A flush draw in poker occurs when a player holds four cards of the same suit and needs one more card of that suit to complete a flush. A flush is a strong hand, and having a flush draw gives players the potential to make a powerful hand on the turn or river, depending on when the draw occurs. Flush draws are common, especially in games like Texas Hold’em and Omaha, where five community cards are dealt.
How a Flush Draw Works
A flush draw typically happens on the flop or the turn. If a player has four cards of the same suit—two from their hole cards and two or more from the community cards—they are said to be on a flush draw. To complete the flush, the player needs one more card of the same suit on the next street (turn or river).
Example:
In this example, you have a flush draw because you hold two hearts, and there are two hearts on the flop. If the turn or river brings another heart, you will complete your flush.
Types of Flush Draws
There are different strengths of flush draws, depending on the cards you hold and what’s on the board:
- Nut flush draw: When you have the highest possible flush draw, it’s called the nut flush draw. For example, if you hold A K and the flop comes with two spades, you’re drawing to the nut flush, as no other player can make a higher flush.
- Weak flush draw: A weaker flush draw occurs when you hold low-suited cards. For example, if you have 6 5 and two clubs hit the board, even if you complete your flush, it could be beaten by higher flushes.
Odds of Hitting a Flush Draw
The probability of completing a flush draw is important for making strategic decisions in poker. If you’re on the flop with a flush draw, there are 13 cards of each suit in a deck, and you’ve seen 4 of them (your two hole cards and two community cards), leaving 9 remaining cards of that suit in the deck, known as outs.
- Flop to turn: With 9 outs and 47 unseen cards (52 total cards minus the 5 you’ve seen), your chance of hitting a flush on the turn is approximately 19%.
- Flop to river: If you miss on the turn, the chance of hitting the flush on the river is about 19% again. But if you want to calculate your odds of hitting a flush from flop to river (both streets combined), you have about a 35% chance of completing the flush.
The formula for calculating the probability of hitting a flush is:
For example, from flop to river:
Example of a Flush Draw in Action
Imagine you’re playing Texas Hold’em with K Q . The flop comes 2 9 6 . You have a flush draw, needing one more spade to complete the flush.
- Turn: If the turn card is the J , you miss your draw but still have a 19% chance of hitting the flush on the river.
- River: If the river is the 4 , you complete your flush and likely have a strong hand, potentially winning the pot.
How to Play a Flush Draw
Playing a flush draw requires understanding the situation, the strength of your draw, and the odds. Here are some strategies:
- Bet aggressively (semi-bluff): When you have a flush draw, especially a strong one, you can bet or raise aggressively. This is known as a semi-bluff because even if you don’t have a made hand yet, you still have a good chance of improving. This forces opponents with weaker hands to fold while giving you two ways to win—by making them fold or by completing your flush.
- Call: If the pot odds are favorable (meaning the size of the pot justifies the bet you need to call), simply calling to see the next card is often the right move. For example, if there’s $100 in the pot and you need to call $20 with a flush draw, the pot odds are 5:1, and your odds of completing the flush by the river are about 2:1. In this case, it’s a profitable call.
- Fold: If the odds of completing your draw aren’t good (because the bet is too large or you suspect a stronger draw), it might be better to fold, especially if you’re on a weak flush draw.
Drawbacks of Chasing a Flush
While chasing a flush can be profitable in the right situations, there are risks:
- Reverse implied odds: Even if you hit your flush, it might not always be the best hand. For example, if you have a low flush, you could still lose to a higher flush or full house, costing you more chips than you expected.
- Being outdrawn: Sometimes, you might hit your flush only to find that your opponent has hit an even better hand, such as a full house or a higher flush.
A flush draw is a powerful draw that can result in a very strong hand. Understanding the odds, reading the situation, and applying the correct strategy are essential to playing flush draws profitably. By balancing aggression, pot control, and smart decision-making, you can capitalize on these situations and increase your overall win rate in poker.
