Open Ended Straight Draws at the Turn

Gutshots at the Flop

Turn Gutshots. Idiot's End

Straight Tutorial

Straight Draws--Open Ended at the Flop

An open ended straight draw can make a straight if a card completes the straight "at either end." See the example below.

The open ended straight draw is a good hand at the flop and a decent hand at the turn. How you play it is mostly about odds, but can also be about controlling the hand, changing your image, and gaining a free card.

The following example is from our section on The Magical Rule of Four.

Your Cards			The Board:

Count of the cards that will make the straight:

There are eight helpful cards left in the deck. Any of the four fives, or four tens will make the straight.

Multiply eight (outs) by four and you have a 32% chance of hitting the straight by the river.

Multiply eight (outs) by two point two and you have a 17% chance of hitting the straight on the next card.

When should you call?

Tilted Donkey's Pot Size Rule.

the size of the pot needed to break even =

(100 times the size of the call) / (chances of winning the pot)

Assuming a game of $1/2, this works out to $100/17% = roughly $6.00.

So, generalizing, you should call when the pot is six times the size of the call or bigger.

This is a worst case scenerio to break even on your draw. It ignores the fact that you will pick up more money if you make your draw and that you might get a free card on the turn.

Rule of Thumb: At the flop, always call with your open ended straight draw if the flop is not paired or three of one suit. The only exception would be when you are headsup with the minimum sized pot.

When should you Raise?

From our section on betting and raising:

Bet or raise if

your chance of winning is greater than (1 / number of calling opponents)

Your chances of winning (hitting the straight) are .32 which is equal to 1/3.

So a raise is a break even proposition with three callers and definitely profitable with four or more.

In addition, a raise gives you the advantage of taking control of the hand and perhaps earning a free card at the turn. This is especially true if you are in a late position, such as the last to act. Your opponents will call your raise and then probably check to you at the turn.

It also changes your table image if you are seen raising at the flop and then folding at the river when you miss your straight (they will just see a 'crazy player' who raises then folds the hand he/she was raising with).

It also proves deceptive--many players will think you have a made hand when you are raising and won't "put you on a draw," so when you hit you can take them to the cleaners.

Rule of Thumb: Raise with your open ended straight draw (if the flop is not paired or three of one suit) when you have three of more callers.

If you are in a late position you should consider raising with any number of opponents because you could win outright or earn a free card at the turn when the bets are double in value.

Ugly Flops

The first ugly flop to consider is somewhat complicated: If the flop is paired. Our general strategy in this case is to be happy to bet, but be careful if someone has already bet before we act.

Happy to Bet? We are happy to bet because our semi-bluff is more likely to work when the board is paired. A paired board is less likely to have hit anyone and is scarier to anyone with a weak draw (you are representing two pair or trips with your bet). So your chances of winning with a single bet are quite high.

Careful to Raise? The problem here is you could already be "drawing dead" if somebody has flopped a full house or four of a kind. In addition, by the time the river comes around, it is even more likely you can make your hand and be second best to a fullhouse, quads, or a flush.

So, if you can't bet out, choosing to simply call to see the turn card is often the best strategy. Then you can make your ultimate choice with more information.

If the betting and raising gets hot and heavy at the flop, simply fold.

The second ugly flop for a straight draw is one that has three of a single suit. In this case you should fold, unless you are drawing to the ace-high or king-high flush, as well as to the straight.

Open Ended Straight Draws at the Turn