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What Is Expected Value in Poker?

The average result of a decision across repeated comparable situations.

Common abbreviation: EV

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What it means

Positive EV does not mean an individual hand will win.

AT THE TABLE

A practical example

A call that gains 2 chips on average can still lose this particular hand.

Where you will hear it

Texas Hold’em, Omaha where applicable. The exact usage can vary with rules and context.

Also called: EV

Related concepts

Pot OddsThe price of a call compared with the pot you can win.Explore ↗EquityA hand's share of the pot on average if remaining cards are dealt and no further decisions alter the contest.Explore ↗OutsUnseen cards believed to improve a hand into a winner.Explore ↗Implied OddsThe possible value of future bets won when a drawing hand improves.Explore ↗Reverse Implied OddsThe risk of losing additional chips after making a hand that remains second best.Explore ↗

Keep learning

Study this idea in a wider poker context, then return to the dictionary whenever a term needs a closer look.

Explore Mathematics Nebula in Poker Galaxy ↗Read The Flawless Poker Odds Bible (PDF) ↗

Published 2026-10-15 · Updated 2026-10-15 · Flawless Poker Cosmic Codex