A Complete Guide to Poker Odds: How to Calculate Holdem Odds, Odds Charts, Pot Odds

The importance of understanding odds in poker cannot be understated. Whether you’re playing Texas Hold’em or another variant, mastering poker odds can greatly improve your decision-making skills and overall profitability.

In this article, we’ll explain how to calculate poker odds, interpret them, and use charts to improve your game. CoinPoker is here to guide you through poker odds and all critical poker concepts to improve your game.

What are Poker Odds?

If you’re one card short of a flush in Texas Hold’em, poker odds can help you determine the likelihood of drawing one of the nine remaining suited cards. They can help you find your chances of hitting other combinations too–not just flushes. For this reason, poker odds are essential for making calculated in-game decisions.

Let’s say you’re holding the Ace of Hearts and the Queen of Hearts, and the community cards reveal the Jack of Hearts, the Ten of Diamonds, and the Three of Clubs. You’re just one more heart away from completing your flush.

In this case, you’ll need one more card of hearts to complete your hand. Looking at the remaining deck, you’ll find nine hearts that could come to your rescue, which are your “outs.”

Poker players can count their “outs” during a game, like this:

• At first, you have 52 cards in the deck initially.
• Subtract your two hole cards and three community cards on the flop, leaving 47 unknown cards.
• Nine of those 47 are hearts (9 outs), giving you roughly a 1 in 5.2 chance (47 divided by 9) to hit your flush on the turn.

Understanding poker odds helps you predict your chances of winning a hand, guiding you on when to call, fold, or raise. By combining this knowledge with strategic play, such as evaluating your opponents and the size of the pot, you can make more profitable decisions over time. Poker odds aren’t just about numbers; they’re vital for a winning poker strategy.

How Texas Hold’em Poker Odds Work

In Texas Hold’em, poker odds show the likelihood of completing a hand or improving your current hand based on the cards still to come. You find poker odds by understanding your outs (the cards that can improve your hand). By comparing them to the remaining cards in the deck, you can calculate your chances of winning. 

Mastering these odds allows you to make better decisions (whether to call, fold, or raise) throughout the game. In the following sections, we’ll look into how to calculate outs and poker odds, and using them to your advantage. 

What are Outs in Poker?

Outs in poker refer to the cards that can improve your hand to a winning one. They are the key to calculating your odds of success in a hand. Knowing your outs helps you determine your chances of hitting the card you need to strengthen your position.

For example, if you’re holding 5♠ and 6♠ and the flop shows 7♦, 8♣, and K♠, you’re drawing to a straight. The remaining 4s and 9s in the deck are your outs.

• There are four 4s left in the deck: 4♠, 4♥, 4♣, and 4♦.
• There are four 9s left in the deck: 9♠, 9♥, 9♣, and 9♦.

This gives you a total of 8 outs that could complete your straight. The more outs you have, the higher your chances of improving your hand.

Counting outs can guide you to smart plays if you are drawing for a stronger poker hand. Instead of blindly hoping for preferred cards to turn up, you’ll know the likelihood of it happening. The more you practice counting outs, the better you’ll get at estimating your odds of winning a hand.

Calculating Poker Odds – Step-by-Step

Calculating poker odds means estimating your chances of improving your hand based on the remaining cards. Here’s a quick, step-by-step method:

• Step 1: Know how many cards are in the deck
  In a standard poker deck, there are 52 cards.
• Step 2: Subtract your hand and community cards
  Subtract the two cards in your hand and any community cards on the table. For example, if there are 3 community cards (on the flop), you’re left with 47 unknown cards (52 – 2 – 3 = 47).
• Step 3: Determine your outs
  Outs are the cards that can improve your hand. For instance, if you have four hearts and need one more to complete a flush, you have 9 outs (the remaining hearts in the deck).
• Step 4: Convert outs into odds
  The simplest way to calculate your odds is by dividing your outs by the remaining cards. If you have 9 outs and 47 unknown cards, your chance of hitting an out on the next card is roughly 1 in 5.2 (9/47 = 19.2%). To calculate the odds across two streets (both the turn and river), multiply your outs by 4. In this case, your odds of hitting by the river rise to around 35%.

By following these steps, you can quickly estimate your chances of improving your hand and make better decisions during the game.

