higher pair.

Leave these dead outs from your calculation.

Misjudging Opponent Holdings:

Your calculations won’t be accurate if you fail to judge opponent holdings correctly. For example, you count more outs because you mistakenly think your opponent has a weaker hand.

In the same way, you can underestimate your outs and count less if you mistakenly predict your opponent has a strong hand.

Also check: How to win at poker?

Tips to Improve Accuracy

Below are a few tips for counting your outs accurately:

• Count only live outs. Ensure they actually improve your hand and are available.
• Pay close attention to the board and how it interacts with your hands.
• Observe opponents’ actions and try to predict the range of their hands.
• Some cards you hold may prevent your opponents from hitting strong hands. Adjust your calculations accordingly.
• Stay calm and focused while counting outs. Take your time and count multiple times.

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FAQs on Poker Outs

1. What does “outs” mean in poker?

Outs in poker are cards remaining in the deck that can help you make strong hands as per poker game rules. Let’s say you have two hearts in your hand, and two more are on the flop. You’re on a flush draw and need another heart to hit your flush. The deck has 13 hearts, and you hold two; another two are on the board. So, you have 13 – (2 + 2) = 9 outs.

2. What is the Rule of 2 and 4 in poker?

The Rule of 2 (on the flop) and 4 (on the turn) helps you calculate odds in poker. You multiply your outs by 4 to get your odds of hitting your chosen hand by the river. Similarly, you multiply your outs by 2 to get your odds of forming your best hand on the river. For example, if you have five outs on the flop, your odds are 5 x 4 = 20%. Similarly, if you have three outs on the turn, your odds are 3 x 2 = 6%.

3. Why are outs important in poker strategy?

Counting outs helps you make improved poker decisions. You can figure out your odds and determine if it is worth it to risk your chips. Additionally, you can use your odds to determine your pot odds and the profitability of your bets.

4. How many outs does a flush draw have?

A flush draw generally means nine outs. Two cards are in your hands, and two more are on the board. We subtract it from the total cards in the deck (13 – 4) to derive nine outs. Let’s say you have 7🧡8🧡 and the flop is 2🧡9♣4♠. Here, you have two hearts, and the board has one more. So, you haven’t seen ten hearts. However, the deck has 52 cards, and you’re aware of the position of five cards. So, that leaves 47 unseen cards. Now, there are nine hearts out of these 47 unseen cards. Any of these nine hearts are your outs, as any can appear on the turn and help you hit your flush.