Playing Straight Draws

Different Kinds of Straight Draws

A straight draw is when your pocket or hole cards and the cards of the board give you 4 parts of a straight. For example, you hold the 6 of hearts and the 7 of diamonds. The board is 5 of diamonds, 8 of spades, and Ace of hearts. The 5-6-7-8 gives you a straight draw, meaning you are drawing towards a straight. This is called an “open-ended” straight draw.

Some of the other kinds of straight draws are known as “belly busters.” A belly buster is essentially an “inside straight draw.” For example, you hold the 6 of hearts and the 7 of diamonds. The board is 4 of diamonds, 8 of spades, and Ace of hearts. The 4-6-7-8 gives you a belly buster, or “inside” straight draw. In the first example, you needed any 4 or 9 to make your straight. With an inside straight draw, you’ll be drawing to just one card--in this case, any 5 will give you a straight. This draw is also called a “gutshot straight draw.”

Likewise, a double belly buster is where you can potentially make two straights. For example, you hold the 6 of hearts and the 7 of diamonds. The board is 4 of diamonds, 8 of spades, and 10 of clubs. With a double belly buster, you have the same chance of making your straight as you would with a traditional straight draw mentioned in the first paragraph. In this case, you have 4-6-7-8-10, so either any 5 or 9 will give you a straight.

Straight Draw Odds and Probabilities

If you are playing connecting cards (i.e. 6-7 or 10-Jack), the probability of flopping a straight draw is 10.5%. The probability of making a straight by the river with an open-ended straight draw is 32%, whereas the chance of making a gutshot or belly buster straight draw is only 17%. The odds of flopping a straight with connecting cards are 75 to 1. If you hold cards that are one apart (i.e. 6-8 or 10-Queen), the odds of flopping a straight are 101 to 1. If you hold cards that are two apart (i.e. 6-9 or 10-King), the odds of flopping a straight are 152 to 1. If your hole cards are three apart, the odds are 305 to 1.

Considerations for Playing Straight Draws

Like with all “dilemmas” in poker, playing a straight draw will require you to use all of the tools on your poker tool belt--calculating odds, reading players, implied odds, and reading the table atmosphere.

If you are in a situation where, say, the board reads 7-8-10, and you have 5-6, remember that it is reasonable to assume another player holds a higher straight draw (Jack-Queen) because these cards are played so often. This doesn’t mean you should fold automatically, but keep this in mind--especially if someone else is making aggressive raises.

Most poker strategists and professionals agree that draws of any kind should be played sparingly. They are “good gambling hands,” as Doyle Brunson says in his book Super System, but still dangerous!

Finally, remember to ask yourself, “What is this hand worth?” before you call somebody else’s raise. Draws are great when you can play them for cheap, especially when you have late position.