To help you calculate poker probabilities we will give you an example on how to calculate the odds of getting a desired card.

This is how you calculate poker odds:

The easy example – a pair
You start with a pair of jacks – not bad! The flop – i.e. the first three cards on the table – does not include a jack.

Lesson 1: what the probability of a jack in “the Turn”?
Calculating fast you have seen 5 cards which means that 47 cards are still undisclosed. There are two more jacks in the game. The odds of getting a jack in the turn is 2/47 or 0.0426 i.e. close to 4.3 %.

Lesson 2: no jack in the Turn – how about in “the River”?
There are still 2 jacks in the game, but one undisclosed card less, meaning that you have not seen 46 cards. The odds are 2/46 i.e. 0.0434 – still only close to 4.3 %. Your chances of getting a jack have thus not improved considerably …

Lesson 3: “I can't settle with just one more jack – I want both!”
To find the answer you need to multiply the probability of each outcome. The probability of 1 jack in ”the Turn” was 0.0426 (4.3 %). In “the River” the odds are 1/46, because now there is only one jack left that you haven’t seen. The probability is around 0.0217 or 2.2 %. To get the correct answer you need to multiply the two probabilities 0.0426 x 0.0217, which adds up to 0.0009! The odds of that happening are conclusively tiny.

Lesson 4: what’s the chance of even getting the two jacks preflop?
You get one card followed by another. What’s the likelihood of the other card matching the first? There are three cards matching yours in the pile and 51 undisclosed cards left altogether. 3/51 is 0.059 or 5.9 %. What are the odds of the next card being a jack? There are 13 different kinds of cards. 0.049/13 is approx. 0.0046 or less than 0.5%.

Lesson 5: What’s the likelihood of getting a jack in “the Flop”?
Now you have to think reverse. Calculate the chance of getting a jack in every card turned. With the first card the odds are 48/50 (48 cards are not a jack and there are 50 cards left), with the second the odds are 47/49, with the third 46/48. Summing up that’s 0.96 & 0.959 & 0.958. Multiply these and you get 0.882 or rather an 88.2% chance of not getting a jack in “the Flop”. Reverse the numbers and you get 0.118 or rather an 11.8 % likelihood of a jack being turned.

Chart of poker probabilities:
A major part of poker is evaluating the odds of getting a good hand.

When you decide whether you want to bet and how much, it is thus important to understands the odds/probabilities of getting a desired poker hand.

What are the odds of achieving a given poker hand with 5 cards. Below you find all the answers to your poker odds questions.