Poker Odds for Dummies 2024 | #1 Beginner's Guide | CC (2024)

Table of Contents
Poker odds chart On the flop On the turn Pot odds table How odds work 7:1 $70 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: 52 2 4 46 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? Step 1: Work out how much you’d normally win from your actual poker odds: 4:1 $10 $40 Step 2: Calculate how much money you could win and the odds you’re getting: $90 $10 $100 10 Step 3: Decide whether to call the bet: But what if I lose? To summarize everything we have calculated so far: 4:1 are the odds you actually have of winning the hand 10:1 are the odds you’re being offered to call your opponent’s bet If this situation came up 5 times during the game, and went exactly as the probabilities suggest, it would look like this: $100 $40 $60 A lot to remember? Here’s a handy shortcut: The Rule of 4 and 2 Cheat sheets Poker Odds FAQ How do I calculate poker odds? How should I calculate odds in my head quickly? How to calculate pre-flop poker odds? What are pot odds? How do you calculate poker pot odds? What are good odds? What are the odds of flopping a set? What are the odds of flopping a flush? What are the odds of being dealt pocket aces? What are the odds of winning poker? How do the odds change with more players? How many different hands are possible in Texas Hold’em? What are outs in poker? How do you count outs in poker? What are the chances of winning with pocket aces? What is the percentage of hitting a set on the flop? FAQs References
  • Poker Odds for Dummies 2024 | #1 Beginner's Guide | CC (1)Reviewed by WSOP Winner Chris ‘Fox’ Wallace
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This poker odds guide is for you if:

  • You have a basic knowledge of poker.
  • You want to improve your understanding of how Texas Hold’em poker odds work.

This short, practical guide will show youhow to calculate poker oddsand pot odds like thebest poker playersso you can gain the upper hand on both physical and online tables.

Need some quick help?Check out our handyTexas Hold’em poker cheat sheet, which simply tells you whichpoker handsyou should play when based onpoker odds.

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See more free video tutorial content from our poker school:

Become a winning poker player in 30 days

Poker odds chart

Drawing to improve your hand is an essential part of poker, but the difference between winning and losing often comes down toknowing when you’re getting the right price to call to try and hit your card. This chart shows the most common drawing situations you’ll find yourself in, as well as how much needs to be in the pot already to make it worth calling.

We’d recommendbookmarking this pageso you can refer to these poker cheat sheets next time you face a tricky call online.

On the flop

Drawing Hand# of OutsOdds of Hitting by the River$ in Pot Needed per $1 to Call
Open-ended Straight and Flush Draw1554%$0.85
Inside Straight and Flush Draw1245%$1.25
Flush Draw935%$1.85
Open-ended Straight Draw832%$2.10
2x Overcards vs Top Pair624%$3.15
Two pair to Full House416%$5.25
Inside Straight Draw416%$5.25
1x Overcard vs Top Pair312%$7.35
Pocket Pair to Set28%$11.50

On the turn

Drawing Hand# of OutsOdds of Hitting by the River$ in Pot Needed per $1 to Call
Open-ended Straight and Flush Draw1533%$2.00
Inside Straight and Flush Draw1226%$2.85
Flush Draw920%$4.00
Open-ended Straight Draw817%$4.90
2x Overcards vs Top Pair613%$6.70
Two pair to Full House49%$10.10
Inside Straight Draw49%$10.10
1x Overcard vs Top Pair36%$15.65
Pocket Pair to Set24%$24.00

Pot odds table

And here’s our at-a-glance guide to poker pot odds, using some of the more common bet sizes you’re likely to face at the table. Want some guidance on what you should be playing in the first place? We recommend checking ourstarting handspage for more information.

Size of betExamplePot oddsEquity needed
1/2 pot bet$1 into $2 pot3:11/4 or 25%
2/3 pot bet$2 into $3 pot5:22/7 or 29%
3/4 pot bet$3 into $4 pot7:33/10 or 30%
pot sized bet$4 into $4 pot8:4 or 2:14/12 or 1/3 33%
2x pot bet$8 into $4 pot12:8 or 3:28/20 or 2/5 40%

PART 1

How odds work

Let’s say you’re betting on a horse race and are given odds of ‘seven to one’, it will be written ‘7:1’. This means that for every $1 you bet you’ll get paid $7 if you win. So if you bet $10 at 7:1 you’ll win $70 (plus your stake).

