What is Variance in poker?

Variance describes the natural statistical fluctuation in poker outcomes. A player can be a long-term winner and still run at a loss over thousands of hands purely due to randomness — and the reverse is equally true for losing players who run hot temporarily. Understanding variance is essential for emotional stability and for correctly evaluating whether a downswing reflects bad play or just normal statistical noise. Sound bankroll management is the main practical tool for surviving negative variance.

Variance (Variance) belongs to the Advanced terms group of poker terms and shows up in almost every hand of Texas Hold'em. If you are 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.