Limit Texas Hold’em: Playing Straight Projects

March 03, 2010 :: Posted by - admin :: Category - Poker Strategies

When the pickups flop a straight ladder that can be open (open-ended) using the two cards in front of you, using an open staircase of the two letters in front of you or a straight gut-shot. The way you play your project depends on that ladder.

With a straight open you have 8 outs to complete your straight. When pickups on the flop a straight draw you open approximately 2.2-1 (31.5%) to improve on the turn and river combined.

Your hand is stronger if you have additional value as a pair and / or letters higher than those that are on the table, a potential back-door color and so on. For example, you have a 4s As 6d 5s 3h flop giving you a straight open (8 outs), a high card (3 outs) and a flush back-door (1 out).

This flop gives you a total of 12 outs (45%) to improve at least a couple. Or have a Js Ts 9c 8s 3d flop, giving you an open-ended straight (8 outs), two high cards (6 outs) and a flush back-door (1 out).

This flop gives you 15 outs in total (54.1% on the turn and river combined), but only you feel really comfortable with this hand if you achieve the stairs. However, this has additional value.

“Play or Retire?

When pickups a straight on the flop you’ll want a flop colors. Whenever the flop is bicolor (two-suited) have to discard 2 outs for the letters of color.

If the flop is two-tone and there are strong movements on the flop you should remove your straight draw, because of the likelihood that your opponents are sets, two pair and a flush.

Most times pickups on the flop a straight open with a multicolor flop will have the correct pot odds for a project. But here are a few exceptions to consider:

1. The flop comes with a couple and there are strong movements on the flop. When there are a couple at the table is much easier for your opponents get full houses.
2. You hand in hand and you have a pair or two overcards on the flop. The boat will not give you the odds to call. Could be worth trying to make a semi-bluff in this scenario, but not pass and as far as the same river.

Every time you play a straight draw sure that you are not projecting the bottom of the stairs. For example, you have a 5s 4s and the flop comes Js 7h 6c, giving you an open-ended straight.

This draft ladder should be played as a straight gut-shot (4 outs) because you will feel comfortable with one hand in case it falls a 3.

Open-ended straight using just one card from your hand

This kind of flops are not as strong as those where you use your two hole cards. The reason for this is that the opportunity ladder is so obvious to your opponents and someone may already have made a straight on the flop.

There are also very likely to end up splitting the pot if the ladder arms. The move also ended when the fourth letter of the ladder out and could be difficult to match the bet even though you can have the best hand.

This type of project is only a letter to give you the ladder, making 4 total outs. This is approximately 11 to 1 to improve on the turn.

This is a pretty strong hand when it has additional values such as two high cards. Taking a flop Ks Qs 6d Ts 9c is a pretty strong draft – the draft gut-shot straight draw (4 outs), two high cards (6 outs, but beware of a possible straight if it falls a queen) and a potential color back-door (1 out).

Hand in hand this hand should be played aggressively.

Generally you will not have sufficient pot odds to continue with just a straight gut-shot unless the boat has been raised before the flop. But if enough callers preflop, usually play your project is correct but only do this if you are drawing to the nuts ladder.

For example you raise with AQ suited and got four callers, the flop comes with KT-3 (10 small bets in the pot).

You spend the opponent sitting behind you bets and there are few that equal among you and the punter. In this case the pot odds guarantee a level pegging with the hope that you leave a Jack the ladder nuts.

You are about 11-1 against improving on the turn (8.7%), but the pot is large enough so that the match is correct. When you have a straight gut-shot, you often must consider risk fold if someone goes up there behind you.