Poker EV Calculator

How this EV calculation works

With pot P (already including the bet you’re facing) and a call of C, expected value is win% × P − (1 − win%) × C. A positive number means the call makes money on average over many repetitions; a negative number means it loses money, even if it wins sometimes. The breakeven win % shown alongside is the same number the Pot Odds Calculator calls “required equity”.

Worked EV examples

1. Example 1

   A profitable call above breakeven

   Pot is $150 facing a $50 bet, and you win 40% of the time. Breakeven is 50 / 200 = 25%, so at 40% this call is +$30 on average (0.4×$150 − 0.6×$50).

2. Example 2

   A losing call despite decent odds

   Pot is $100 facing a $80 bet, and you win only 30% of the time. Breakeven is 80 / 180 ≈ 44.4%, so at 30% this call is −$26 on average (0.3×$100 − 0.7×$80) — the price looked reasonable, but your equity doesn’t clear it.

3. Example 3

   Exactly breakeven

   Pot is $120 facing a $60 bet. Breakeven win % is 60 / 180 = 33.3%. At exactly 33.3% equity the call is worth $0 — the same number the Pot Odds Calculator gives as “required equity”, from the other side of the same calculation.

Related pages

• Pot Odds Calculator →
• Fold Equity Calculator →
• Pot odds lesson →
• Every ranked puzzle type →

Frequently asked questions

How is expected value calculated here?

EV = win% × pot − (1 − win%) × call, where pot already includes the bet you are facing. A positive result means the call profits on average over many repetitions; a negative result means it loses money even though it sometimes wins.

What is the breakeven win %?

It is the win rate at which EV is exactly zero — call / (pot + call). This is the same number the Pot Odds Calculator calls "required equity", from the other side of the same calculation.