7:1

Odds

=

$70

Winnings from a $10 bet

When the odds are particularly high against you winning, it’ll often be referred to as the ‘long shot’, which generally means it has only the slightest chance of succeeding.

Higher odds generally mean you have less chance of winning. If someone offers you odds of 100:1 it means they’re convinced you’re not going to win.

PART 2

Poker odds tell you the probability of hitting any given card

Before we can get into a discussion of poker odds while playing poker online, you need to knowhow to calculate your ‘outs’. Outs are simply the cards that will help you improve your hand and make it better than what you think your opponent is holding.

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

Opponent’s hand is unknown:

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Ignore your opponent’s hand

Your hand is dealt:

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To make a flush

you will need 3 more hearts

The dealer lays out:

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4

hearts now visible

To win you’ll need any heart:

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9

out of 13 hearts still available.You have 9 ‘outs’

PART 3

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

Let’s break this down:

  • We have already determined that you have nine ‘outs’.
  • There are 52 cards in a deck and two of those are in your hand, leaving 50.
  • There are four cards exposed from the flop and turn, leaving 46 cards.
  • Your opponent is holding two cards, but we ignore those as our calculations in online Texas Hold’em poker are only based on the cards you can see and what could be left in the deck.

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

52

Cards in a deck

2

Cards in your hand

4

Cards dealt in the flop and turn

=

46

Unseen cards

*Still ignoring what your opponent may be holding

The unseen cards are then split into winners and losers:

LOSERS

37 cards in the deck that will cause you to lose

Clubs

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Diamonds

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Spades

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WINNERS

9 cards in the deck that will give you a win

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YOUR ODDS

37 to 9

Your odds of getting the winning flush

This simplifies down to

4:1

(or 20% for those that like to use percentages)

In other words, you are 4 times more likely to lose this pot than you are to win it.

Common poker outs scenarios

To help you get to grips with the idea of poker outs, we’ve provided the outs and odds on some common scenarios you’re likely to see at the table. Use this simple odds chart forcalculating odds and probabilities while playing, especially when you are drawing and hoping to improve your hand.

It has basic hand odds given the number of “outs” after the flop or after the turn. These “outs” represent the cards you need to hit to make a better hand, such as turning a pair into three-of-a-kind, or filling a straight draw. You’ll notice there’s a big difference between having just one card to come, and two. For the example above – the flush draw – your chances go up to 35% from 20% if you have both turn and river to come.

If you would like to start practicing or playing, check out ourfreerollspage for the best poker rooms to get you started, or try ourno-risk, no deposit, no downloadtables toplay for freeright now!

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Feel free to save ourpoker odds chart imageorpoker odds chart PDFfor use anytime you need it – or bookmark the page!

PART 4

The BIG question – should you call the bet?

So, on the turn you have odds of around 4:1 to win this hand. As to whether you should call your opponent’s bet, that depends on how much money is in the pot. No, that doesn’t mean if there’s a big pot of money you should just go for it. What you should be looking for isthe ratio of money you could win compared to the size of your opponent’s bet.

Let’s continue with our example:

  • Let’s say there was $90 in the pot and your opponent bets $10.
  • That makes a total of $100 in the middle of the table waiting to be won.
  • You need to match your opponent’s bet of $10 to see the river card, so it’s going to cost you $10 to see if that last card is going to be one of the nine you need to win.

Step 1: Work out how much you’d normally win from your actual poker odds:

4:1

Odds you actually have of winning the hand

$10

Your bet

=

$40

Money you’d normally win

Step 2: Calculate how much money you could win and the odds you’re getting:

$90

Money in the pot

+

$10

Your rival’s new bet (you must match this bet to continue the game)

=

$100

Money you could win

10

If you match your opponent’s bet and win, you’ll make $10 for every $1 bet. That’s pot odds of 10 to 1.

Step 3: Decide whether to call the bet:

In this example by betting $10 your opponent has effectively given you odds of 10:1, when your actual chance of winning is 4:1. This is like a bookmaker giving you 10:1 odds on a horse that has a 4:1 chance of winning.

