Poker
EV poker
EV in poker stands for expected value: the average outcome of a decision, hand, or betting line over many repetitions, used to compare the long-run profitability of alternative actions.
Key points
- A positive EV (+EV) play wins money on average; a negative EV (−EV) play loses money over time.
- EV is not a fixed payout—it is a weighted average of all possible outcomes of a poker action 1.
- Poker players use EV to decide whether to call, fold, or raise by comparing the expected value of each option.
Common questions
How to calculate ev poker?
Multiply each possible outcome (in chips or money) by its probability, then sum those products. For example, if a call wins $100 half the time and loses $50 half the time, EV = (0.5 × $100) + (0.5 × −$50) = $25. 1
Where this term is used
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Sources
- Expected value en.wikipedia.org Defines expected value as a weighted average and explains its application to poker decisions.
- Poker - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Confirms that EV is a concept used within poker strategy and hand analysis.
Sources are drawn from regulators, universities and published research, and each one is labelled with what it actually is — a preprint is not called a paper. Bookmaker and affiliate pages are never cited here, because a page that sells betting is not a neutral authority on it.