Calculating outs is a very basic part of all poker games. An out is a card remaining in the deck that can improve your hand.

Lets say you are holding 5c 6d. The flop comes down Ks 4c 7h. What cards could come next to help your hand? Well, In this case, your hand has 14 outs to improve. Any 3 or 8 would give you a straight, and a 5 or 6 would give you a pair. Since there are four 3’s in the deck, four 8’s in the deck, three 5’s, and three 6’s, these are your outs.

So, your hand has literally 14 ways in can improve itself.

But here’s the catch. Not all outs are created equal. Obviously, the 3’s and the 8’s are very powerful outs, because if either of them fall next, then your hand will be the best hand possible on the turn. But if a 5 or a 6 comes, there are still MANY hands that can beat you. Anyone holding a pocket pair or 4’s or better will have you beat. So will anyone with a 7 or a K in their hand. Also, someone could have trips or two pair.

So, as a rule, if one of my outs is a pair that will not beat the boards top pair, I don’t count it as an out. There are times to ignore this (if up against a hyper-aggressive opponent, or in a very short handed game), but generally, this is my rule

So, if I held AQ, and the board was 2 7 9, I would consider both the A and the Q an out, because an A or Q would beat a 9.

If I held 8 9, and the board was 3 6 Q, I would not generally consider an 8 or a 9 an out, because anyone holding a Q will beat me even if I hit an 8 or a 9.

There are also outs that improve your hand, but won’t necessarily make you the best hand. Say you have AK offsuit, and the board flops TT8. You have 2 over cards, and 6 outs to improve your hand (3 aces and 3 kings). However, your hand may still be beat if another player holds a T, T8, or pocket TT or pocket 88.

So, a good way to look at this situation is to assume each out you have is only worth half an out. So, instead of having a 6 outer, assume you only have a 3 outer.

Just like most things in poker, an out isn’t a sure thing unless it’s to the nuts. But, knowing what an out is, and how to properly evaluate it is a necessity for all winning poker players.

But knowing outs is just part of the picture. To know whether it’s worth chasing to your outs, you need to know how to calculate your odds to hit your hand.

Go to Poker Odds Chart