Pot odds calculator

Pot odds are the equity a call needs to break even: the bet divided by the pot after calling. Facing a half-pot bet you need 25.0%; a pot-sized bet needs 33.3%. A flush draw on the flop has 35.0%, so it calls a half-pot bet profitably and a pot-sized one barely.

Pot sizeIncluding the bet you faceBet to callWhat it costs to continueYour outsCards that win

Street

Flop (two cards to come)Turn (one card to come)

Equity needed: 25.0%; 3.0 : 1
Your equity: 35.0%; 9 outs
2-and-4 estimate: 36.0%; over by 1.0 pts

Call, you need 25.0%, you have 35.0%

Outs to equity

Exact probabilities of hitting at least one out, next to what the 2-and-4 shortcut would have told you.

Equity by number of outs
Outs	Typical draw	From the flop	From the turn	2-and-4 (flop)
4	Gutshot straight draw	16.5%	8.7%	16.0%
6	Two overcards	24.1%	13.0%	24.0%
8	Open-ended straight draw	31.5%	17.4%	32.0%
9	Flush draw	35.0%	19.6%	36.0%
12	Flush draw plus a gutshot	45.0%	26.1%	48.0%
15	Flush draw plus an open-ender	54.1%	32.6%	60.0%

Equity needed by bet size

Minimum equity to call profitably
Bet size	Equity needed	Odds offered
Quarter pot	16.7%	5.0 : 1
Third pot	20.0%	4.0 : 1
Half pot	25.0%	3.0 : 1
Two-thirds pot	28.6%	2.5 : 1
Full pot	33.3%	2.0 : 1
Double pot	40.0%	1.5 : 1

How to use pot odds

Every call is a price. The pot offers you a certain return on the chips you are about to put in, and pot odds turn that offer into a single number: the minimum share of the pot you need to win for the call to break even.

The calculation

Take the bet you face and divide it by the pot as it will be after you call. A $50 bet into a $100 pot means calling $50 to win $200, so the requirement is 25%. Notice that the bet appears on both sides, larger bets demand more equity, which is exactly why a big bet is a more effective bluff.

Counting outs honestly

The second half of the decision is your actual equity, and the usual mistake is counting outs generously. A card that gives you a pair when your opponent holds a set is not an out. A card that completes your flush and also puts a fourth card of that suit on the board may be an out and may be a disaster. Count the cards that win, not the ones that improve.

When the price is not the answer

Pot odds ignore everything that happens next. If hitting your draw will win a further two streets of value, the call can be right even when the immediate price says otherwise, that is implied odds. If your opponent will bet again on every card and you will have to fold anyway, the immediate price flatters you.

Pot odds questions

How do you calculate pot odds?

Divide the bet you face by the total pot after your call. Facing $50 into a $100 pot, calling costs $50 to win $200, so you need 50 ÷ 200 = 25% equity to break even.

What is the rule of 2 and 4?

Multiply your outs by four with two cards to come, or by two with one. Nine outs on the flop estimates 36%; the exact figure is 35.0%. It overstates slightly, and the drift grows with the number of outs.

What counts as an out?

A card that takes you from behind to in front. A card that pairs you when your opponent already holds a better pair is not an out, and one that only produces a split pot is not either.

Should I always call when I have the pot odds?

Pot odds are the floor, not the whole decision. Implied odds can justify a call that pot odds alone do not, and being out of position against an aggressive opponent can make a nominally profitable call a losing one.

How many outs is a flush draw?

Nine. There are thirteen cards of each suit; you can see four of them when you hold two and the flop shows two, leaving nine. That is 35.0% equity with two cards to come.

Why does the exact figure differ from outs times four?

Because the two cards are not independent. Missing on the turn removes one card from the deck, which slightly changes the river probability. The exact calculation accounts for that; the shortcut does not.