Using 'Outs' in Poker

Outs in poker refer to the cards still in deck (not yet dealt) that could be dealt to improve your hand. Lets say you hold a straight draw, needing any of the 4 aces in the deck to complete your straight. These 4 aces would be considered 'outs', as would any other card that could be dealt to make you a (hopefully) winning hand.

In short, the more outs you have, the more cards that could make your hand - and so the more likely you are to make your hand. A players' outs are used to work out the of odds or probability that the cards will come to make a hand. Key factors in the calculation are the number of players in the hand (to know the number of cards left in the deck), the pot size and the number of cards left in the deck.

To read more about how to use outs - See Calculating the odds of making your hand.