Outs in No Limit Poker

No Limit Poker, Poker Odds
September 21 2008

Poker has a language all its own at times. One word that you hear at the No Limit Tables is “outs”. Outs are cards that will improve your hand to the point that it will beat the current possible nut hand. If you hold 7h-8d in your hand and the board cards are Ac-6d-5h-2s, there are eight cards that would give you a straight. If someone is betting this board you can conclude that they have some type of lead on you, likely a paired ace, and you’ll need to hit one of these eight outs on the river to win.

It’s important to know how many outs you have in every situation you find yourself facing. These outs are used to calculate your draw odds, which in turn help you to decide whether or not to call a particular bet you may be facing. If you only have two outs, you shouldn’t be calling bets. There are even times when you’re on the draw, but you have so many outs you’re the favorite to win the hand. In this situation the best move is to bet out.

If you know how to count them it’s a good idea to sit down with a deck of cards and practice counting how many outs that different hand combinations have. It should become second nature after awhile, and it will make you realize which draws are good and which are bad.

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