Calculating poker odds is very easy. You don’t need to know a whole bunch of formulas or memorize all the possible situations. This one easy formula is all you need to know to calculate the odds of completing a draw or making a poker hand after the flop.
- Step 1: Determine how many outs you have.
- Step 2: Multiply your outs by two and add a % after the result.
- Step 3 (optional): Double this number to see your odds with two cards to come
Let’s apply this to a real situation. You flop a flush draw and know that if you make the flush, you’ll win the hand.
- Step 1: Since you know 4 of the 13 flush cards, you can determine that you have 9 outs left in the deck.
- Step 2: You multiply your 9 outs by 2, which tells you that you have an 18% chance to make a flush with one card to come.
- Step 3: You multiply 18% by two to determine that you have a 36% chance of completing your flush by the river.
This poker odds formula works for every post flop situation. The resulting numbers aren’t precise, but they’re close enough to base many of your decisions on.
thank you, think i might have become a better poker player today. I now have the ability to calculate poker odds.
Glad I can help. Now you can proudly wear this t-shirt 😉
Thanks for the info. In the example quoted, if there was just one card to come, does that mean that the approximate odds are 18% to make the flush with the river card? i.e. you don’t apply step 3 to the calculation.
Its so funny, I always watch the WSP and wonder how difficult it is to look at pot odds and understand them. Its a weapon to have!
Great info