Editing Pot odds (section)

== Calculating equity ==
Pot odds are only useful if a player has enough [[Poker probability|equity]]. Equity is the chance a player has to win the hand at [[Showdown (poker)|showdown]]. It is calculated as the fraction of remaining cards in the deck for each remaining '''street''' (sequential card being dealt, e.g. [[Texas hold 'em|turn]], [[Texas hold 'em|river]]) that can give a player the winning hand. For example, in [[Texas hold 'em|Texas hold'em]], if a player has an [[Draw (poker)#inside straight draw|inside straight draw]] on the [[Texas hold 'em|flop]], there are four remaining cards in the deck, or [[Out (poker)|outs]], that can give them a straight on the turn or the river. The addition law of probability<ref>{{cite web|url=https://proofwiki.org/wiki/Addition_Law_of_Probability|title=Addition Law of Probability|website=ProofWiki.org|access-date=2021-12-22}}</ref> combines the chances of making the straight on the turn (4/47 = 8.5%) and on the river (4/46 = 8.7%) to give the player an equity of 17.2%, assuming no other cards will give them a winning hand.  Calculating equity makes an assumption of the opponents hand. If the opponent holds [[Glossary of poker terms|blockers]] (outs that the player needs to make their hand), then the player's equity is lower than what is calculated from assuming all outs remain in the deck. While this may be a lot for a player to consider in the moment, calculating equity can be simplified with the '''rule of two and four'''.

=== Rule of two and four ===
When playing against a clock, calculating odds and percentages under pressure can be challenging. To facilitate this, the rule of two and four can be used. It is an estimate of equity. The player's number of outs are multiplied with double the amount of remaining streets. Using the example from before, the player had 4 outs with two streets to come. 4 outs multiplied by 4 (double the amount of remaining streets) gives an estimated equity of 16%. Compared to the actual equity of 17.2%, this estimation is close enough for games such as Texas hold'em where bet sizes are usually kept to less than or equal to 100% of the pot,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-03-24|title=8 Rules to Help You Choose the Perfect Bet Size|url=https://upswingpoker.com/bet-size-strategy-tips-rules/|access-date=2021-12-19|website=Upswing Poker|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2012-10-16|title=More Essential Hold’em Moves: The Over-Bet {{!}} Poker Strategy|url=https://www.pokerlistings.com/10-more-essential-hold-em-moves-the-over-bet|access-date=2021-12-19|website=Pokerlistings|language=en}}</ref> where the relative pot odds have a large enough margin of error for the player to meet with their calculated equity.