Flush Draws and pot odds
There are two kinds of flops that might give you a flush
draw - two-suited or three-suited. The previous ones are obviously
preferable since you in these cases hold suited pocket cards
and have a very strong position. When a three-suited flop
gives you a flush draw you have to be more careful.
When you're holding suited pocket cards and flop a flush draw it's almost always correct to play. But you have to consider how many players you're up against in the hand and what position you have at the table:
If you're up against one or two players in the hand you might try a semi-bluff to win the pot. It's also correct to bet or raise if you have overcards as well as the flush draw. This might cause players hoping to make two pair or a pair with a better kicker to fold.
If the pot is multi-way (three or more players) you would generally want as many players as possible to stay in the hand. The reason for this is that you want to maximize your winnings if you hit your hand. Consequently you should check and call if you're acting first. The exception to this is if you think you have a chance of winning the pot right away by making a bet. When you have late position and several players has called an early bet you should raise. This will build up the pot and possibly give you a free card if everyone checks on the turn.
As mentioned, you should generally play when you hit a flush draw on a two-suited flop, but there are a few situations where you have to think twice:
- When the flop is paired and many players are involved in the action. In theses cases someone might hit a full house and the flush you're hoping for won't be enough to win the pot.
- When you're playing heads up, the pot is unraised and the flush draw is all you have. A semi-bluff could be the correct play but you should avoid checking and calling to the river.
- When you suspect that someone is holding a higher flush draw than you. A lot of action on the flop might be an indicator of this and there's a risk that you're drawing dead.
Flush draws on three-suited flops are much weaker hands. In general you need a matching Ace or King to play in these situations, but if you have extra value like a pair or a straight draw (or both), a lower flush draw might be worth a go. This type of flop has a few other disadvantages. It's much more difficult to get a big pay off since the flush draw is such an obvious one. Unless the board stays three-suited all the way most players will be very careful. At the same time they will not fold easily if they're holding a pair or an even stronger hand.
Flush draw pot odds
When you flop a flush draw you have 9 outs to complete your hand. This gives you about 35 % (2:1 against) chance of making the flush. Additional pairs, overcards and straight draws will naturally strengthen your hand and give you better poker pot odds. If you feel that you don't have time enough to calculate the pot odds, download a poker calculator and you will instantly get the probabilities and the correct pot odds. We recommend Holdem Genius, a texas holdem calculator, it will give you the pot odds, hand odds and advice what to do in any given situation. The texas holdem calculator will improve your game and make you a better player.