Straight Draws

By Reginald Vel Johnson

How to play open-ended and inside straight draws

As long as there are no flush opportunities on the board, playing for a straight can be one of the most profitable hands in Texas Hold’em. That’s why you definitely need to know how to play both types of straight draws in Hold’em.

Open-Ended Straight Draws

Open-ended straight draws are the best to get because they give you more options to make your hand. In fact, your outs are doubled with open-ended straight draws since you can get a card on either end to make your hand. In almost every situation, you should make the call with an open-ended draw because your pot odds will be so good.

Inside Straight Draws

Inside straight draws aren’t quite as preferable because they only give you half as many outs to hit a hand. However, there are definitely some situations where you can call while going for an inside straight. For instance, if your hand has overcards or flush possibilities, then you can call with an inside straight draw.

Capitalizing on straight draws – and actually hitting one – can turn an average session into an extremely profitable one. Watch for the draws, bet for value and hit hard when you