Experienced players have a positive view of the double-sided straight draw, since its chances of luck are twice as high as that of a gutshot. This means that another piece of advice for novice poker players may be a recommendation not to rely heavily on the fact that an internal straight draw can become a full-fledged combination.
There are two ways to play Straight-draw – they are divided into aggressive and passive ways, let’s take a closer look at them.
Which implies an aggressive straight draw style. It is clear that in this variation the player behaves confidently and begins to raise his bet quickly on the flop – when three community cards are dealt on the table. So the opponents will think that the player has a very good set of cards in his hand. And some may just fold their cards.
The dark side of aggressive play is the very real possibility that the rest of the participants have better, stronger combinations, which means they will not get rid of them. And if you lose, you will lose more chips, that is, you will damage your bankroll (budget).
Pro Advice – It’s Simple – don’t rush. Having received an inferior combination such as an open-ended straight draw, do not make spontaneous decisions, evaluate the behavior of your opponents and your chances of getting a straight.
A passive or more relaxed style of straight draw puts the player less risk, but also reduces the chances of a bigger win. But at the same time, the pros advise to resort to passive play with draws that have a good chance of winning, even if there is no straight at showdown. Going to bold steps at the table is worth it when you manage to collect a good full hand.
Summing up, we will remind once again that the combination of straight-draw is not complete – it is a potential straight. You can strengthen your set of cards with eight possible outs on an open-ended straight draw or double gutshot, and with four outs on a regular Gutshot.
When playing any of the draw hands, you need to make informed decisions. Experienced poker players can afford the so-called semi-bluff with an open-ended straight draw by raising their own and responding to the raising of their opponents. But this is a matter of practice and experience of the game. If you are new to poker – take your time with decisions, watch the game and the opponents. Don’t let defeat spoil your mood, but don’t lose your head over victories.
