Poker odds give you the probability of winning any given hand. Higher odds mean a lower chance of winning, meaning that when the odds are large against you it’ll be a long time until you succeed. They are usually displayed as a number to number ratio and indicate the potential return on investment; for example, odds of nine to one (9:1) means that for every $1 wagered you’ll be paid $9.
Before you can begin to understand poker odds, you’ll need to learn how to calculate ‘outs’. Outs are the cards that can help you improve your hand and make it more valuable than what you believe your opponent has. There are 52 cards in a deck and two of those will be in your hand when starting playing, with a further four cards exposed from the flop and turn. That means that of the 46 cards that remain unseen, there are 9 potential winning cards or ‘outs’. That equates to odds of 4:1 for getting one of the cards, or outs, you need.
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Poker Hands Odds
As a poker player, knowing poker hand odds and rankings is crucial to knowing where you stand when calculating your odds of winning. This guide is for players from beginner to intermediate level – meaning those with a basic knowledge of poker but who don’t know how best to calculate poker odds to gauge the chances of success – and will give you everything you need to beat others when playing online poker.
How Odds Work
Poker Odds Chart
If you need to know some of the odds and probabilities of common poker hands, take a look at our poker odds chart to quickly learn which hands to play. You can either print it out and keep it on hand during a game, or calculate poker odds at a glance online.
High Card
Highest single card
- Probability
- 50.1177%
- Odds
- 0.995 : 1
One Pair
Two cards of the same rank
- Probability
- 42.2569%
- Odds
- 1.37 : 1
Two Pairs
Two separate pairs
- Probability
- 4.7539%
- Odds
- 20.0 : 1
Three of a Kind
Three cards of the same rank
- Probability
- 2.1128%
- Odds
- 46.3 : 1
Straight
Five cards in sequence
- Probability
- 0.3925%
- Odds
- 254 : 1
Flush
Five cards of the same suit
- Probability
- 0.1965%
- Odds
- 508 : 1
Full House
Three of a kind and a pair
- Probability
- 0.1441%
- Odds
- 693 : 1
Four of a Kind
Four cards of the same rank
- Probability
- 0.0240%
- Odds
- 4.164 : 1
Straight Flush
Five suited cards in sequence
- Probability
- 0.00139%
- Odds
- 72.192 : 1
Royal Flush
A, K, Q, J, 10 of the same suit
- Probability
- 0.000154%
- Odds
- 649.739 : 1
Common Poker Hands Odds
To help you become a better player, we’ve listed the odds of common poker hands and situations that you’re likely to
see at the table. To learn more about key tactics and terms when playing poker, visit our poker school.
- Open-ended straight draws (4.8:1)
- An open-ended straight draw (OESD) is a straight draw that can be completed at either end. For example, holding 6, 7, 8 and 9 means either a 10 or 5 will complete the straight. There are eight outs: the four fives and the four tens. However, you should be aware that these odds presume that there is no possible flush on the board and that you’re drawing to the best hand, which may not be the case.
- Four to a flush (4.1:1)
- A four-flush (flush draw) is a hand that is one card short of being a flush. If your hole cards (which you are dealt at the beginning of a hand) are suited and there are two more of your suit on the board, this is a good hand, as it’s rare that another player will have two hole cards of your suit. However, you should be cautious if you don’t have the ace as this will lower your odds of winning.
- Inside straight (10.5:1)
- Also known as a gutshot, an inside straight is four cards that form a straight with one of the middle three cards missing. For example, 8, 9, 10, J and Q is a straight – removing the 8 or Q makes it an outside straight, but removing the 9, 10 or J makes it an inside straight. Again, these odds assume that you’re aiming to draw the best hand possible, but unless you use both of your hole cards to make the straight, that won’t be the case.
- One pair to two pair or trips (8.2:1)
- A two pair is the seventh-best possible poker hand and is formed with two cards of the same value. For example, if you have J-T and you suspect an opponent holds a pair of aces, you have five outs to beat him: three tens and two jacks. However, this is based on your opponent not having AJ or AT, which can be a dangerous assumption.
- Overcards (6.7:1)
- ‘Overcard’ refers to hole cards which are of higher rank than any other cards on the board. For example, if you’re holding Ace and Queen and the flop comes 10, 8 and 6, you have two overcards to the board. Depending on what you believe your opponent has, you have six outs and odds of 6.7:1 – but this only holds true if your assumption is correct.
- Drawing to a set (22:1)
- A player is drawing if they have an incomplete hand and require further cards to complete it. It is often a really far-fetched draw and rarely warrants playing. Generally, if you can’t make an accurate deduction of your opponent’s hands when drawing to a set, you should always assume they have a hand that threatens your own and fold to avoid losing.
