When a player is drawing to a hand, such as a flush or a straight, they will count the number of cards that can help them achieve that hand. For instance, if a player has four hearts and is waiting for one more to complete a flush, there are nine remaining hearts in the deck. This calculation helps players assess the probability of winning the hand and make informed betting decisions.
Out Example
For example, in a Texas Hold’em game, if a player has 8♠ 9♠ and the flop shows 7♠ 6♣ 2♦, they have four outs (the remaining spades) to complete a flush and can evaluate their chances of winning based on the odds of drawing one of those spades on the turn or river.