Poker glossary

EV in poker

EV, or expected value, is the average amount a decision wins or loses if the same spot were repeated many times.

Why it matters

Poker strategy is built on choosing higher-EV decisions, not on whether one hand wins this time.

Example

A call can lose the current pot and still be profitable if it wins often enough against the price offered.

Trainer cue

After each decision, separate outcome from decision quality before reviewing the hand.