Interpreting the Odds

Poker odds give you a practical way to evaluate your chances of winning a hand. If the odds of completing your flush are 11 to 1, it means you’re 11 times more likely to lose than win. In percentage terms, this translates to roughly a 9% chance of hitting your flush. Obviously, a 9% chance of success is far from ideal. Understanding these odds helps you decide whether calling, folding, or raising is the best move.

At times, you’re faced with huge rewards (like a big pot you could win), but low odds of winning. If the reward is large enough, experienced players might continue, balancing lower poker odds with a big payoff. Other times, despite lots of incentives, our poker odds will be too low to make the call and stay in the hand. With practice, you’ll soon develop a knack for assessing these spots.

Pot Odds: How to Apply Poker Odds in the Game

Pot odds in poker refer to the ratio between the current size of the pot and the cost of a call. They help players determine whether a call is profitable based on the potential reward versus the risk. In simple terms, pot odds are calculated by dividing the size of the pot by the cost of the call. For instance:

• The pot is $100.
• Your opponent bets $25.
• To call $25, your pot odds are 5 to 1 ($125 in the pot to your $25 call). 
• This means that for every $1 you invest, you stand to win $5.

Understanding pot odds is crucial when deciding whether to continue in a hand, especially when chasing draws. If the odds of completing your hand are better than the pot odds being offered, it’s generally a good call. 

By understanding and applying pot odds effectively, you can maximize your profits in favorable situations and minimize losses when the math doesn’t justify continuing. In the long run, mastering pot odds is a key skill for improving your overall win rate at the poker table. 

Many players are excellent at quickly calculating pot odds. It’s a skill that comes with time and experience. Players who struggle to work out pot odds will find cheat sheets and odds calculators useful, especially when playing online.

How to Convert Pot Odds to a Percentage

Converting pot odds to a percentage helps you make smarter decisions. Here’s how to do it:

• Find the pot odds ratio: Divide the current pot by the cost to call (e.g., $100 pot and $25 call = 100:25 or 4:1).
• Add the two parts of the ratio: In this case, 4 + 1 = 5.
• Divide the second number by the total: Take 1 (your call) and divide by 5, which equals 0.20.
• Convert to a percentage: Multiply by 100 to get 20%.

This tells you the percentage of times you need to win to break even on the call.

Examples of Good and Bad Times to Call

When it’s time to decide on a call–and you understand poker odds–you make better decisions. You’ll avoid common traps presented to you by attractive hands. Let’s look at two examples of good and bad times to call.

Good Call Example:

• You’re on the flop with 4♠ 5♠, and the board shows A♠ 7♦ Q♠.
• You need one more spade to complete your flush, and there are nine spades left in the deck.
• Out of the 47 unknown cards, your odds of hitting a spade on the turn or river (combined) are around 35% (about 1 in 2.88).
• In this example, your decision is whether to call $10 to potentially win a $40 pot or not.
• $10 to win $40 equals pot odds of 4 to 1 or 20%.
• Your odds of making a flush are 35%, far better than 20%, making the call at this stage profitable in the long run.

Bad Call Example:

• You have A♣ Q♣, and the board shows 10♣ 7♦ 3♣.
• You’re drawing to a flush and need one more club.
• There are nine clubs left in the deck (as we’ve already learned from the Good Call Example), giving you a 35% chance of hitting a club on the turn or river.
• Your opponent now bets $200 into a $100 pot, the total pot is now $300.
• Now, you must decide whether to call $200 to possibly win a $300 pot or not.
• $200 to win $300, or 2 to 3, is 40% in percentage terms.
• Your odds of hitting the flush (35% by the river) are lower than 40%.
• In this situation, the call is not profitable in the long run, and folding is the better decision.

Poker Odds Charts & Cheat Sheets

With all of these odds and percentages flying around, shortcuts can help. Poker odds charts are tools designed to quickly reference the probabilities of completing or improving your hand, offering a mix of percentages and fractional odds. These charts help players assess whether they should call, fold, or raise based on their chances of improving their hand after the flop or turn.

