Straight Draws in No-Limit Texas Holdem
One aspect of post-flop no-limit Texas holdem play is how to handle the straight draw. Straight draws can occur whether you limit yourself to only high cards or whether you frequently play unusual hands. The point is that when your straight draw comes, you need to know how to handle it.
What is a Straight Draw?
In Texas Holdem, a straight draw occurs when the flop gives you four cards to a straight. It’s important to distinguish between the different kinds of straight draws. If you hold 8 9 and the flop comes 7 T 3, you have an open-ended straight draw. Any 6 or J will give you a straight. These eight outs make your odds of hitting a straight roughly 5-1.
If instead the flop comes 4 5 6, only a 7 will give you a straight draw. This is known as a gutshot straight draw, and with only four outs, your chances of hitting are much longer, around 11-1. Finally, there is a double gutshot or double belly buster. An example of this would be if the flop came 5 7 J to your 8 9. Now a T will give you a jack high straight and a 6 will give you a 9 high straight.
The odds of hitting this are the same as the open-ender.
When Should You Play a Straight Draw?
You should play straight draws when the pot odds merit it. That is to say, since your odds of hitting the straight are 5-1, the pot needs to be offering you better odds than this for you to continue. If the bet is $10 to you and there is more than $50 in the pot, it is correct poker to call.
You may call for a smaller pot if you believe that you will get paid off for additional money if you hit your straight. These are called implied odds and they are more valid for straight draws than for flush draws, since straight draws are much more easily disguised and you stand a good chance of getting more action. You may also choose to semi-bluff with your straight draw.
If you sense your opponents may be weak, you can put in a bet “on the come,” before you make your straight. If opponents fold, that’s great, because you don’t have a hand yet. If they don’t, there’s more money in the pot for the times when you hit. This idea often works better with fewer players, as more players are harder to bluff, plus you actually want multiple players to stay in when chasing a draw.
When Should You Not Play a Straight Draw?
You should never draw to the “ignorant end” of a straight. That is to say, if the flop is 9 T K and you have 7 8, you’ll often want to release this hand if there is a lot of resistance. If a 6 comes, you may already be dead to J Q, and if a J comes, Q 8 and A Q have you crushed. This is especially true if you are drawing to a one card straight. For example, if you hold A 5 and the flop is 6 7 8. If a 9 comes, it is very easy for one of your opponents to be holding a T, which will be very expensive if you follow through with the hand.
Also, don’t chase a straight if there are three of a suit or a pair on board, and even drawing to a straight with two of a suit on the board is of dubious merit. You only want to pay to draw if you can be reasonably confident you are drawing to the best hand.
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