Hole Cards Probability
Learn more about the probability of being dealt specific hole cards.
| Hand | Probability | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| AKs (or any specific suited cards) | 0.00302 | 330.5 : 1 |
| AA (or any specific pair) | 0.00452 | 220 : 1 |
| AKs, KQs, QJs, or JTs (suited cards) | 0.0121 | 81.9 : 1 |
| AK (or any specific non-pair incl. suited) | 0.0121 | 81.9 : 1 |
| AA, KK, or QQ | 0.0136 | 72.7 : 1 |
| AA, KK, QQ or JJ | 0.0181 | 54.25 : 1 |
| Suited cards, jack or better | 0.0181 | 54.25 : 1 |
| AA, KK, QQ, JJ, or TT | 0.0226 | 43.2 : 1 |
| Suited cards, 10 or better | 0.0302 | 32.2 : 1 |
| Suited connectors | 0.0392 | 24.5 : 1 |
| Connected cards, 10 or better | 0.0483 | 19.7 : 1 |
| Any 2 cards with rank at least queen | 0.0498 | 19.1 : 1 |
| Any 2 cards with rank at least jack | 0.0905 | 10.1 : 1 |
| Any 2 cards with rank at least 10 | 0.143 | 5.98 : 1 |
| Connected cards (cards of consecutive rank) | 0.157 | 5.37 : 1 |
| Any 2 cards with rank at least 9 | 0.208 | 3.81 : 1 |
| Not connected nor suited, at least one 2-9 | 0.534 | 0.873 : 1 |
Poker Odds FAQs
To calculate poker odds and your equity (meaning your odds of winning the pot), you first need to know how many outs you have to complete your hand. There are four cards of every value and 13 of every suit in typical poker games. However, there are many different ways to make calculating poker odds easier – especially if you’re a beginner – such as our poker chart.
Deciding which hands to play and which to hold is crucial to a strong poker strategy. When deciding which to play, you should ask yourself how it could play against the type of hand your opponent is playing, with the assumption that their hand is stronger than yours. The best hands to play preflop are big pocket pairs like AA, KK and QQ, followed by big-suited cards like A-K.
Every poker hand has equity against other poker hands, and when deciding which to play you should always go with the hand that maximizes that equity, i.e. gives you the best chance of winning that hand. The only way to know which poker hands to play is to learn their odds and how they sit against other hands. Take a look at our guide that ranks poker hands in order for more information.
The probability of being dealt a royal flush can be calculated based on the number of royal flushes divided by the total number of poker hands. It can be formed four ways (one way for each suit), meaning the odds of hitting a royal flush in Texas Hold'em are 1 in 30,940 – or just 1 in 649,740 with your first five cards.
The odds of flopping a straight flush are 0.00139% or 1 in 72,192. The odds of hitting the straight flush by the river increase to 0.0279%, or 1 in 3,589. While this is significantly better odds than a royal flush, it is still extremely rare.
The odds of being dealt with any specific pocket pair when playing against a single player, such as aces, is 220:1, with the odds of someone else being dealt pocket kings being slightly lower at 205:1. When playing against nine other opponents, the odds become around 21.8:1.
The probability of getting pocket aces in any one hand if 220:1. When playing against nine players, the probability of winning with pocket aces is 31.36% – assuming all players stay until the end. Pocket Aces win 85% of the time against a single opponent; however, this will change based on the number of players in the hand.
With a pocket pair, you will hit a set on the flop approximately 1 in 8 times, equating to odds of 7.5:1 or 12%. Generally, you should flop a set 12% of the time or once every eight times you see a flop with your pair.
An out is an unseen card that will improve your hand to one that is more likely to win when drawn. Knowing the number of outs you have is a key component of poker strategy and is crucial to calculating poker hand odds.
Pot equity is your percentage chance of winning the pot, and depends on the cards you have. For example, if your hand has a 70% chance of winning, you have 70% pot equity in the hand.
Poker odds refer to the probability of an event happening and allows you to work out how much money you could earn if your hand wins. Good odds means a higher chance of success which is calculated based on the equity of your hand. The higher the odds against you the lower your chances of winning.
The odds of flopping a flush when holding two suited cards is 118 to 1, and the odds of flopping a flush draw when holding two suited cards is 8 to 1. You should proceed cautiously here, as any player with a higher card of the same suit as your flush has slightly better than a 2:1 chance of hitting another card on the turn or river to beat you.
Although aces form a winning hand 80% of the time, they will still lose 20% of the time. Two pairs will take the pot 31% of the time, while a simple pair will win the game 27% of the time. Three of a kind will win 12% of games, and a straight will win on average 9% of the time.
It helps, but there are multiple ways to be good at maths when playing poker. You can either educate yourself, use your intuition, or take advantage of online tools like calculators and charts. Many players who are good at poker are so because of their experience, which helps them gauge when to call, fold or shove.