Below is a detailed chart showing common poker hands and their associated approximate odds:

Example Hand	Example Flop Cards	Type of Draw	Chances of Hitting by River (%)	Odds of Hitting by River
A♠, 9♠	4♠, K♠, 7♦	Flush Draw	35.0%	1.9 to 1
7♣, 8♠	9♦, 10♦, K♠	Open-Ended Straight Draw	31.5%	2.2 to 1
5♠, 9♦	6♦, 7♠, J♣	Inside Straight Draw (Gutshot)	16.5%	5.1 to 1
9♦, 9♠	5♠, K♠, Q♣	One Pair to Set	8.4%	10.9 to 1
K♠, K♣	8♣, 7♠, 7♦	Two Pair to Full House	16.5%	5.1 to 1
A♠, A♣	A♦, 7♦, 7♠	Full House to Quads	4.3%	22.3 to 1
10♣, J♠	9♣, 8♣, Q♣	Gutshot Straight Flush Draw	4.25%	22.5 to 1
3♠, 3♣	7♦, K♠, J♣	Low Pair to Set	8.4%	10.9 to 1
Q♠, 10♠	5♣, 7♠, J♦	Overcards to Pair	24.1%	3.2 to 1
6♠, 5♣	K♠, 8♠, 9♣	Gutshot Straight Draw	16.5%	5.1 to 1
A♣, 4♠	6♣, 8♣, 2♠	Backdoor Flush Draw	4.2%	23 to 1

Using this chart helps players understand the odds of improving their hand at various stages, leading to better decision-making when deciding to call, fold, or raise.

Understanding the terminology used when holding a drawing hand is essential. Here is a general explanation of 4 common draws that you may encounter:

• Flush Draw: This occurs when you have four cards of the same suit and need one more to complete a flush. 
• Open-Ended Straight Draw: This is when you have four consecutive cards and need one more on either end to complete a straight. 
• Inside Straight Draw (Gutshot): This is when you’re missing one specific card in the middle of your straight, making it less likely to complete compared to an open-ended draw.
• Backdoor Flush Draw: This occurs when you need two more cards of a specific suit for your flush, with only the turn and river cards to come..

Preflop Poker Hand Odds Chart

The odds of being dealt various hands will have a massive effect on your poker strategy. While a randomly dealt hand is impossible to predict, knowing the chances of that hand improving can give you a serious edge. 

Below is a chart showing the preflop odds of different starting hands and their likelihood to improve to any better hand on the flop.

Hand	Probability of Being Dealt	Chance of Flopping a Stronger Hand
7-2 Offsuit	0.90% (1 in 111)	32%
Ace-King Suited	0.30% (1 in 331)	57%
J-10 Suited	0.30% (1 in 331)	57%
Jack-King Offsuit	0.90% (1 in 111)	46%
Any Pocket Pair	5.88% (1 in 17)	13.4%
Pocket Aces	0.45% (1 in 221)	13.4%
8-9 Offsuit	0.90% (1 in 111)	50.6%

Weak hands like 7-2 offsuit have a decent chance to improve on the flop due to their potential to hit pairs or draws, but that doesn’t necessarily make them good options in most situations. Our table illustrates why suited connectors are popular choices among players, as they have a higher chance of improvement on the flop. Waiting around for Aces? 1 in 221 explains why sometimes you’ll be waiting for a while.

Postflop Poker Hand Odds Chart

On the flop, poker players think about stronger combinations they can build. The turn and river cards come next, offering two more chances to improve, but what are the odds? The many thousands of possible postflop combinations can be overwhelming to consider. Instead, try to focus on an approximate estimate of your hand improvement. 

Below is a chart showing the odds of various postflop holdings improving to a stronger hand on the turn or the river. For each hand, “improving to a better hand” refers to achieving a higher hand ranking than the holding on the flop.

Hand	Chance of Improving to a Better Hand on the Turn or River
Top Pair with A-K in the hole	24%
Overpair (e.g., 9-9 on a 7-4-2 board)	35%
Middle Pair (e.g., 8-8 on a 10-5-2 board)	18%
Bottom Pair (e.g., 4-2 on a Q-5-2 board)	8%
Open-Ended Straight Draw (e.g., 7-8 on a 5-6-2 board)	31%
Flush Draw (e.g., 8♣-10♣ on a 4♣-5♣-Q♦ board)	35%

These probabilities are great for evaluating the strength of your hand and making informed decisions after the flop. Strong hands, such as an overpair, have significant value in poker, as they often lead to winning pots against weaker hands. However, the low chances of a bottom pair improving highlight the need for caution when playing with weaker hands.

Poker Hand Odds Calculator

In the high-octane world of poker, where decisions can make or break your game, a poker hand odds calculator is like having a secret weapon at your fingertips. This essential tool empowers players to elevate their game by transforming complex strategies and probabilities into clear, data-driven decisions.

