Outs
The cards still in the deck that would turn your hand into a winner. An open-ended straight draw has eight outs; a flush draw has nine. Roughly, outs × 4 on the flop and outs × 2 on the turn gives your percentage chance of hitting.
Frequently asked questions
What are outs in poker?
The cards remaining in the deck that would give you the best hand. A flush draw has nine outs — the nine remaining cards of your suit — and an open-ended straight draw has eight.
How do you turn outs into a percentage?
The rule of two and four: multiply outs by four with two cards to come, by two with one card to come. Nine outs is therefore about 36% from the flop to the river and 18% on the turn. The shortcut is slightly generous with many outs but close enough at the table.
What is a tainted out?
A card that completes your hand but gives the opponent a better one — a flush card that also makes their full house possible, or a straight card that puts three of a suit on board. Counting those as clean outs is the most common reason a drawing call turns out to be wrong.