What is Fold Equity in poker?

Fold equity is the additional value gained from a bet or raise due to the likelihood that your opponent will fold, regardless of the strength of your own hand. It's a critical component of advanced poker strategy, especially when bluffing or semi-bluffing, as it allows you to win the pot without needing to show the best hand. When you have significant fold equity, you don't solely rely on your hand's raw equity (the chance it wins if seen to showdown). Instead, you're leveraging your opponent's perceived hand strength, stack size, and position to coerce a fold. Successfully employing fold equity transforms marginal hands into profitable plays, as you profit both from immediate folds and from completing your draws, making it a cornerstone of aggressive, profitable poker.

On the turn, you hold a flush draw and bet half pot. Your fold equity means you can win the pot outright if your opponent folds, even if you don't hit your draw.

Fold Equity (Fold Equity) belongs to the Strategy side of the game and shows up in almost every hand of Texas Hold'em. If you are just starting out, read the poker rules and the hand rankings first, then come back here. To practise risk-free you can play against our AI right on the site.