Should you call that bet?Yes!

Why?Because the odds are offering you the chance to enjoy a great pay day.

PART 5

But what if I lose?

Even if you make that call, you might still lose. It happens. Remember, your calculated odds were 4:1, meaning you will lose four times for every time you win. That’s why it’s important you are being offered at least the chance to win four times as much as your bet, because statistically in the long run you’ll break even. More importantly, if you are being offered the chance to win more than four times your bet for a 4:1 risk, you’ll eventually make money.

To summarize everything we have calculated so far:

In summary

4:1 are the odds you actually have of winning the hand

This means you can expect to lose 4 hands for every hand you win

10:1 are the odds you’re being offered to call your opponent’s bet

This means you’ll win $100 from a $10 bet

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

$100

Won from the 1 flush

$40

Losses from 4 losing hands

=

$60

Profit from 5 hands

PART 6

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

Now that you have worked through the math and seen the theory, it’s time to introduce a handy shortcut. This will help you calculate your chances of winning a hand within the short period of time that online poker allows you to make a decision.

Let’s use our example from step 1:

  1. After the flop (first three cards the dealer puts on the table), calculate the number of outs left in the deck:

    Using our example from step 1 we had:9 outs

  2. Then simply multiply the number of outs by 4 to get the approximate chance of being dealt a winning card on the turn or river:

    9 x 4 = 36%

  3. After the turn (fourth card dealt on the table), multiply the number of outs by 2 to give the chance of winning on the river:

    9 x 2 = 18%

While this method is not super precise, it provides a clear enough guide when calculating odds in online poker. Once you’ve got the hang of playing poker you may want to start calculating the exact percentage, but for now the rule of 4 and 2 is more than enough to get you started.

You can always use our poker cheat sheet andpoker odds calculatorwhen you’re reviewing yourpoker handsand brushing up on your skills.

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Cheat sheets

Our poker odds cheat sheets can give you the edge at the tables and help you make better decisions – especially when you have a drawing hand. Click to download and print them out (or simply bookmark this page) so you always have them handy.

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DOWNLOAD IMAGE

Poker odds chart – on the flop

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Poker odds chart – on the turn

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Pot odds table

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DOWNLOAD IMAGE

Common poker outs scenarios chart

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Poker Odds FAQ

How do I calculate poker odds?

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 handypoker cheat sheetas 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 apoker odds calculatorto check what your odds were after the fact, you can then adjust your play based on this information in future on similar hands.

How should I calculate odds in my head quickly?

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).

How to calculate pre-flop poker odds?

The best way to calculate precise pre-flop odds is to use a dedicatedpoker 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

What are pot odds?

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.

How do you calculate poker pot odds?

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.

What are good odds?

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.

What are the odds of flopping a set?

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

What are the odds of flopping a flush?

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.

What are the odds of being dealt pocket aces?

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

What are the odds of winning poker?

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.

How do the odds change with more players?

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!

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

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 ourTexas Hold’em starting hands page for more detailed help.

What are outs in poker?

‘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.

How do you count outs in poker?

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).

What are the chances of winning with pocket aces?

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!

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

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.

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Poker Odds for Dummies 2024 | #1 Beginner's Guide | CC (2024)

FAQs

What is the 42 rule in poker? ›

The 4-2 Rule is a way of turning how many outs you have into your odds of hitting them. It's 4 times on the flop to hit on the turn or river, and simply multiply 2 on the turn to hit your draw on the river.

How to calculate poker odds for beginners? ›

To calculate pot odds, you simply divide the amount of money you have to put in to make the call by the total size of the pot.

What are the odds of hitting open-ended straight on the river? ›

When you flop an open-ended straight draw (or a double gutshot draw), you have a 31.5% chance of making the straight on either the turn or river (2.17-to-1 odds against).

What are the odds of each hand in Texas Hold'em? ›

7-card poker hands
HandFrequencyOdds against
Full house3,473,18437.5 : 1
Flush (excluding royal flush and straight flush)4,047,64432.1 : 1
Straight (excluding royal flush and straight flush)6,180,02020.6 : 1
Three of a kind6,461,62019.7 : 1
7 more rows

What is the 20X rule in poker? ›

A 20X wagering requirement means you must wager the amount of your bonus 20X over in order for you to collect the bonus and subsequent winnings.