These tools look at your hand in relation to the community cards and your opponents’ possible hands to calculate the likelihood of winning. By inputting your current cards, the calculators will provide probabilities for different outcomes, helping you decide whether to fold, call, or raise based on statistical insights.

Many poker platforms and standalone software offer easy-to-use interfaces for calculating odds. Some popular poker odds calculators include PokerStove, ProPokerTools, and Equilab. These tools allow you to enter your hand and the board cards to quickly assess your chances against potential opponent hands. While CoinPoker doesn’t currently offer an integrated poker odds calculator, using these external calculators can still greatly enhance your strategy, helping you to make more informed decisions and boosting your long-term performance at the tables.

How to Use Poker Odds & Pot Odds Together

Hand odds reflect the likelihood of completing your hand based on your “outs,” or the cards that can improve your hand. However, pot odds represent the ratio of the size of the pot to the size of the bet needed to call.

Example Calculation

Imagine you have a flush draw with 9 outs. There are 47 unseen cards (52 total minus the 2 in your hand and 3 on the board). The odds of hitting your flush draw on the turn are about 4.2 to 1 (38 non-outs to 9 outs).

Now, let’s say the pot is $120 and your opponent bets $30. The total pot becomes $150. Your pot odds are 5 to 1 (the total pot divided by the bet).

Decision

In this case, your hand odds (4.2 to 1) are worse than your pot odds (5 to 1). This means it’s profitable to call.

Profit Scenario

You may encounter this scenario many times in your poker career. So, let’s take a look at the numbers if you play this situation 100 times:

• You expect to hit your flush about 23.8 times (100 divided by 4.2, which reflects the odds of hitting your flush on the turn only).
• Your total investment would be 100 calls at $30 each, totaling $3,000.
• If you hit your flush 23.8 times, your total potential wins would be about $3,570 (23.8 times the $150 pot)..

Your potential profit would be $570.

Total Wins ($3,570) minus Total Investment ($3,000)

By comparing hand odds and pot odds, you can make decisions that lead to consistent profits in poker.

Implied Odds & More

Implied odds and reverse implied odds can be game-changers in your poker strategy, helping you navigate tricky situations with greater confidence. By grasping these concepts, you can make more informed decisions that might just lead you to victory.

The term “implied odds” refers to the potential future bets you can win if you complete your hand. Professionals and experienced players consider the current pot size, as well as the additional money they expect to win from an opponent for hitting their outs. 

Let’s take a look at an example of implied odds: 

• You’re on a flush draw.
• The pot is $100.
• You believe that your opponent will bet more if you hit your flush.
• You might factor in that extra potential profit when deciding to call.

To calculate implied odds, you need to estimate how much more you can win. If you believe you can win an additional $200 on top of the $100 pot after completing your flush, your total potential winnings become $300. 

If you need to call a $30 bet, your implied odds become $300 (total potential) divided by $30 (the bet), giving you 10 to 1 odds, which may justify a call.

Reverse implied odds reflect the risk of losing more money if your opponent improves their hand. For example, even if you have a strong hand, you must consider that your opponent might also draw to a straight or flush, potentially costing you extra chips.

Always evaluate the board and your opponents’ tendencies. If you sense that an opponent is likely to bet big when you hit your hand, it increases your implied odds. Conversely, if you think they may have strong draws themselves, you should be cautious and consider the reverse implied odds.

The Rule of 4 and 2

A simple shortcut for estimating your poker odds based on your outs is often known as The Rule of 4 and 2. This rule is easy to remember:

• On the Turn: Multiply your outs by 2 to estimate your odds of hitting on the next card.
• On the Flop: Multiply your outs by 4 to estimate your odds of hitting by the river.

With that in mind, let’s look at a detailed example:

• You have a flush draw with 9 outs.
• On the turn, multiply 9 by 2, giving you 18. This means you have an 18% chance of hitting your flush on the next card.
• If you’re still on the flop, multiply 9 by 4, giving you 36. You can expect a 36% chance of completing your flush by the river (using the turn and river cards).

This quick calculation helps you make informed decisions without needing to memorize complex math.

Conclusion

Now that you understand poker odds, including the Rule of 4 and 2, you can significantly enhance your game strategy and decision-making. By calculating your hand and pot odds, along with implied odds, you can make more informed choices at the table. These concepts will give you a competitive edge, regardless of where you are on your poker journey.

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