Counting outs when you need more than one card?

[-J.]

How do you count outs when you need more than one card to make a hand?

Example:

You have 4 5

The board shows A 5 9

If I wanted to calculate my outs, i.e. the cards out there that will improve my hand, I would count two 5's, two 4's, four 2's, four 3's, and ten 's for a total of twenty-two outs... but wait!

Can I count ten 's when I need TWO of them for it to matter at all? Or four 2's and four 3's when I need one of each for it to matter? Shouldn't they count as less since I need more than one for it to count as a real out?

I know that for determining the percent-chance I would multiply the percentage to get the first one by the percentage to get the second one but what about counting as "outs"?

[Jonniedough]

outs are normally figured for when the next card comes.

In your example you would have 5 outs, the 3 fours and the 2 fives

if the turn card was the 2 you now have the previous out plus you can improve to the flush 9 outs
the straight 3 outs, 3 threes ( one is used in your flush outs)

17 outs total

figuring percentages
An easy way to figure out what your percent to win on the turn and the river is the rule of 4 and 2.
When you figure out your outs multiply them by 4 to figure out your percent to improve on the turn.
For the river multiply your outs by 2 and you have a close percentage. It works for those that aren't math whizzes!

[HalfSugar]

If you need to go runners to be sure, I'd add 1% and be happy with that much!

[AHBrownell]

Hitting runner-runner isn't outs, that's wishful thinking.

If you want to figure out your outs its what card will come on the next street that will make me the WINNING hand.

Here you have a lot of cards that make your hand HAVE outs, but right now I think you can only consider the 4s and the 5s as outs.

So, you have 5 outs. 4 4 4 5 5 .

You could also consider just floating here, because you do have a lot of cards that give you a draw on the turn. What was the action up to this point? If it wasn't raised preflop, calling here IN position is a great spot to float. Your opponent might be bluffing the ace (which floating means you are representing with a call) AND if your opponent does have an ace here, you can catch up and stack them. If you float, and he checks the turn, you can take that pot A LOT of time.