What is the 80 20 rule poker? ›

The Pareto Principle in Poker. There are so many ways in which you will spot unequal distributions in poker. For example, around 80% of your profits will likely come from 20% of your opponents, i.e., recreational players.

What is statistically the best starting hand in poker? ›

1. Pocket Aces – AA. Pocket aces are by far the most powerful starting hand in the game and one that every poker player loves to look down at. Regardless of the game format you are playing in, the depth of your stack, or the opponents you are up against, it's always a beautiful thing to look down at a pair of aces.

Is there an algorithm for poker? ›

Effective Hand Strength (EHS) is a poker algorithm conceived by computer scientists Darse Billings, Denis Papp, Jonathan Schaeffer and Duane Szafron that was published for the first time in the research paper (1998). "Opponent Modeling in Poker" (PDF).

How do you win consistently in poker? ›

10 Quick Poker Strategy Tips
  1. Play Fewer Hands And Play Them Aggressively.
  2. Don't Be The First Player To Limp.
  3. "Semi-Bluff" Aggressively with Your Draws.
  4. Fast-Play Your Strong Hands to Build the Pot and Make More Money.
  5. Defend Your Big Blind (with the Right Hands)
  6. Fold When You're Unsure.

What are the odds of hitting trips with a pocket pair? ›

8 percent (about 1-in-12): Percentage of time that you'll hit at least trips after having a pair on the flop. 12 percent (about 1-in-8): Percentage of time that you'll flop trips if holding a pocket pair. 12 percent (about 1-in-8): Percentage of time that two more cards will flop in the same suit as a suited pocket ...

What are the odds of hitting a flush after the flop? ›

There are 47 cards you dont know after the flop. So on the turn there is a 9 in 47 chance you will hit the flush, and if you don't then your odds improve slightly to 9 in 46 on the river. Roughly that is a 19% chance for each card after the flop, or a 38.6% chance if you see both cards.

What beats what hand in poker? ›

In a game of poker, the hand rankings work as follows: a pair beats a high card; a two pair beats a one pair; a three-of-a-kind beats a two pair; a straight beats a three-of-a-kind; a flush beats a straight; a full house beats a flush; a four-of-a-kind beats a full house; a straight flush beats a four-of-a-kind; a ...

What is the rarest hand in poker? ›

The royal flush stands as the rarest of hands in poker.

In any game that uses standard poker hand rankings, the royal flush beats out all other hands.

Is Texas Hold'em more luck or skill? ›

Poker has a gambling element to it, which leads some players to question if poker is just down to luck. Although there is a serious amount of luck involved in poker, the fact the same big names regularly win in cash games and tournaments shows that there is skill involved.

What poker hand has the best odds? ›

Texas Hold'em Poker Hands Odds and Outs
POKER HANDPROBABILITYCOMBINATIONS
Royal Flush30,939 to 14
Straight Flush3,437.8 to 136
Four of a Kind594 to 1624
Full House37.5 to 13,744
6 more rows

What is the minimum bid in the game 42? ›

Typically, the bidder determines what to bid by estimating how many of the forty-two total points the team will win based on those seven dominoes. The minimum bid is 30. If all players pass the dealer must bid 30.

What is the 10 20 30 rule in poker? ›

The 10 20 30 rule in poker refers to a bankroll management strategy where a player should have 10 buy-ins for a low stakes game, 20 buy-ins for a medium stakes game, and 30 buy-ins for a high stakes game. This approach helps ensure that players do not risk too much of their bankroll on any one game.

What is the Gordon rule in poker? ›

To work out the percentage chance of an opponent acting after you holding a higher pair than you, simply multiply the number of players left to act by the number of higher pocket pairs, then divide by 2.

What is the 2 4 method in poker? ›

Rule of two and four

It is an estimate of equity. The player's number of outs are multiplied with double the amount of remaining streets. Using the example from before, the player had 4 outs with two streets to come. 4 outs multiplied by 4 (double the amount of remaining streets) gives an estimated equity of 16%.

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