How to Calculate Outs in Poker: A Beginner’s Guide

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Arved Klöhn Pokerlistings Author
  • Fact Checked by: PokerListings
  • Last updated on: January 2, 2025

One of the most basic but also the most crucial skills for a poker player is the ability to quickly calculate how many outs you have to a winning hand.

It may seem complicated at first, but in reality it only takes a little practice for it to become second nature.

When you play poker the best-case scenario would be to always put your money in with the best hand. That just isn’t the reality, though. You are going to put your money in bad from time to time.

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How to Count Your Outs

In those cases where you are putting your money in bad, the idea is that you are able to make a hand on a later street that is better than your opponent’s. The cards that give you that winning hand are known as “outs.”

Example: You have A K . Your opponent accidentally shows you J 9 10 J 3  board. How many outs do you have?

Well, you have two overcards to his jack, meaning that three aces and three kings are outs to a higher pair. You also have four queens that would give you the nut straight, and you have nine clubs that can give you the nut flush.

Of course, you double-counted one of your outs. You can’t count the queen of clubs twice. So when you recount, you have a total of 18 outs. That’s a lot of cards that can come on the turn to help you.

An 18-out draw is very big, and actually makes you a favorite against top pair on the flop.

Put Your Opponent on a Hand Range

In reality it’s never going to be obvious as in the above example – your villain is not going to actually show you his cards. So you must be able to put him on a range of likely hands. Once you have his approximate range, it becomes easier to calculate your outs.

You’re never going to be able to put your opponent on an exact hand, so calculating outs will never be exact. Your calculations will ultimately only be as accurate as the hand range you put your opponent on.

If in the example above you give your opponent J J , you have significantly fewer outs. No longer do your three remaining aces and kings give you the winning hand.

Furthermore, you can hit your hand on the turn and still lose should the river pair the board.

When calculating outs, keep in mind that it’s not an exact science and that sometimes a card you may think is an out may not actually give you the best hand.

Example:

Imagine you hold K J , and the board is A 7 2 . You have nine obvious flush outs, plus three outs to your king if an opponent only has a weak ace. But if there’s a chance your opponent has Q 10 , some of your flush outs are “poisoned.” Even if you hit another diamond to make your flush, you could still lose to a higher flush.

This scenario reminds us that not all outs are guaranteed winners. If you suspect the opponent’s draw might be stronger, it’s better to discount a few of your flush outs to account for the times you’ll hit but still lose.

What Are “Half Outs” in Poker?

Sometimes your perceived outs only count as half outs. Let’s take a look at an example:

You have 8 9 . The board is 10 J 3 . You have four sevens and four queens that will give you a straight. Meaning you have eight outs. Correct?

Yes and no. Sometimes you are going to hit your straight, but that card will also make your opponent a flush, improving you to a second-best hand.

In this example the Q and the 7  are not worth a full out to you. Thus you should only count them as half outs each. Meaning in reality you only have seven outs.

Counting the Q and the 7  as half outs accounts for those times where you will make your straight yet still lose to your opponent’s flush.

What Are Hidden Outs in Poker?

Occasionally you are going to come across a hand where you may even have hidden outs. They are called hidden outs because they may not immediately help your hand but they may actually hurt your opponent’s hand.

Example:

You hold A A 5 6 9 K  board. Your opponent holds 6 5  for two pair. On the river you can be saved by the A  or the A , which will give you a set, but you can also be saved by the board pairing either the nine or the king.

This would counterfeit your opponent’s two pair and give you a higher, winning two pair. While neither a nine nor a king actually hits your hole cards, it still improves your hand to a winning two pair. This is what is known as a “hidden out.”

Example:

To see a clear illustration, assume you have A A on a board of 9 K 3 K . Your opponent shows 9 3 , giving them two pair (kings and nines) while you currently have the same two pair (kings and aces) but a lower side pair than their nines. You can still win if the river comes 9 or 3 , effectively “counterfeiting” their lower pair and giving you a better two pair (kings with aces vs. kings with nines). These extra cards that help you by weakening your opponent’s holding are known as hidden outs.

Poker is Outs and Pot Odds

As with honing any skill, practice makes perfect. Once you are able to accurately calculate your outs you will be able to correctly determine the pot odds you require to continue with a hand.

And once you have that down, you’ve pretty much mastered poker. Poker, simplified, is two things:

  • Putting your money in good and/or
  • Putting your money in with good odds

When you have those two skills in the bag, the rest is easy.

FAQ

How do I account for “half outs” when counting my draw?

If a card improves your hand but sometimes improves your opponent to an even better hand, treat that card as a half out. For example, if your flush card might also give someone else a full house, you should count it as half an out in your total.

What’s the best way to handle competing flush draws?

If you think your opponent has a bigger flush draw, discount some of your outs. If you have the king-high draw but suspect they have the ace-high draw, you might reduce your total flush outs by a few to reflect the times you lose when the flush completes.

Should I consider backdoor draws as part of my outs?

You can count backdoor draws, but they’re worth fewer “raw” outs since you need both the turn and the river to cooperate. Often, advanced players count backdoor outs as half or quarter outs to reflect the lower probability.

Do hidden outs apply in every hand?

Not always. Hidden outs come into play when improving your own hand also “ruins” your opponent’s. If you spot a board-pairing river that will give you a higher two pair, for instance, those are hidden outs even if they don’t directly connect with your hole cards.

How exact do my calculations need to be during a hand?

Estimates are usually enough. If you know you have roughly an 8-out draw, you can make solid decisions about whether to continue based on pot odds. Chasing perfect precision in the heat of play can be more distracting than beneficial.

Does position affect how I use my outs?

Yes. Position influences how freely you can see additional cards. Being last to act lets you control the betting more easily, so you’re better able to chase draws or fold when pot odds aren’t in your favor.

How do I adjust my outs if the board is paired?

A paired board introduces the risk of a full house if you’re drawing to a flush or straight. You might discount one or two outs—especially if an opponent has shown strength indicating they could have trips already.

When should I fold a medium-strength draw?

If your potential outs are low, or if your opponent’s bets are giving you poor pot odds, folding is prudent. Also consider reverse implied odds: sometimes hitting your hand can be expensive if it’s second best.

Do multi-way pots complicate outs counting?

They can. While you might have more favorable pot odds, you also have more opponents who could beat you with bigger draws or made hands. Be mindful that someone else’s hidden outs could trump yours.

Should I always play draws if I have enough outs?

Not blindly. Compare your odds of hitting against the current pot size and the implied odds you stand to gain. If you’re getting worse than break-even odds—or you suspect a bigger draw is out there—sometimes the best move is to let go.

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