Learn how to calculate outs and odds and how
to bet. Also, be sure to check out the specific
poker strategy topics below:


Strategy4Girls | Beginners | Math | Tells 
Confidence | Partner Strategy 
Bluffing  | Your Table Image


POKER MATH & BETTING

Learning poker odds will allow you to make more informed decisions.

• If you're dealt Ace-King, what is your chance of flopping a pair? 40%.
• If you're dealt a pocket pair, what is your chance of flopping 3 of a kind? 11%. 
• If you have 4 of the cards you need for a flush after the flop, what is your chance of making the flush by the river? 35%.
• If you have 4 of the cards you need for a straight after the flop, what is your chance of making the straight by the river? 30%.

Also, check out our odds and probabilities charts in the resource section by clicking here.

Poker math can also help you figure out if calling a bet is worthwhile for you by learning how to count outs and apply the Rule of 2 and 4.


If you are dealt a hand that has potential but needs help, like a hand that is both a flush and a straight draw, count your outs. There are 52 cards in a deck, and 13 cards in each suit. If it is after the flop and before the turn, multiply the number of outs you have by 4. The number equals the percentage chance that you will better your hand with the next card because each card in the deck is equivalent to about 2%. Therefore, after the turn and before the river, multiply your number of outs by 2. This is your chance of making your hand on the river. 


Now to figure out if calling a bet with an "un-made" hand is worth your while, compare how much is in the pot with how much the raise is. If the pot is $40, and your opponent raised $10 (now the pot is $50), your $10 call would represent 1/5 of the pot. One-fifth is 20%. This poker math is known as "pot odds." If you have more than a 20% chance of making your hand, then the pot odds dictate that calling the $10 raise is mathematically sound. Of course, don't get blinders to reading the players and the table.

Calculating Pot Odds with
Pro Phil Gordon



Basic Odds & Percentages
with Pro Phil Gordon



My Odds of Winning
a Poker Hand



Implied Odds