The probability P 1 įor example, if after the flop in Texas hold 'em, a player has a backdoor flush draw (e.g., three spades), the probability of catching two outs on the turn and river is (10 ÷ 47) × (9 ÷ 46) = 4.16 percent. Playing a drawing hand has a positive expectation if the probability of catching an out is greater than the pot odds offered by the pot. Not only draws benefit from additional cards many made hands can be improved by catching an out – and may have to in order to win.Īn unseen card that would improve a drawing hand to a likely winner is an out. If an opponent has a made hand that will beat the player's draw, then the player is drawing dead even if they make their desired hand, they will lose. A made starting hand with no help can lose to an inferior starting hand with a favorable draw. In contrast, a made hand already has value and does not necessarily need to draw to win. For example, in seven-card stud, if four of a player's first five cards are all spades, but the hand is otherwise weak, they are drawing to a flush.
The hand itself is called a draw or drawing hand. For the variant of poker, see draw poker.Ī poker player is drawing if they have a hand that is incomplete and needs further cards to become valuable. This article is about poker terminology relating to drawing cards or drawing hands.
