Draw
A hand that is not made yet but becomes strong if the right card comes.
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- What it means
- A flush draw is four cards of one suit, needing a fifth. An open-ended straight draw is four ranks in a row that either end completes. A gutshot is a straight draw missing one rank in the middle.
- How it is calculated
- Count the cards that complete it, your outs: 9 for a flush draw, 8 for an open-ended straight draw and 4 for a gutshot. The rule of four and two turns outs into a rough chance of getting there.
- Worked example
- You hold 9♠ 8♠ on K♠ 7♠ 2♦. There are 13 spades and you can see 4, so 9 outs. With two cards to come that is about 9 × 4 = 36% to make the flush.
- Why it matters
- A draw is worth calling or betting only at the right price, so knowing which draw you hold and how many outs it has comes before any pot odds sum.
Lessons that teach it: Count the cards that complete your hand · lessons other than the free one need an invite
See also: Outs and the rule of 2 and 4, Equity, Implied odds, Semi-bluff