What is an Out in Poker?

An out is any card still in the deck that, if dealt on a future street, would make your hand strong enough to win at showdown. For example, if you hold four hearts on the flop, any remaining heart is an out to a flush. Counting outs is the foundation for pot odds, implied odds, and expected value. The most common mistake is counting outs that do not actually give you the best hand — those are not true outs.

How to count outs

To count your outs, identify the hand you are drawing to and count the unseen cards that complete it. A standard deck has 13 cards per suit. If you hold two hearts and two hearts are on the board, there are 9 hearts left (13 - 4). For an open-ended straight draw, you have 8 outs (four cards at the low end and four at the high end). A gutshot has 4 outs. A flush draw with an open-ended straight draw has 15 outs (9 flush outs + 8 straight outs, but be careful not to double-count any card that does both).

These are the most common draw types. The number of outs is the numerator in the odds calculation: with one card to come, the probability of hitting is outs / (46 - outs) if you know your two hole cards and the four board cards. On the flop with two cards to come, the rule of 4 and 2 gives a quick estimate: multiply outs by 4 for the turn and river combined, and by 2 for the river only. This is an approximation, not exact.

Worked counting example

You are in a hand with 100 bb effective stacks. You hold A♠ K♠ on a board of Q♠ 7♠ 2♦. Your opponent bets 30 bb into a pot of 50 bb. You put your opponent on at least top pair. Your outs are the remaining spades (9) and the remaining aces and kings (6), but are all 15 outs clean? The spades give you the nut flush, so those 9 are clean. The aces and kings give you top pair, but if your opponent has AQ or KQ, you are still behind. If you count all 15, you are overestimating. A better count is 9 clean outs plus maybe 3 partial outs for the aces and kings, giving you about 12 effective outs. With 12 outs and one card to come, your chance of hitting is about 12/46 ≈ 26%. The pot odds are 30 to call into a pot of 80 (50 + 30), so you need 30/110 ≈ 27% equity to break even. This is a close call. If you counted 15 outs, you would think you have 33% equity and call easily, but that is a mistake.

Another example: you hold 6♣ 5♣ on a board of 8♣ 7♣ 2♦. You have a flush draw (9 outs) and an open-ended straight draw (8 outs), but the 9♣ and 4♣ are counted twice. So you have 15 outs total. However, if your opponent holds a set, the board-pairing flush cards are not clean because they give your opponent a full house. In that case, you should discount those outs.

When not to count an out

Do not count an out if it gives your opponent a better hand. For example, if you are drawing to a flush but the board pairs, your opponent may have a full house. Also, do not count outs that are already in your opponent's hand or in the burn cards — you cannot know those, but you can discount them if you have a strong read. Finally, do not count outs that give you a draw that is not the nuts if your opponent is likely to have a better draw. For instance, if you have a king-high flush draw, the ace of your suit is not an out if your opponent holds the ace of that suit.

Leaks on this count

• Counting all flush and straight outs without checking for paired boards or higher draws. This leads to calling too often.
• Counting overcards as full outs when they may be dominated. A-K on a Q-7-2 board has only 6 outs, but if your opponent has AQ, only the kings are clean (3 outs).
• Forgetting to discount outs when the board pairs. If you are drawing to a flush and the board pairs, your flush may be second-best.
• Using the rule of 4 and 2 on the flop when your opponent shoves all-in. The rule of 4 is accurate only if you see both the turn and river, which you do when you are all-in. If you are not all-in, you must account for the possibility of facing another bet on the turn.
• Counting outs that are not to the nuts. If you are drawing to a non-nut flush, the ace of your suit is not an out if your opponent has it.

The next decision after counting outs

Once you have counted your outs, convert them to a percentage or odds. Then compare that to the pot odds you are getting. If your chance of hitting is greater than the pot odds, you can call. If not, you should fold unless you have implied odds — the extra chips you can win on later streets if you hit. For example, if you have 9 outs on the turn, you have about 18% equity. If your opponent bets 20 bb into a 50 bb pot, you are getting 70:20, or 3.5:1, which requires 22% equity. You should fold unless you believe you can win a large bet on the river when you hit. If you are facing a raise, you must also consider the possibility of a re-raise. Counting outs is not the end — it is the input to a decision.

Frequently asked questions

How many outs do I have with a flush draw?

A flush draw has 9 outs if you have four cards to a flush. That is because there are 13 cards in a suit, and you know 4 of them (2 in your hand and 2 on the board).

What is the rule of 4 and 2?

The rule of 4 and 2 is a quick way to estimate your chance of hitting an out. On the flop, multiply your outs by 4 to get the approximate percentage of hitting by the river. On the turn, multiply by 2 for the river only. This is an approximation, not exact.

Are all outs equal?

No. Some outs give you the nuts, while others give you a hand that may still lose. For example, a flush draw to the nut flush has 9 clean outs, but a flush draw to a king-high flush may have fewer clean outs if the ace is out there.

How do I calculate pot odds with outs?

First, count your outs. Then convert outs to a percentage: on the turn, outs / 46. Compare that to the pot odds: the amount you must call divided by the total pot after your call. If your percentage is higher, you can call.

What is a backdoor draw?

A backdoor draw is a draw that needs both the turn and river to complete, such as a runner-runner flush. It is usually worth about 1.5 outs, so it is not a strong draw on its own.