Limit Holdem: Playing Straight Draws in Online Poker (1)
Straight draws are strong draws in Limit Texas Hold'em. When you
flop a straight draw it's either going to be an open-ended using
both your hole cards, open-ended using one of your hole cards or a
gut-shot straight draw. The way you play your straight draw will
depend on this. With an open ended-straight draw you have 8 outs to
improve to a straight.
When you flop an open-ended straight
draw you have approximately 2.2-to-1 (31.5%) against improving on
the turn and river combined.
Your hand is stronger if it has
additional value like a pair and/or overcards, back-door flush
potential and so forth. For example, you hold the As-4
on a flop with the 6 -5-3
giving an open-ended straight draw (8 outs), an overcard (3 outs)
and a back door flush draw (1 out). This flop gives you 12 outs in
total (45%) for improving to at least a pair. Or you hold the J-T
on a flop with the 9 -8-3,
giving you and an open-ended straight draw (8 outs), two overcards
(6 outs) and a back door flush draw (1 out). This flop gives you 15
outs in total (54.1% on the turn and river combined), but you'd only
feel really comfortable with the hand in case you make the straight
but nonetheless it has additional value.
To draw or not to draw?When you flop a straight
draw you want the flop to come down rainbow. Whenever the flop is
two-suited you'll have to discard 2 outs for the flush cards. If the
flop is two-suited and there is heavy action on the flop you should
fold your straight-draw, because of the likelihood that your
opponents are holding sets, two pairs and flush draws. Most of the
times when you flop an open-ended straight draw on a rainbow flop
you'll have correct pot odds to draw. But there are a few exceptions
to consider: - the flop comes with a pair and there is
heavy action on the flop. When the board pairs it much easier
for your opponents to make full houses.
- you are heads
up and don't have a pair or two overcards to the flop. The pot
won't be giving you sufficient odds to call. It might be worth
to try for a semi-bluff in this situation, but don't check and
call all the way to the river.
Whenever you draw to
an open-ended straight make sure that you are not drawing to the low
end of the straight. For example, you are holding 5-4
and the flop is J-7-6,
giving you an open-ended straight draw. This straight draw should be
played like a gut-shot straight draw (4 outs) since you would only
feel comfortable with the hand in case a Three hits.
Open-ended Straight Draws using only one card from your hand
These types of flops are not as strong as the ones when you are
using both your hole cards. The reason for this is that the straight
possibility is so obvious to you opponents and someone might already
have flopped a straight. There is also a much higher probability
that you'll end up splitting the pot if you make the straight. The
action also dries up when the fourth straight card hits and it might
be difficult to get paid off even though you might hold the best
hand.
Gut-shot
Straight DrawsThis type of draw has only one card
that gives you a straight making 4 outs in total. This is
approximately 11-to-1 against improving on the turn. This is a hand
that is pretty strong when it has additional values like two
overcards. Holding K-Q
on a flop of T-9-6
is a pretty strong draw. The gut-shot straight draw to the nuts (4
outs), two overcards (6 outs, but beware of a possible straight in
case a Q hits) and back door flush potential (1 out). Heads up this
hand should be played aggressively. Generally you are not
getting sufficient pot odds to draw with only a gut-shot straight
draw unless the pot has been raised before the flop. But if there
are many callers before the flop and on the flop it is usually
correct to draw, but only do this if you are drawing to the nut
straight. For example you raise with an AQs and get four callers,
the flop comes down K-T-3 (ten small bets in the pot). You check,
the opponent sitting behind you bets and there are a few callers in
between you and the bettor. In this case the pot odds warrant a call
in the hopes of hitting a J that would give you the nut-straight.
You are approximately 11-to-1 against on improving on the turn
(8.7%), but the pot is big enough to make this call correct.
When you are drawing to gut-shot straights you should almost always
fold if there is a risk of someone raising behind you. | 
